The 1999 journey along the canals of England and Wales
Sept. 9: Aboard the boat– sort of like camping. The head (bathroom) was tiny, and the toilet was one of those chemical types. The water tank on the boat was extra large so everyone could take a shower if he/she wanted, but few did, at least for the first days. The itinerary was to keep on the Llangollen canal and visit “Chirk Castle”
We were in luck to have chartered this boat when we did. Starting off on the Llangollen canal proved to be one of the best points to embark and since this trip starts wherever the boat is at any particular time our time was now! First day on the journey we came up to the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. This 18-arched stone and cast iron structure is for use by narrowboats and was completed in 1805 having taken ten years to design and build. It is the longest aqueduct in Great Britain and the highest canal aqueduct in the world.
We are floating at a maximum speed of 3 miles per hour so it was not very hard to jump ship and climb down toward the base of the aqueduct to take this picture. Actually we could easily walk along side the boat and view the countryside with ease. Note: When getting back on board, it is important to “Mind the Gap”: You wouldn’t want to get your foot caught in between the boat and the edge of the cut.
Not too far from the aqueduct was a tunnel! Called the Whitehouses Tunnel, it was completed between 1795 and 1802. and one of the first tunnels in Britain, that has a towpath all through it, is wide enough for one boat, and is 191 yards (about 175 metres) long. Not too long so you could see any other boat on the other side! Next: On to the town of Chirk.