s a holder of fond childhood memories of sharing in the adventures of Ratty, Mole, Toad and Badger in The Wind in the Willows, one particular passage always stood out. When they first meet, Ratty takes great delight in informing Mole that there is "nothing, absolutely nothing, half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats". Having spent a relaxed few days cruising up and down the Llangol len Canal in North Wales, I can only agree with him. Despite being complete boating novices, my wife Pam and I enjoyed our leisurely cruise from Chirk to Ellesmere and back again, and what's more we managed to complete our voyage without sinking ourselves or anyone else. On arrival at Chirk Marina, we were given a comprehensive safety lecture by Vie, our guide to the Duchess Four Narrowboat we would be crewing on our journey. Called Pandora, it was one of the fleet owned by Black Prince Holidays of different shapes and sizes at their bases around the country in Chirk, Acton Bridge, Stoke on Trent, Stoke Prior and the Falkirk Wheel in Scotland. Measuring in at some 58 feet long, it boasted four berths, central heating, a kitchen, bathroom, tele- vision and radio - in short, everything the discerning traveller could want. After a quick lesson in controlling the boat using a combination of the throttle and rudder, with the key rule being to move the rudder in the opposite direction you want the boat to turn, we were off on our own with the help of an invaluable canal guidebook. The first choice was which direction to take, either up the 41-mile canal towards Llangollen itself or down towards Whitchurch. | Our decision was made slightly easier by the fact that between us and Llangollen lay the awesome Pontcysyltte Aqueduct. Built by Thomas Telford 190 years ago it towers 120 feet above the Dee Valley and is known as the stream in the sky, with a sheer drop along one side to the valley floor below. Given Pam's dislike of heights, however, we feared the stream could turn into the scream in the sky and opted to cruise south, nav- igating the 459-yard Chirk tunnel and the slightly less frightening Chirk Aqueduct into England, more of which later. From there, as we coasted at somewhere near our boat's top speed of four mph, you could feel the cares and worries of everyday life simply drifting away as the canal meandered through the delightful Shropshire countryside, bathed in watery autumn sun- shine, slowly working its subtle magic. At such a gentle pace, you have time to look at things instead of whizzing by in a car and it is refreshing to be able to - in fact to have no choice but to - take your time and simply watch the world passing by. Along the way we drifted past a heron resting on the bank and a new born calf snuggling close to its mother, as well as the occasional boat travelling in the other direction with the relaxed camaraderie of the waterways always on dis- play with a smile and cheery hello. The whole experience was very... British and is almost like travelling back in time to an age when manners were all, such is the good grace of fellow boaters and people walking along the tow paths or over the bridges. | That is especially so at the two locks on the route at Frankton, where we were helped by the couple who live there and the crew of another boat heading in the opposite direction to operate the system of cranks and sluices needed to navigate through, all the while passing on hints and tips about what lay ahead or how to control the boat more effectively. By the end of the first day, we had eased our way to Whittington, tying up for the night just past the charming Narrowboat Inn where we enjoyed a great dinner - as well as noticing just how loud the passing cars seemed - before returning to Pandora and letting the gentle sway of the canal lull us to sleep. The next day dawned bright and cheery as we set off to reach our goal of the market town of Ellesmere through a mix of isolated sheep and cow pasture, tree lined lakes and the odd farm building. Along the way we passed the recently re-opened Montgomery Canal until we turned off into the Ellesmere elbow, effectively a cul-de-sac car park for narrowboats to spend the night. Once there and with our boat secured on the mooring rings, we strolled around the town and tucked into another tremendous dinner. This time it was at the Black Lion which comes highly recommended. The next morning brought the first real test of the trip - turning round at the end of the elbow to head back up the canal. | This is where the forward and reverse gears of the narrow boat come into their own, as it is only with careful manipulation and the judicious use of a bargepole to help you on your way that the manoeuvre can be successfully completed. A full day of cruising - this time against the current - brought us back to Chirk, but not before struggling through the Chirk aqueduct and tunnel. On the way down, they are mere benign landmarks but, heading the other way, the flow of water and the narrowing of the canal slows the boat to little more than a crawl. On the aqueduct there is at least something to look at, but in the tunnel, seconds become hours and metres seem to elongate into miles as only the light on the front of the boat reassures you that you are making any headway at all. The last 20 yards are the worst of all and seemed to take an age to overcome before we finally made it through and tied up back at the Marina, sharing our canal stories with Vie who was more than happy to hear of our journey and our conversion from narrowboat novices to committed enthusiasts. I can honestly say it was the most relaxing holiday we have ever had and we definitely plan to head out again in the future for another week of "enforced relaxation". As a wise water rat once said: "Nice? It's the only thing." |
