Through Whixall and now at Ellesmere Day 25

It's now Tuesday and we have finally moved out of the EE Shroppie black spot - we are at Ellesmere which is a lovely unspoilt country town.There is a lot of housing development going on around it which will hopefully not destroy its character. We spent last night near the Prees Branch which is on a high embankment which overlooks The Mosses National nature reserve - its an area of low land peat bog and has an atmosphere all of its own.

As the signal is so good it has given me a chance to catch up on pictures -enjoy.
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Wrenbury mill on the left and the Dusty Miller on the right.

Wrenbury church  which rings the quarters but thankfully not during the night.

One of the tricky entrances to the lock.

Our mooring on the Whitchurch Arm which is owned by a Trust,a very pleasant off line mooring which will hopefully not be ruined by the new houses.

Whitchurch church which is grade 1 listed.

Entering the first of the 3 Grindley Brook staircase locks

One of the Llangollen lift bridges which are manually operated and Anne says it can take upto 80 turns to open some of them

The lovely canal company house which overlooks the junction with the Prees Branch- left goes towards Wrenbury and beyond,right is the Prees Branch and behind me goes to Llangollen.

A view of Blake Mere as we come into Ellesmere.

I am standing on the bridge to the Ellesmere arm - left is Wrenbury and right is Llangollen.

At the end of the arm they have built a new Tesco (left) which is in a warehouse style which compliments the old canal one on the right.Well done Tesco.

The old Ellesmere Canal Co worshops now used by CRT 

Had to include this -so true

Now this is an interesting chimney

Through Wrenbury, Grindley Brook locks and now moored in Whitchurch Arm.

Sorry cannot upload any pictures today could still be a problem with EE signal strength. Will do it another day.

Day21 Saturday

We are now on the Llangollen and have been through Wrenbury and are now moored below Grindley Brook locks which includes a three lock staircase (3 locks joined together so that the second gate of the first becomes the first gate of the next and so on)

You can see why it's one of the most attractive canals to cruise. The scenery from the start is idyllic peaceful countryside with few minor connerbations on its majestic amble to Llangollen. The only minor draw back on this is the challenging bywashes below the locks as you climb into the Welsh mountains. These are caused by the volume of water flowing down the canal which has to level out each pound,the excess flows through the bywashes to the next pound down. They enter the canal as you try to line up to enter the narrow lock - there is no room for error. There are two basic types those that come roughly parallel to the sides and those that come in at ninety degrees. The stated method in the guides is to steer into the flow. This usually works ok for the parallel type as once through you can line up in the slack water in front of the lock entrance. The biggest problems arise if it comes in at ninety degrees - you try to steer in at speed but it pushes the whole of the boat to the side which you then have to struggle into the lock. There must also be other styles/procedures that can be used but it would appear that it's a trial and error method of approach. At the moment for me it's definitely biased in favour of the canal builders. I am sure Telford and Brindley the builders of the Shroppie are looking down on modern boaters with a smug grin!

Today Sunday we left just past nine and had a good trip up the 6 locks with no delays at the three stair case locks. The weather has been brilliant sunshine with shorts and t shirts the order of the day. We didn’t go far just two miles brought us into the Whitchurch Arm which is owned by a Trust and is hoping to move a little closer to town and create a basin. It's a pleasant 25 minute walk into the centre through a country park which follows the old canal route. The walk was well worth it even today as it does have a magnificent grade 1 listed church and is famous for clock making and cheese.

Through Nantwich now below Hurleston Locks gateway to Llangollen Canal

Day20

We spent last night on the Shroppie ledge, even though we had deployed two dinghy trailer wheels to keep BB about a foot from the bank. Every time we moved inside we heard the fateful grating sound of the hull against stone. Only one more sleep and it will be over for a while.

We have tonight arrived below Hurleston Locks - it has taken 66 locks and 135 miles to get here. We stopped on the impressive Nantwich embankment from where you can look all over the town - it took Telford 5 years to build it -  and near to the recently refurbished aqueduct. We went into the lovely town for a coffee at the only Caffe Nero we will pass on the whole of the trip!!!. Although I should add that we have used independent coffee shops which have provided equivalent or better. Good coffee is spreading to all parts of the country which is a far cry from our first trip to the Llangollen in 2008.

The first lock of the flight is the narrowest on the system and all fenders must be lifted. Talking to the Lockie this afternoon it is due for rebuilding this winter.

Telford's embankment at Nantwich

Our mooring just before bridge 97 at Hurleston- the high ground in the middle distance is the reservoir that kept the Llangollen open in the 1950/60s as it brought water down from the River Dee at Llangollen.

The first lock of the flight of four that we will do tomorrow.

