Pentre to Llangollen
This was a short day of walking - just the morning - in order
to spend some time in Llangollen. We had breakfast at Sun Cottage
while sitting in their sun porch. 
It was an amazing view, first of
flowers in the garden close by, then of the Dee, flowing in a big
curve far below. We started walking, very soon going down beside
the Shropshire Union canal. Just as we came down to the canal, a
narrow boat appeared. This particular boat, the Dragonfly,
turned out to be our companion for most of the next several
hours. We walked faster than the boat speed, but we would stop to
take pictures, so we averaged the same. Just before 
a lift-bridge, the older man on the
boat got off. The three of us watched while someone cranked a big
wheel to raise the bridge, and talked while waiting for his
boat's turn to go through. He was from Derbyshire, between
Bakewell and Matlock, an area that Thann and I knew from our time
near there last spring. After just a few miles, we came to the
famous thousand-foot long Pont-Cysyllte aqueduct, built by Thomas
Telford about 1800. This takes the canal over the River Dee,
which is 126 feet below. The canal part of the aqueduct is a
cast-iron trough, about 11 feet wide, just wide enough for the
narrow boats. On one side of the trough is a walkway for
pedestrians. On the other side there's nothing between the boat
and the drop-off to the river, far below. Walking across is not
frightening, since there's a railing, but I should think it might
be scary on a boat. We spent a very long time enjoying the
aqueduct, watching the boats cross. On the far side, we made the
choice to stay on the canal towpath for the rest of the way to
Llangollen. We could have taken a higher route with longer views,
but we were thoroughly enjoying the canal. After half an hour or
so, we came to the Dragonfly, which had tied up for some
reason. Our friends invited us to come on and have a cup of
coffee. We did, and had a chance to see what the inside of a
narrow boat is like. They had rented it for a week, for a family
vacation. The family was a couple our age, their daughter and
son-in-law (both physicians with the NHS) and the granddaughter.
What great fun that was for Thann and me!
A few miles from Llangollen, we began seeing Dinas Bran up on
top its hill. This is an old castle ruin, very striking when seen
from far off. When we got to Llangollen, we first went to out
guest house, Oakmere, owned by a likable couple, Lyndsey and
Jeremy Knibbs. We then went back up to the canal for a ride in a
horse-drawn boat. We had seen these rides advertised, and it
sounded like a peaceful way to relax. It was the most
peaceful ride we've ever been on. The horse plodded slowly along,
and there was no noise at all. The part of the canal in that
direction, beyond Llangollen, isn't open to other boats. The only
traffic was another horse-drawn boat. We passed our Dragonfly
friends as they walked on the towpath, and all waved.
We ate lunch (packaged salads from
the Spar) while sitting on a picnic table in the train station.
There are now excursion steam trains from here, and we saw
several. The station is right beside the Dee, and the old
Llangollen Bridge is near by. The bridge was built originally in
the early 1100s, but has been enlarged several times since. While
crossing the bridge, we saw our Dragonfly friend yet
again, and had another chat! We walked up to Plas Newydd, the
home of the "Ladies of Llangollen" in the late 18th
century, and then went back, collected our clothes, and hit the
laundromat. We had dinner at an excellent restaurant
("Robbin's Nest") recommended by Jeremy.
It was an amazing view, first of
flowers in the garden close by, then of the Dee, flowing in a big
curve far below. We started walking, very soon going down beside
the Shropshire Union canal. Just as we came down to the canal, a
narrow boat appeared. This particular boat, the Dragonfly,
turned out to be our companion for most of the next several
hours. We walked faster than the boat speed, but we would stop to
take pictures, so we averaged the same. Just before 
a lift-bridge, the older man on the
boat got off. The three of us watched while someone cranked a big
wheel to raise the bridge, and talked while waiting for his
boat's turn to go through. He was from Derbyshire, between
Bakewell and Matlock, an area that Thann and I knew from our time
near there last spring. After just a few miles, we came to the
famous thousand-foot long Pont-Cysyllte aqueduct, built by Thomas
Telford about 1800. This takes the canal over the River Dee,
which is 126 feet below. The canal part of the aqueduct is a
cast-iron trough, about 11 feet wide, just wide enough for the
narrow boats. On one side of the trough is a walkway for
pedestrians. On the other side there's nothing between the boat
and the drop-off to the river, far below. Walking across is not
frightening, since there's a railing, but I should think it might
be scary on a boat. We spent a very long time enjoying the
aqueduct, watching the boats cross. On the far side, we made the
choice to stay on the canal towpath for the rest of the way to
Llangollen. We could have taken a higher route with longer views,
but we were thoroughly enjoying the canal. After half an hour or
so, we came to the Dragonfly, which had tied up for some
reason. Our friends invited us to come on and have a cup of
coffee. We did, and had a chance to see what the inside of a
narrow boat is like. They had rented it for a week, for a family
vacation. The family was a couple our age, their daughter and
son-in-law (both physicians with the NHS) and the granddaughter.
What great fun that was for Thann and me!
