Maelor South, United Kingdom Travel Journals & Blogs

Traveler Kings, Queens, Pubs n Castles
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- Sep 2, 2017
- ☀️ 18 °C
- Altitude: 83 m
- Wales Maelor South Bettisfield 52.913651, -2.80945652°54’49” N 2°48’34” W
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Day 17
Narrowboat time!
September 2, 2017 in Wales ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
Off to Bettisfield today to pick up our Narrowboat, about a two hour drive from where we spent the night near Bristol. We stopped in Whitchurch to visit a little market in the Main Street, bought some cheese, pepperoni and sour dough and a couple of pork pies! What more could you ask for! There was a narrow boat show on not far from town and we called in to have a look at them. Some pretty cute ones!

They were waiting for us with the boat already when we got to Bettisfield. And after a few instructions and demos we were off! Beautiful day for us to set off, the sun is shining and it's quite hot! Took us a while to get the hang of steering this thing, because it so long it doesn't take much to put it off course! But after cruising down to Ellemere we were doing pretty well. Lots of bridges on the canals too and they are only just wide enough for the Narrowboat so that's pretty interesting trying to line them up!

We stayed the night in Ellesmere, walked down the canal and had a lovely chat to a young guy who was entertaining his daughter catching a few fish in the canal! Think she was more interested in collecting rocks and showing them to me really but she did like to hold the little fish he caught and chuck them back in. She was only about three and giving me heartaches dancing around the edge of the canal! Dad didn't seem the least bit phased though!

The next morning and it's a different story, the skies look very threatening and we had a few hours to do today so we made an early start before it actually started to rain. Luckily we'd packed raincoats and beanie and scarves, what a contrast to yesterday, it is freezing today and a constant drizzle. We stopped about ten for a cuppa and to wait for the worst of the rain to pass.

Once we set off again it just drizzled the whole way to Chirk, we had a bit of fun getting through the locks. I was the one working the locks and was supposed to be listening yesterday when Nick explained it to me, umm don't think it really sunk in. Oh well luckily when we came to the first one there was a few people in front of us and I got to see how it all worked. Seemed like there was plenty of people to help so I wasn't too worried but they all disappeared when it was my turn and left me all alone. Luckily I'm a fast learner or it was pretty simple and I managed to get it sorted.

There are two locks very close to each other and at the next one I had to help these two ladies who had no clue what they were doing! Ha ha reminds me of work, watch one, do one, teach one! Then some old dude asked me if I was the lock keeper, Yep, fake it till you make it! we made it to Chirk and after tying up we walked uptown to look for a beanie for Graham (he left his at home somehow), but we forgot it's Sunday so nothing was open except a gorgeous tea shop where we had tea and the the most delicious chocolate cake, almost better than I would cook myself.Read more
Traveler Binging back memories! Wish I was there too!
9/6/17Reply
Traveler Your boat does look very narrow, but also very long!! What a adventure you're having!!
9/10/17Reply
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Traveler Wales
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- May 8, 2019
- 🌧 8 °C
- Altitude: 89 m
- England Ellesmere 52.90672, -2.9003452°54’24” N 2°54’1” W
Day 6
Barge day 3 and the never ending rain
May 8, 2019 in England ⋅ 🌧 8 °C
Made our way back to Frankston Locks, timing is is key for those locks ;) we made friends with the lock keeper, who's father was stationed in Malta during the war. I intend to spend at least one season of my life time being a lock keeper.

We rerouted to Ellesmere were we spontaneously met up with our Welsh family once again, I got introduced to Hunters Chicken .... Yum! New pub favourite 😍Read more
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Traveler Kings, Queens, Pubs n Castles
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- Sep 8, 2017
- ⛅ 16 °C
- Altitude: 77 m
- Wales Maelor South Bettisfield 52.914326, -2.80434152°54’52” N 2°48’16” W
Day 23
Last day on the Kingfisher!
September 8, 2017 in Wales ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
Last day on the boat, we have some washing to do and then only a two hour trip back to Bettisfield! Washing done and a bit of housekeeping tidying up the boat, (we have spread our belonging from top to bottom of this thing). We doodled back up to Bettisfield getting there just after lunch.

We had half a day to fill in and decided to head off to Chester for the afternoon. Now if we'd talked to the boat owners they would have told us not to drive right into the city but to take the park and ride. But Gung-ho as usual we headed in. Wasn't too bad, except we missed the car park, but we did find a park, legal or not I don't know but it was nice and close so good enough.

