heading towards foreign lands

This week we have done … all on the Llangollen Canal - Hurleston Junction, Wrenbury, Grindley Brook, Whitchurch, Whixall to Ellesmere where we are moored on the Ellesmere Arm.


Had a couple of Bonus Days this week with the weather when it’s been quite warm and sunny - otherwise cloudy and some showers.

It was our 4th Wedding Anniversary last Thursday and we celebrated by soup and champagne for lunch and then a 3-course meal at the Dusty Miller in Wrenbury which was excellent. The pub/restaurant has a new landlord of 2 weeks who was very friendly as were all his staff, so that with coupled with the good beer, good food and good location - right on the towpath - means they should do well.

We went back to the Dusty Miller Fri evening for a couple of pints. Walking in we heard a laugh/voice it is hard to forget - it was Janie who works for the Black Sheep Brewery. All of you who know Dai will know that Black Sheep beer is one of his favourites and we used to travel up to the Brewery in Masham Yorkshire about every 3-4 months for Sunday lunch at their Bistro (when we also used to fetch our bread flour from a local mill near there). Janie’s boyfriend has a narrow boat and he cruises around during the summer so Janie meets up with him every weekend. Janie told us there is one couple (us) and 2 families she always remembers from the Brewery - someone obviously made a big impression !

Got through Grindley Brook locks (3 + 3-staircase) with only about 30 mins wait and then spent a couple of days moored at the top.

Made another batch of damson jam whilst at Whixall - this has to be the last lot as I don’t have any jamjars left now!

A sad pub tale now ------ we had the worse pint ever on our first evening at Ellesmere. I could only manage about a quarter of my pint before I just had to give up. Dai did drink his pint but you can tell how bad it was because he didn’t want to finish mine. However, the pint at The Ellesmere Hotel yesterday made up for it !
The visitor
moorings on the Ellesmere Arm are 72 hours so we are spending 3 nights here. Not a very big town but has everything you need - butchers, bakers, deli, post office, banks, pubs, fish ‘n’ chips and a Tesco / Spar / Co-op. We walked as far round the Mere as we could yesterday in the sunshine - lovely!

Since last blog we have done … 23 miles and 15 locks
This makes total since Setting Off ….. 744 miles and 784 locks.


Blake Mere - right by the towpath



one of the many lift bridges on the Llangollen Canel