Llangollen Canal - July 12 to 19

Saturday, July 12, 2014
Llangollen, Wales, United Kingdom
The Llangollen Canal trip took us from Whitchurch in England to Llangollen in Wales, 31 miles there and 31 miles back. The boat is 66 ft long, 7 ft wide, constructed of heavy steel, has a round bottom, no keel, and a small diesel engine. A canal boat trip, therefore, means hitching a ride on an uncontrollable battering ram in which going in reverse is a mere afterthought. You can use them like a bumper car while negotiating your way down the canals which are, in places, only inches wider than the boat itself. While it may bring back memories of youthful experiences at the fairground, the novelty soon wears off. At times it feels like taking an old dog in heat for a long walk in the countryside.  

Hazards along the way included: boats going in the opposite direction; boats going in the same direction; running aground; curves with a turning radius less than the boat itself; trees; and stinging nettles leaning out into the canal . Bridges were often located on tight turns with no way of seeing what was coming in the opposite direction until the last minute. At times we had to toss a crew member onto the tow path to warn of oncoming traffic.  

Sir Thomas Telford (1757-1834), the brilliant Scottish civil engineer, was commissioned to build this canal to feed water from the River Dee into the much larger Shropshire Union Canal System. It was an unprecedented engineering feat that required solutions to enormous challenges in the days when unique designs, materials, and equipment were needed. The Pontcysyllte aqueduct is a perfect example of this. It is over 1,000 ft. long, as much a 126 ft. high, and includes 19 arches. The canal trough itself is made up individually cast iron plates bolted together and sealed using "boiling sugar and lead".

Other features along the way were another impressive aqueduct, 2 major tunnels (one 1,377 ft. long), and two locks . The lift bridges and the locks were manually operated by those using the canal. Working together with other people was fun.

Canal life included visiting quaint villages, great pub food, lots of sheep and cows, distinct farm smells, and highly variable weather. The slow flowing canal seemed to reflect the surrounding life style; boaters and locals alike were cheerful and helpful.  

Seven-hundred-year-old Chirk Castle came to life thanks to local volunteers with a passion for history.  They were stationed inside the various lavishly furnished rooms ready to share their knowledge.  A very animated guide greeted us in the central courtyard filling us in on lots of historical facts and even more colorful legends. The castle has been privately owned by the Myddleton family since 1595, but is now owned and operated by the National Trust.  

Llangollen was special for us. We were able to hitch a ride on a horse-drawn canal boat which gave us a real sense of canal travel in the early days . Many of the rural railroads were shut down in the mid-1960's by a stroke of the "Beeching Axe" as a cost-cutting measure. As a result many people in the country-side felt abandoned as no other public transportation was available at the time. The Llangollen Trust operates the resurrected operating steam railway run entirely by volunteers.  The station has been refurbished and the tracks replaced to allow tourists to experience old steam train travel. The project is so successful that the railway is currently being extended.

Although we weren’t able to take a trip on the train we were captivated by the volunteer station master’s stories and descriptions. Conversation drifted into his Welsh ancestors who left for Argentina and Canada!

Our memorable canal trip included watching World Cup Final between Germany and Argentina in the cozy Lion Quay Pub. Where will we be for the next Cup Final in 4 years? ¿Quién sabe?
 
I have included two photo links for this entry . You need to return to this page to open Album #2.
 
Please click the link below for Wales Canal Trip Album #1 photos:
https://picasaweb.google.com/104590044281989964656/20140712WalesCanalTripAlbum1?authkey=Gv1sRgCKGly_WFxuXV7gE#

Click link for Canal Album #2:
https://picasaweb.google.com/104590044281989964656/20140719CanalAlbum2?authkey=Gv1sRgCOOt28v8vbnhaw#

 
 


 

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2025-02-15

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