What a pretty city centre, it's called the Rows. They have kept all the Tudor half timber buildings. The shops are on two levels but if you look up past the street level it all looks original.

Chester started life as a Roman fort in the first century with an almost complete wall complete with gates and tower around the old city, a huge and I mean massive cathedral, a Roman amphitheatre which is still being excavated and a castle.

We walked around the wall, checked out the towers and the city gates, visited the cathedral, and admired all the rows. The only disappointment was the castle which is just a shell really which you couldn't really get close to.

Headed back to the boat about five, miraculously our car hadn't had it wheels clamped, traffic was a bit worse coming home, but once out of the city centre not too bad. Lots of cars going in though. Have to finish off all the cheese, beer and wine on the boat before we hand it back tomorrow.Read more
Traveler Loved Chester. Pretty impressive, isn't it.
9/12/17Reply
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Traveler A week on the Llangollen Canal
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- Apr 12, 2018, 9:36pm
- ⛅ 7 °C
- Altitude: 82 m
- England Ellesmere 52.897398, -2.90894352°53’51” N 2°54’32” W
Day 6
Cruising Along
April 12, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C
Another later start this morning as we cast off at 10:20. We also had a much calmer day with no locks to contend with. We did however have three lift bridges; we have a good routine for these now so no dramas there. We have found that we can plod on for quite a while without seeing any oncoming boats only to come across three at tricky spots, this is common at lift bridges it seems.

This morning Sarah drove the boat for a bit while Andrew went for a little walk along the towpath for just over a mile. This afternoon we reversed roles and Sarah had a little walk. It was nice to stretch our legs a little, even if the towpath was very muddy in places.

As we needed a few supplies we pulled into the Ellesmere Branch to moor up and pop to Tesco. We also took the opportunity to wander into the town itself. There is not much to the town and it has a sleepy, run-down feel to it but it was nice to have a little look.

Rather than go to the winding hole at the end of the branch Andrew reversed out of the branch back onto the main canal. Reversing a narrowboat is rather difficult due to the limited steering but Andrew was quite pleased with his attempt. He then picked up Sarah, who had been acting as lookout for other boats, before stopping at the water point to fill up. This was slow going as another boat was doing the same so the water pressure was quite low.

Today we can add to the list of vegetables spotted floating down the canal. Sarah spotted a butternut squash, Andrew spotted a cabbage leaf and we were really amused when another leek floated by. We are wondering what we will spot tomorrow.

We stopped for the night a little way on from Ellesmere.Read more
Traveler What fun to be Vegetable-spotting as you cruise the Canal - hope you don't Out-do me on the spotting front! I hope the only whales you come across is the one without the 'h'. Enjoy your last full day.
4/13/18Reply
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Traveler Llangollen Canal
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- Sep 9, 2023, 4:45pm
- ☁️ 26 °C
- Altitude: 81 m
- England Ellesmere 52.900317, -2.89644352°54’1” N 2°53’47” W
Day 1
First Mooring After An Exciting Start
September 9, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C
So after the gang met up at Tesco to do the voyage shop we set sail to new horizons. Feeling a little rushed out of the boatyard, our first manoeuvre a ninety degree turn at a popular mooring spot. Oops! Then after a helping hand from the captain of the boat we nudged and as the junction traffic increased we were on our way or were we? Oops! Somebody's phone had been left in the car so we moored up whilst it was retrieved.

We didn't travel far on our first day, mooring close enough to the Ellesmere boatyard and adjacent cricket ground to hear the bands playing at the Ellesmere Sausage and Cider Festival being held there.Read more
Traveler Looks absolutely glorious. I loved the times we spent on our canal trips although the locks around Birmingham were harsh.
9/10/23Reply
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Traveler Llangollen Canal
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- Sep 15, 2023, 8:29am
- ☁️ 15 °C
- Altitude: 77 m
- England Ellesmere 52.902454, -2.8922352°54’9” N 2°53’32” W
Day 7
The Last Ride Back To Ellesmere
September 15, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
A slow day with not many miles to do and good weather to boot. A short diversion up the Montgomery canal to get rid of rubbish then finally arriving in the Ellesmere Basin but not being allowed into the marina at this time. They were still awaiting two boats. The Dartford Warbler, being their longest boat they didn't want to let us in and so asked us to moor until morning.

Microwave Chinese meals from Tesco sorted us for our evening meal after me and Kev hadn't identifiesd any suitable sit down establishments in Ellesmere.Read more
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