The Prees Branch, next stop Ellesmere

Wednesday, 31 March 2010 21:12

The Prees Branch is soooo quiet!

But - no internet signal for us! John caught up on reading the Sunday paper and I always have plenty to read.

Before we left the next day, John spotted some aquatic wild life swimming alongside Epiphany.

Frog swimming by

We returned to the Llangollen Main Line and turned left towards Wales. The canal follows a straight embankment with Whixall Moss on the towpath side and woods on the other. Half way along, if narrowboaters keep their eyes open, they will spot this marker.

Boundary Marker

Finally, we were in Wales! But only for a while, as you will see. Bettisfield is a small village and the Victorian Church is just visible from the canal. There is water before the bridge there.

The Llangollen now twists and turns through the countryside and within two miles we were back in North Shropshire! The area by Hampton Bridge (50) is attractive and looking back the daffodils were in full bloom.

We were much amused by this cockerel statue, particularly as a cockerel from the farm alongside crowed just as we passed. It was almost as if there was an automatic trigger for a recording - maybe there was!

Cockerel

Soon we were in "Mere country"; there are nine in the area. The Meres were formed by glacial activity and are full of wildlife. The first of them visible from the canal is Cole Mere, which is on the off side and shielded from the canal by trees. There are circular walks and boating activities on this Mere.

Blake Mere alongside the canal makes a lovely mooring

After Blake Mere is Ellesmere Tunnel, a short tunnel with a towpath. Exiting the tunnel at the western end, we entered the approach to Ellesmere through open parkland.

Exiting the tunnel

Narrowboats can moor along this stretch before Red Bridge, and soon the towpath becomes made up. From here it is possible to walk into Ellesmere and to The Mere on the north east side of the town. There are official BW 48H visitor moorings just before Blackwater Marina and also after Red Bridge (58).

The Junction with the Ellesmere Arm is after the bridge and although it was lined with narrowboats on the visitor moorings (72H) we turned into it to explore.

Entrance under White Bridge (59)

It appeared there were no spaces to moor and those towards the end of the Arm are designated winter moorings. The winter period finishes at the end of March and so most of these boats will not be vacating their moorings until the beginning of April!

At the end of the Arm is Ellesmere Wharf and the winding hole. We were fortunate to find a mooring right at the end, in front of the last boat, the space was just our size and left plenty of room for even the longest narrowboats to wind.

Looking down to the Wharf

Llangollen Canal, Prees Branch to Ellesmere

3 hours 11 minutes, 7.40 miles, 0 locks