We returned to Chirk and a mooring beside the delightful “Poachers Restaurant” on our down-water journey. As promised, my errant hat was waiting for me at the hostess station. Taking nothing for granted while we were in Llangollen, I came upon a shop that had real Scottish Deerstalker hats for sale. I bought one “just in case” my original rattlesnake hat might have been lost forever.

Christine is a fan of the Deerstalker. I own a Meerschaum Calabash, though I have not smoked it in over 30 year. I look forward to modeling the ensemble of hat and pipe for the benefit of the grandchildren and as a tribute to my love of Doyle’s eponymous detective, Sherlock Holmes. Perhaps I can inspire one or more of them to read his adventures.

While Christine enjoyed some private time, Kris and I set out on an 8 mile round trip hike cross country to visit Chirk Castle.

Chirk Castle was built between 1295 and 1310 by Sir Roger Mortimer of Chirk. In 1322 he was locked up in the Tower of London for treason and died there 4 years later. Over the next 270 years the castle passed through the hands of 22 different nobles.

In 1595 it was purchased for £5,000 by Sir Thomas Myddelton and was held by the family until 1981 when it and 480 surrounding acres were acquired by Great Britain’s National Trust. The majority of the art and furnishings contained within the castle are original, and priceless.

We have visited a number of castles over the years, not the least of which was the Tower of London. Chirk Castle stands remarkable for the authentic pre-modern feel of its environs. There was even a dungeon located 42 steps below ground level. It was cold, dank, and foreboding. An iron link hangs from the wall where poor souls met their own personal hell. Paraphrasing from Dante’s Inferno, “Abandon All Hope, Ye Who Enter Here!” seems appropriate. Interestingly enough, at only 20 steps below ground was an upper dungeon that featured a fireplace, table, and some vestiges of ventilation. It was where prisoners were held who might command a ransom for the keepers.

This being Easter weekend and a Bank Holiday there were many visitors, but never so many as to depreciate the enjoyment of our visit.

One “Easter hunt” was the challenge to find small semi-hidden stuffed wolfs within the castle. It was an activity for the children, but adults could participate.

Announce the correct number of hidden wolves at the end of the visit and you get a gold “well-done” sticker. Kris and I are happy to announce that we were among those who were successfully observant! The theme of wolves, as opposed to Easter Bunnies, is due to the history of the castle. Wolves were once kept on the grounds and chained as guards at the portcullis entry.

Another quirk of history attached to the castle has to do with the 1801 creation of the Chirk Tunnel on the canal. The Myddeltons of Chirk Castle took umbrage with the notion that a canal might despoil their view of the valley below. Thus they insisted that the canal be rerouted through the mountain rather than around it. Certainly this was not only proof of their influence, but also that the concept of “nymby” (not-in-my-back-yard) was alive and well 225 years ago.

Tomorrow we bid farewell to our dear friend and travel companion Kris Ashton. Christine and I look forward to further honing our narrowboat skills during a week of solo cruising before welcoming our Canadian friends Tom and Nanci aboard for our final week on England’s canals.

Peace Everyone. Pete

PS. More images of Chirk Castle follow below. Enjoy!

After successfully negotiating the length of the Llangollen Canal over the last 6 days we rewarded ourselves with a stay over in the “port” of Llangollen in north Wales.

There could not have been a more perfect spot to have taken a breather. Indeed, the town of Llangollen has been a favorite tourist destination since the 1700’s, with such notables as Wordsworth, Sir Walter Scott, and the Duke of Wellington being regular visitors.

The town has fought the good fight against modernization and has retained most of its old world charm. Today it hosts the annual International Eisteddfod, a world renowned festival featuring singers and dancers in competition attired in native dress. It is considered a high honor just to qualify for the competition.

Llangollen was founded as a religious settlement in the 6th Century by the monk, Saint Collen. The local church which bears his name traces its roots to that origin and although “modern” by Medieval standards, it has posted a list of its Vickers within its doors dating to 1348. Outside the entrance is a more contemporary posting that announces that the parish welcomes all, without regard to race, creed, national origin, economic circumstances, gender, or sexuality. How refreshing!

