HAVE you seen the recent advert for the mobile phone firm 02 in which three barges chug slowly across an aqueduct, with the nbames Cuthbert, Dibble and Grub rising from each?
Well, trivia fans, that's the world-famous Pontcysyllte Aqueduct on the Llangollen Canal, .just inside North Wales. It opened in 1805 after 10 yearsof construction and is also known as the Stream in the Sky.
At 127ft high—more about that in a moment—it's a testament to the genius of Britain's Industrial Revolution engineers and offers those crossing it, either by foot or narrowboat, breathtaking views of the Dee Valley.
In case you're not sure, the aqueduct is basically a bridge for boats—it carries the canal, instead of a road, across the valley.
Of course, if you're on it 'you don't actually get to see it from its^best side—down below - where you can take in a stunning view of its massive arches rising majestically from the valley floor.
Bit of a shame that, considering that my partner Amina and I found ourselves crossing the aqueduct in a boat, marvelling at its height and the scenery but having no time to actually get down there to have a proper look.
I was trying to marvel but finding it a bit difficult, what with vertigo kicking in, putting my stomach in my mouth and encouraging its contents to make an appearance.
On one side of the aqueduct is a path with a safe-looking metal fence. This is where the horses used to walk while pulling the barges of the past. The rest is essentially a cast-iron trough, the sides of which don't even reach the height of your barge deck.
So, as you sit at the back trying to steer without bumping the sides, all that greets you on one side is about two feet of your barge deck followed by that 127ft drop.
I never imagined that I'd have such a hair- aising experience on what I thought were Britain's tranquil waterways—especially as the rest of the joumey was almost exactly that.
We were on a short break with Black Prince Holidays, which offers holidays afloat all over the UK canal network. As our starting point we chose the company's Chirk base, which is half an hour south of Chester and literally on the Welsh-English border.
The Llangollen Canal—Britain's most beautiful, I was informed—connects with most of the main waterways of England, and Black Prince offers jaunts that last long enough for you to explore some of these treasures.
But we only had the boat for three days, so time wasn't on our side. These enormous iron vessels aren't made for speed and that, coupled with the daylight sailing-only restriction—very wise—means you can't get very far in that time.
We opted to take a leisurely cruise to the picturesque town of Llangollen at the end of the canal a few miles away, so that we could return the boat in time.
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This friendly little place straddles the river in the Dee Valley, and is surrounded by the imposing foothills of Snowdonia.
The town is divided by a sturdy old stone bridge from where you can watch steam trains as they roll into the station on the river bank. If you'd like to change your mode of transport for a while, return fares on these old locos start at just £3.
Each year around July, the town hosts the acclaimed International Musical Eisteddfod, which sees singers and performers converge to compete in a festival of sound. You can bet that the canals are pretty busy at this time, too.
We were visiting early in October and the canal was fairly empty aside from all manner of ducks and geese hassling for food.
We had been told that in high season, between June and August, there are so many boats on the water that you can find yourself almost stuck in a constant convoy.
Not the stuff of relaxation, more like a recipe for canal rage, if you ask me. Patience and courtesy are paramount, though, because there are countless tunnels, locks and aqueducts which you must wait your turn to use.
But that's part of the fun of the canals. You get a sense of being in a different world, a select place for those in the know. And the little rules and ways of the canal are an integral part of that experience.
You'll be offered all sorts of advice from different people with wildly varying degrees of expertise.
"Stop winging and wanging it in and out of gear, and just take it steady."
This basically means that at the end of the day you have to find out for yourself.
But steering a narrowboat is hardly rocket science, and is a quickly learned skill for the willing.
I'd guess there are more novices out on those canals than seasoned Captain Birdseyes, so you shouldn't worry about making an utter fool of yourself while trying to negotiate a hairpin turn into.a 5ft wide tunnel.
Everyone's buggered it up at one time or another!
Steering the boat with the tiller at the back can be quite tiring, and the longer trips usually involve a good six to eight hours' travelling a day—I'd recommend a bigger crew than two so you can share the shoulder-sapping task.
Another thing to consider is the locks that you'll encounter—31 in all on the Four Counties ring—which can be hard work if there are only two of you, although still great fun.
Black Prince offers a range of comfortable canalboats which can accommodate up to 10 people, and its staff give you a basic lesson in the operation and handling of your vessel before you leave the base.
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