The Llangollen Canal

A new day a new canal! We've heard many good things about the Llangollen and plan to spend the winter months on it.

It was a difficult left turn from the Shropshire Union main line into the first lock on the Llangollen. We had to fight against the wind as well as the flow of water. Will ended up hauling Rainboat's bow rope round from the shore while Vicky swung the stern round 360°.

Several people had warned us and a sign reminded us to take up the fenders as the Hurleston locks are so narrow. A boater coming in the opposite direction helped us through the first of the four locks and had left the others empty, meaning we just needed to open the gates instead of draining the water first. Our luck ran out at the top lock which the lock keeper had filled in order to lower the level further upstream. Unlike the other canals we've travelled on the Llangollen has a bit of a flow to it because it takes water from Horseshoe Falls at Llangollen and feeds Hurleston Reservoir. This current was especially evident pinch points like bridges, where Rainboat's bow would displace water and we'd see a colourful mix of fallen leaves in the stream swirling towards us at the stern.

The mooring was blissfully quiet with cropped wheat fields stretching out on either side. Fieldfares flitted between hawthorn hedges and a buzzard surveyed its surroundings from a telephone wire. A few people passed us on the muddy towpath and unfortunately for the dogs a bird scarer boomed periodically from a nearby farm.Read more