Llangollen has a population of nearly 4,000, and is situated in the River Dee Valley, at the edge of the Berwyn Mountains. The river has long been the heart of the town, its central bridge being a “new” structure that was built in the 1500’s, replacing the “old” bridge that was built around 1345.

The 600 year old water mill is now a restaurant that served us an excellent dinner.

The Llangollen canal is what brought us to the town and is a call to tens of thousands of tourists annually. It was completed in 1805, the labor of over 50,000 workers. It was said that where the soil was favorable 25 men could dig a mile of canal in the span of a year. The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct remains an engineering marvel to this day, spanning over 1,000 feet across the River Dee which cascades 127 feet below.

Above the town is a weir, the “Horseshoe Falls”, where waters are diverted to feed the canal.

The canal is justifiably designated as a World Heritage Site.

Our day was not just relaxation as we took the much needed opportunity to do laundry. Actually, for 7 Pounds 50, someone else washed, dried, and folded it for us. Tomorrow we begin the down water return. Since the canal flows at approximately 2 miles per hour it should be a faster passage, boosting our speed made good to an outrageous 4 mph.

Peace Everyone! Pete

PS. Kris departs from us at Chirk on the morning of the 20th. We will miss our wonderful traveling companion as she heads off to the Channel Islands of Guernsey and Jersey. Christine and I will be solo until around the 26th, but the skills we have acquired will serve us well as we will then be joined by our Canadian friends, Tom and Nanci for the remainder of our “voyage”.

Our passage today was from our mooring at the delightful canal side pub, “The Poacher”, near Chirk to the terminus of the canal at Llangollen. My favorite cap managed to stay on at The Poacher, but a telephone call has left me assured that it will be waiting for me at my return as will dinner and a pint.

Today’s weather was a gift and this section of our journey was easily the most spectacular both for the scenery and the experiences. It is this stretch that has appropriately acquired the status of a World Heritage Site.

Just beyond Chirk we crossed the Chirk Aqueduct and Tunnel. The aqueduct was built in 1801 and is carried upon 10 massive stone arches. The adjoining and equally picturesque rail trestle was completed in 1848. Immediately after the aqueduct we made a sharp blind turn and entered the 460 yard long Chirk Tunnel.

The passage across aqueduct and through the tunnel took about 20 minutes, but (thanks to Kris at the bow!) has been compressed into a 40 second time lapse video. Here is the link: Chirk Aqueduct and Tunnel.

Many consider the experience at Chirk reason enough to justify the travel days upon the Llangollen Canal. I count myself among them, and yet the best was yet to come.

Nearing Trevor, and 4 miles (about 2 hours by narrowboat) from Llangollen, we came upon the breathtaking Pontcysylite Aqueduct.

Supported by 18 massive stone arches, this 1,000 foot long iron trough carries the canal 127 feet above the River Dee. There is a walkway on one side with a protective railing, but for the narrowboat helmsman (that would be me) it is a matter of just inches from the tiller to an open abyss on the port side. This engineering marvel was completed in 1805, the year that Admiral Nelson and 458 British seamen perished in the naval victory over the French at Trafalgar. Only one life was lost in the building of the Pontcysylite Aqueduct. Here is a link to Kris’ time lapse video of our crossing of the Aqueduct: The Pontcysylite Aqueduct.

The majesty of the tunnel and aqueducts should not overshadow the stunning scenery as the canal seemingly ascends the hill and cliffside overlooking the valley of the River Dee. Necessarily, there are stretches where the canal narrows to a single boat width and oncoming vessels are required to “queue-up”. One of these sections is over a quarter of a mile long, and is chiseled through solid rock. The towpath along the miles from Trevor to Llangollen is well maintained and a popular walking/biking trail. It is here that watching the narrowboats becomes a “spectator sport”.

Not to be outdone by the canal, the town of Llangollen is a well preserved wonder from the past. More about that tomorrow.

Our evening concluded with an excellent dinner at The Corn Mill.

We were joined at table by Peter and Carol, a delightful couple of our generation who met 7 years ago “rambling” in Cuba, fell in love, and are now celebrating 2 years of marriage. Intrigued, we listened to the tales of their travel and hiking adventures, quickly coming to the realization that here were kindred souls. I thought to myself that surely they must have walked the Camino… indeed they had!

