Llangollen

We made our way into Llangollen on Thursday and stayed for the 48 hours allowed to Saturday.
Last time we were here on nb Coal Boy we had a 6 week old baby, he is now 19 years old away at University.

The canal is high above the town.  When we were last here you could moor along this stretch, we think it has been narrowed and moorings are now allowed further back on the canal bank or in the new basin at a fee of £6 a night. This is the first time we have paid for mooring in six months, but we did get electricity hook-up!

On Friday we walked along the canal up to Horseshoe falls.

Past the horse drawn trip boats. There have been horse boat trips here since Victorian times.

A couple of day hire boats about to set off for the day. Hope they have a good day.

The Pavilion where the International Eisteddfod is held each year in the summer. It is well used during the year for other concerts as well.

Alongside the canal on the way to the falls, there is the Llangollen Motor Museum, a collection of motorbikes and cars.

Jumble being very patient

My favourite, a Citroen (not sure of the model) traveller style.

A little further along and  you come to the Chainlink Bridge Hotel between the canal and the river Dee. And of course the wonderful bridge from which it gets its name.

"The Llangollen chain bridge has forded the River Dee at Berwyn, just outside the town, since 1814 and over the years became a real tourist attraction as well linking the Llangollen Canal, Railway and A5 for the transportation of coal and slate."

Not too many at once then

In fact none at all now.

The current owners of the hotel have made an agreement with the local councils to have the bridge restored and the Chain Bridge Project expect it to cost in the region of £100k.

 

The Horseshoe falls, a weir on the river Dee designed by Thomas Telford to feed the Llangollen canal, and carrying water along its length to Hurleston reservoir at the junction with the Shropshire Union Canal.

The narrow channel on the way to the falls. Ian remembers coming along here in his Dad's first boat, a small cruiser, in the 1970's.

The river Dee in the town running next to the Railway station.

 And making our way back along the narrow stretches, only room for one boat, the canal crawling along the side of the hill cut out of the slate.

A beautiful canal, with the beginnings of autumn colour showing in the trees, hope it won't be another 19 years before we come back.