Montgomery

We spent the weekend at Ellesmere again, where we could fill and empty the necessaries on the boat, visit Tesco and go to church.  It has been very showery weather, and we have been glad of our stove keeping us warm and drying out all the wet stuff.

We have returned to the Monty again.  The Montgomery Canal navigable for just 7.5 miles from Frankton Junction, with 8 locks down to Maesbury.  At the moment.  Work is progressing well with clearing the old canal channel, putting in bridges, lining the cut etc, etc to link up with the rest of the canal going to Newtown.

It is a lovely quiet, peaceful stretch of waterway, running through farmland mostly. 
We moored at Maesbury and took a look around the village. 

Ian was pleased to find this old tin church, still in use each week. Somewhere packed in a box we have a book about tin churches, think I may have mentioned that before when we visited one    in Frodsham whilst on the river Weaver.

He does like corrugated tin buildings and would love to live in one. 
He was tempted by this one almost next to the church. 

Not sure if it is a house or village hall, there were no signs or nameplates.

berries on the guelder rose

When we were down this way last year, I remembered finding lots of goodies in the hedgerows for making puddings and jams and things.  This year I have found lovely juicy elderberries, rosehips, just a few blackberries, but no sloes.  The bushes were full of them last year, so I think there must have been a late frost or perhaps the wet spring meant no insects to pollenate; anyway I have been able to make plum & elderberry crumble, rosehip syrup, blackberry & elderberry jelly and have elderberry cordial on the way.

Looking up Frankton locks, autumn colours beginning to show in the hedges.

Ellesmere - Maesbury - Ellesmere
21 miles, 16 locks, 2 bridges