Now this is an unusual narrow boat.

Some good boat names today

Now below Audlem locks which is very visitor friendly Day 19

Last night we had a lovely rural mooring just below Adderley locks and just before bridge 72.

We awoke this morning to very heavy rain which was a bit of a problem as we were due to meet Anne's cousin Helen and husband Mervyn at 10.30 to go down the Audlum flight of 15 locks. After texting them we set off for the locks and met them at 11.30 instead and had a smooth run down. They are set in a really lovely part of the Shropshire country side.We moored below the locks at 14.15 and went for a very late and long lunch in The Lord Combermere which was excellent.

There is a lot of water running down the Tyrley locks to feed the Audlem flight which does start to make the exit from them challenging -and it will get worse especially when we are on the Llangollen due to feeder water- but more of that later..

Our lovely rural mooring last night at the bottom of the Tyrley flight

Making our way down Audlem flight with todays helpers

Came upon these large badger setts by the canal side which may have contributed to the collapse on the Middlewich Arm recently - they do move some material.

Wild cowslips by the side of the canal

Another view down the Audlem flight which the boss said were not difficult to operate.

Went through 70 fisherman fishing on way to Market Drayton missing the worst of the weather

Day 17 we are moored in Market Drayton just past bridge 65,it's a lovely sunny evening after a very chilly day but we did not get the weather from the south. Other wise just a nice days boating.

A few pictures of things we have come across on our way from Gnosall and Wharf Tavern near bridge 55 south of Market Drayton.

There are so many impressive embankments and cuttings on this part of the Shroppie which is partly why it has long straight sections.  To protect the embankments in case of a breach Telford had a very simple solution with a stop lock at each end. They would automatically close if a breach happened. Now they are slowly rotting away.

An embankment stop lock tff

The very busy Norbury Junction which is no more as the Newport Branch is no longer. We pulled in on the right for diesel more coal and kindling

The famous bridge 39 in Grub Street Cutting which is 80ft deep and has the only telegraph left of a line that used to follow the canal

He has the boat but he also still has the jumble

A boaters worst nightmare we passed an angling competition of 70 fishermen.This is only a few they went on for over a mile

Couldn't resist a picture of the Wrekin which dominates the area

Another one of the impressive cutting bridges in Woodseaves.

We went down Tyrley Locks today which actually looked like spring was coming-but the wind was chilly

The canopy was nearly as tall as the boat was long

These two fisherman were not in the competition and they looked happy

Now at Gnosall and no accidents today

Day 15 totals to date are 39 locks and 105 miles. We have opted for a route of more miles but 100 less locks of which 80 odd are big heavy double locks on the Grand  Union main line via Birmingham. All the locks we are doing are the much lighter single narrow locks. Yes we have taken the easy option for a change.

Today has been much better weather wise with no heavy rain just light on and off showers and no accidents. My bruise has really come out now it's a bright beetroot colour.

We are now moored in Gnosall by bridge 54 a mere 10 miles and 1 lock in 4.1 hours. The S U has some impressive cuttings and embankments especially when they were built by hand and horses to move the spoil around.

The S U Society have been restoring the mile posts- this is the one tonight outside our porthole window which clearly shows where you have been and where you are going

Couldn't resist the name but not sure about the face

 Nb Prince is a 'Royalty class built for Associated Canal Carriers in 1931. They just look so large when they have no cargo on-board.

A lovely swallow stern of an inspection launch

The narrow boat was made for a local carnival - unfortunately  the lady said they didn't win.

I fell in mooring near Brewood on The Shroppie

We awoke at 08.00 to rain which was forecast for all day. We need to charge the batteries each day so -its not bad weather its wrong clothing. So with full wet weather gear on we set off at 09.30 and cruised down to Autherley Junction and turned onto The Shropshire Canal and cruised through to just before bridge 8 south of Brewood stopping at 12.30 in the rain. I have only fallen in once before just after we had the boat - I have now done it twice!!!!! As we were coming in to moor Anne had hopped of the  bow and I was going to get off to sort out the stern. Well as I went to step ashore I suddenly realised that the boat had drifted out and the gap was too big. Too late I was committed and had no way back - the only way was down and on the way down I bashed my bum on the side of the boat. A lovely bruise is now developing. Therefore the only thing that is hurt is my pride and my bum. Anne had to get the mini washing machine out to deal with all the wet clothing. Another days boating is over.

As we approached Autherley Junction we came through a series of narrows. They were built by Brindley’s navvies during the construction of the canal through solid sandstone which had come through the clay strata. Luckily we did not meet another boat although there are a couple of passing places.

The narrows

The local heron fishing -to attention - in front of the boat