The world is small, and it is also a loadstone that seems to draw Christine and me to our far flung adventure seeking “siblings”. In a few days Peter and Carol will be taking the tiller of a narrowboat and heading up-water on the Llangollen Canal. We hope to pass them as we descend and perhaps reprise this wonderful evening.

Peace Everyone. Pete

PS: Oh yes… about the “interesting” boaters that caused our vessel to come unmoored at “The Poacher” last evening… we encountered them twice today. Once when they charged ahead heedless of the line of vessels queuing to cross the Chirk Aqueduct, and again as one of the two boaters proceeded against a warning sign that prohibited boat traffic from entering a non-navigable feeder at the end of the canal. On both occasions my yells projected at maximum volume arrested their misadventure. Their startled looks and submission brought me a degree of satisfaction.

There were a number of new experiences today. First, we were underway before 8 a.m., traveling a serene canal with no other crafts plying the waters.

The songbirds were in tune with a volume that could even be heard over the sound of the diesel. One stretch opened up to us as if an enchanted forest.

Alternatively, for those of my generation there was a late 1950’s TV serial, “Journey to the Beginning of Time!” It told the story of a family adrift on a mystical river flowing back through the geological ages. There were portions we traveled today that I swear were the locations where that serial was filmed. Once again, I give thanks and credit for Kris Ashton for having the presence of mind to take and share a time lapse video of one such section. Here is the link: Enchanted Canal

New experience number two… We traversed our first tunnel. It was only about 100 yards long, and thus a good first experience. A much longer one awaits us tomorrow.

Back in the day, commercial canal boats navigated the tunnels aided by “canal walkers”. These were men who hired on at the mouths of the tunnels to propel the boats to the other end by lying on their backs aboard the boats and pushing against the tunnel walls with their feet. One wonders how many must have fallen off and drowned in the loner canal tunnels that lacked any walkway. Some of the tunnels are miles long and pitch dark.

A third new experience was navigating in the rain. Nothing really special, but notable insofar as it was neither a bone-chilling cold or a gale force wind as we have experienced the last few days. It was actually quite pleasant (see “Enchanted Forest” above).

Before I mention the fourth “new experience” I must again give praise to Great Britain’s traditional pubs, traditional ales, and wonderful cuisine. Tonight it was the “The Poachers” canal-side pub. Our good fortune was to tie-up mere feet from the entrance and to be here on Tuesday night when the featured special was rotisserie roasted chicken. Six pounds Ninety Five pence (about $9) for a half chicken, choice of sauces, two sides and choice of potato. Incredible!

Now to the “Fourth Experience” which keys into the title of this post… “So Much at Stake”.

The moorings outside of the pub had a limited number of concrete imbedded rings on which vessels may securely tie. We were not among those fortunate enough to secure one of those coveted spots. However, no worry as the boat charter company supplied two mooring pins (think large heavy duty tent stakes) and a small sledge hammer. Drive the pins in, secure the bow and stern lines, and its good to go… or so we thought.

While we were in the pub two narrowboats, traveling in tandem, passed within feet of the moored vessels at full throttle, causing havoc. Our bow pin pulled free from the bank and our vessel then swung out into the canal tethered only at the stern. I have come to believe that there is a balance struck in the Universe and for every out-of-control boating asshole there are at least 10 boating angels. Our “angels” were in the process of tying up astern of us and as they struggled to secure their vessel in the mayhem one of the crew climbed aboard ours and cast a line back to shore. When we returned to the boat I immediately noticed where the pin had yanked a large plug of turf out and where it had been driven back into the canal bank. Thank you Phil, Sue, and your two teenage children for being the right people in the right place, with the right heart to recognize… that we had so much at stake!

Tomorrow we reach Llangollen.

Peace Everyone. Pete

PS: My cell service provider has given me a warning that I have been using a LOT of data. Apparently I neglected to turn data off with regard to uploading pictures. I have remedied this, but I will now have to carefully reserve uploading my posts to opportunities where WiFi is present.

PPS: (April 17th) There were two more “interesting” encounters the following day with the two narrowboat miscreant vessels which will be mentioned in my next post.