Chirk Bank

As you may have guessed last nights mooring was very quiet. The Weston Branch use to go all the way to Weston Wharf as can be seen on this Waterway Routes map, now only a short length is in water and is navigabile as far as the service block.

We left at about 9-30 to make our way back to Frankton locks on the way passing this speed limit sign or 3 MPH Further down passed Queens Head it drops to 2MPH.

The day before yesterday I mentioned the model railway viaduct, looking more closely on our way up there is also a station and the sunken garden is

 

actually an old disused drydock with a bit of history to it. The plaque on the wall of lock No. 3 gives a bit more information about it.

There is only one boat booked to come down the locks today so we were the first boat to traverse the flight, this meant all the locks were ready for us with gates open, We did from the moorings to the top in 35 minutes. This is the view approaching lock No.2

 

the bottom of the staircase. Again there flight was maned by 2 people, one at the bottom and one on the staircase. On the lock hut at the top there is another plaque commemorating the restoration of the first section of the canal.

Back on the Llangollen Canal we turned left to carry on upstream, we called in at Whittington Wharf for a first class pumpout with very friendly service. While there we had a very short, sharp shower of rain, it had looked threatening for some time. Later we passed this tree on the back edge of the towpath, the fencing is not because of the way its decorated but because the towpath has subsided all around it.

We got in a queue at New Marton Bottom Lock with a couple of boats ahead of us as well as some waiting to come down, at Top Lock the last boat was in the lock when we arrived so not long to wait. The Jack Mitton Pub is no more and it doesn’t look as if anyone has taken it over being all overgrown. I wonder if they did actually have the mooring rights on the towpath in front of the pub? We carried on passing this fine young lady doing her dobie canal side for all to see. I hope she doesn’t get her mitt in the mangle. Our target for tonight was Chirk Bank 48hr moorings, until now all the 48hr moorings had been empty but thankfully there was still one space on the Chirk bank ones.

Todays Journey

7½ miles 6 locks in 4½ hours.

The Google map has again been updated HERE