With the worst of the wind and rain over the weekend out of the way we set off from Ellesmere to Frankton junction, but first we crossed the canal to the maintenance yard to fill up with water and empty everything that needed emptying.
Tescos as seen from the sanitary station.
And then we set off.
First distant glimpse of the Welsh foothills.
Approaching Frankton Junction.
Frankton Junction and the Montgomery Canal.
Keith.
Despite the slight drizzle we set off to explore Ellesmere this morning. The Shropshire Railway and Canal Company warehouse is still standing alongside the arm terminus.
Since we we last here 6 years ago, a new Tescos has been built alongside the terminus opposite the warehouse, I say new it was built over 3 years ago now, but to us it is new.
There is a real mixture of Tudor and Georgian buildings in Ellesmere.
This was originally the town hall, but is now a restaurant called La Belle Vie where we had lunch after walking around the town.
This is the Ellesmere Hotel.
Which had this plaque on its wall.
This is St. Marys Church.
It overlooks The Mere.
The old school house, now converted into a home.
Keith.
Yesterday was decidedly wet, as per the weather forecast, so we stayed in the warm and dry. Today seemed better but having started off the rain returned and didn’t stop until just before we arrived at Ellesmere. It was only a short journey taking us past Blake Mere, which we will stop at and explore on our return journey.
Then the very short but narrow Ellesmere tunnel.
We ventured up the arm, winded, and did attempt a mooring in the arm, but it was too shallow, so we initially moored up on the Whitchurch side of the junction, doing a swap fo places with Les & Jacqueline on Nb Valerie and chatted for a while with some other boaters, before moving away from the junction to opposite the BW maintenance yard. The likelihood of being rammed by boats manoeuvring at the junction is quite high, especially with the weekend approaching. Very much like Foxton junction. Lunch was then followed by a shopping trip to the new Tescos alongside the end of arm, which is very handy.
Keith.
After an exceedingly quiet night, apart from the cockerel at 4:00am, we set off returning to the main canal.
This section of the Llangollen canal passes through Whixhall Moss, which this time of year has a unique character.
One of the rebuilt bridges on this stretch.
We moored up near Little Mill Bridge No.55, Jo made a packed lunch and we set off for a walk around Colemere. Hadar as seen from Little Mill Bridge.
Little Mill cottage.
Colemere.
Rhododendrons starting to bloom.
Colemere Sailing Clubhouse.
The old vicarage overlooking Colemere.
St. John the Evangelist church.
The boathouse as seen from the church.
A real working water pump behind the church.
Alongside the church is an area called St. John’s wood, which has been turned into an area of woodland, with paths and glades, and things like this insect hotel.
The history of St. John’s wood.
We sat down in one of the glades on this bench and had our packed lunch, with a view across Colemere.
After we finished lunch we carried on with our walk around the mere, this was one of two swans that came in whilst we were walking along the edge of the mere, in front of the church. Apart from a pair of Grebe and some Mallards, there wasn’t much else to see, waterfowl wise.
Part of the path along the side of the mere has had a walkway built along it.
We then walked through the woods alongside the mere.
We were fascinated with this tree and its roots interwoven amongst the stonework.
The boggy ground around the mere is not ideal for supporting large trees.
We even came across some Shropshire Union Canal cast iron marker posts in the woods.
There is a squirrel in this next photo somewhere!
It would have been in this next photo, if it hadn’t moved!!!
But this one is a bit easier to see.
Keith.
