Queen’s Head to Weston Branch.

At last the weather is starting to pick up, with forecasts for the week ahead very promising. Having spent a very pleasant day yesterday, with Graham and Emma, and their younger son Henry, climbing friends from when we used to live in Suffolk, who now live out this way. We set off this morning for the Weston branch, which is just below Frankton locks. Being well out in the countryside and no other boats moored here, we decided to take the opportunity to cut up some of the large wood we have been collecting over the winter, with our new electric chainsaw. Filling the saw up with oil.

Jo having a go, one of the reasons we bought the electric saw, so she could use it, she wasn’t to happy about using the petrol one, that will have to be my little baby.

We chopped up enough wood to fill 9 coal sacks, should keep us going for a while next winter.

Keith.

Canal Central to Queen’s Head.

A pleasant trip back to Queen’s Head, sort of.

The pounds levels were down between the 3 Aston locks, and it was a little bit of a struggle to get through, but I managed it without Jo having to let water down from the pounds above. At least it has cleaned a few barnacles of the bottom of the boat!

Keith.

Friends of Canal Central Very Light Railway Project

At Canal Central, there is a 12” gauge railway being built, which should be a nice feature for the canalside shop/information centre/Post Office/B&B/camp-caravan site. This is the eco-friendly Canal Central building.

This is the engine/rolling stock shed.

This is the engine and rolling stock housed in the shed.

The track leaving the shed.

Part of the loop which circles around the camping/caravan site.

Work being carried out on laying the track ballast.

Keith.

Maesbury Marsh to Gronwyn Wharf and Beyond

Sunshine this morning was rather nice to see. A short trip today to Gronwyn Wharf, the present limit of navigation. Leaving our mooring at Maesbury Marsh.

Canal Central, beyond which is where we were going to moor, having winded.

Croft Mill lift bridge.

Gronwyn Wharf, and the winding hole.

I returned to Croft Mill lift bridge to pick up Jo who had waited there with the bridge open, whilst I winded, and we returned to almost back to Canal Central, and moored up. Jo prepared a packed lunch and we set off to explore the restoration work and beyond. This is the present limit of navigation at Gronwyn Wharf.

End of the watered section.

Restoration work in progress at Redwith bridge No.83.

I hope they remember to put the plug back in before they let the water back in!

Future work to be done.

Pryles bridge No.84

Approaching Crickheath bridge No.85.

Bridge No.86 has disappeared.

View from where Bridge No.86 should be.

Bridge No.87.

The further we went, the more the canal bed is overgrown.

Bridge No.88 at Pant.

Bridge No.89 also dose not exist any more.

Part of the railway viaduct, crossing the road, alongside where Bridge No.89 should be.

The lime kilns between Pant and Llanymynech.

Bridge No.90.

Just beyond Bridge No.90 we found this bench and sat and had our packed lunch.

Just beyond the bench was this mile marker, and this was where we turned around and headed back, 6.6miles in total. We should have taken our Nicholson’s guide with us, as we would have then known we were very close to Llanymynech and would have carried on!

Keith.