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How busy is the Llangollen at the moment?


Leemc

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4 minutes ago, tree monkey said:

There used to be a fair number of winter liveaboards on the Llan but CRT had a clamp down because of a bit of piss taking but I think they have calmed down a bit

 

saying that I'm it's perfectly possible to winter on the llan and it rarely freezes, be a bit careful in the Ellesmere arm though because that will freeze And keep an eye on the closures if they close above the aqueduct they often will reduce the flow and it will freeze more easily.

 

Apart from Whitechurch there are supermarkets nr the top of new Martin locks (stans), Chirk, Trevor and Llan itself 

 

Last summer I was a regular visitor to the large and small shops in Whitchurch, Ellesmere and St Martins, and of course Chirk, and I occasionally popped into places like Oswestry, Wrexham, Wem and even Prees for a bit of a change.

Its not that I dont know where the various places are, but more that I'm not sure what life would be like there in winter, and relying on a bike for transport. 

Its one thing to visit a nice rural spot in summer, with lots of boats going past and the odd one stopping, and with late nights and warm weather etc. 

But it's quite another thing to stay in a more remote rural place when its dark at 4pm, its too cold/windy/wet to be comfortable outside for very long, and there's not a soul about. 

The places I wintered around last year were very quiet (apart from Chester), but there were always a few people about, and at least half a dozen boats each day. 

I'm guessing it might be a bit quieter on the Llan. That means you can more easily find places to moor closer in to the towns whenever you want to, I guess. 

Re the overstaying, I think lots of people took the mick a bit last winter as the lockdowns were only starting to fully lift, and plenty of people stayed put on 48 hour moorings for a few weeks because of covid. 

I dont agree with any boaters hogging a mooring spot for the entire winter- that's totally out of order.

But I've noticed that CRT do not chase people even after 14 days during the winter. They definitely seem to relax the normal rules a bit. I spoke to one GRP boater who was only asked to move on two weeks into March, after being in the same spot for 4 months. 

You have to ask what's the point of living on a boat if you don't want to go anywhere, but that's a different issue. The point I'm making is that they definitely turn a blind eye to overstaying a bit, as long as the location is not busy. 

Hopefully the Llangollen teams are not too zealous during the winter months.

 

 

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On 11/08/2022 at 19:35, Tony1 said:

 

Does anyone know if the fuel boat goes all the way to the basin? I think its Mountbatten, the one that moors near Swanley Bridge. 

Unlike last year, it looks as if most of the Llan will remain open for most of the next winter, so I'm pondering whether to spend 2 or 3months there when it gets a bit quieter, maybe starting early Nov. 

But I might have the old rose-tinted glasses on.

It was lovely being in those quiet rural spots (e.g. around Whixall Moss) during the summer, what with the warm and late evenings and the general 'holiday-camp' vibe with all the hire boaters, but I'm not sure my 13 mile grocery ride to Whitchurch and back will be so much fun when the roads are potentially icy, and with it getting dark around 4pm. 

That said, the winters are getting less severe, and the number of truly icy days seems to have reduced, so I'd be interested to hear from anyone who's a spent a few months there during the winter. 

Last winter the closures restricted things a bit, but I moved between Nantwich, Middlewich, Northwich, and back around to Chester and Ellesmere Port a few times, so there were plenty of towns and facilities. But I'm conscious that on the Llan, the towns are fewer and the shopping trips can be longer, unless you stay close to the towns. 

And on a general note, are the full time liveaboards starting to give some thought to what might be a good cruising area for the winter? 

 

 

Last year when I was there the guy runing Mountbatten said he only goes as far as Trevor now.

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15 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

Last year when I was there the guy runing Mountbatten said he only goes as far as Trevor now.

 

Thanks Arthur, if I do have the moral fibre to winter on the Llan, it shouldn't be too hard to coordinate with Mountbatten's route so that I can pick up a dozen bags of coal before I get to Trevor, and then I'm good for at least a month in the basin if the fancy takes me. 

If I were as hardy as our Mrs Haggis, a dozen bags would see me through the entire Winter, but alas I am a rather nesh sassenach. 

I'm not a big fan of mooring broadside-on alongside boats for weeks on end as you do in marinas and basins, but it'll probably be quiet in December or Jan, so its probably worth paying CRT for a month's worth of Winter mooring, if I like the place. 

They tell me there's even electricity there (although they don't talk about the cost), so it may be time to break out the jacuzzi. 

Good times ahead, methinks.

 

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9 hours ago, Tony1 said:

 

Thanks Arthur, if I do have the moral fibre to winter on the Llan, it shouldn't be too hard to coordinate with Mountbatten's route so that I can pick up a dozen bags of coal before I get to Trevor, and then I'm good for at least a month in the basin if the fancy takes me. 

If I were as hardy as our Mrs Haggis, a dozen bags would see me through the entire Winter, but alas I am a rather nesh sassenach. 

I'm not a big fan of mooring broadside-on alongside boats for weeks on end as you do in marinas and basins, but it'll probably be quiet in December or Jan, so its probably worth paying CRT for a month's worth of Winter mooring, if I like the place. 

They tell me there's even electricity there (although they don't talk about the cost), so it may be time to break out the jacuzzi. 

Good times ahead, methinks.

 

Unless it's changed there is no booked winter mooring in the basin itself, the winter moorings are online just after the last narrows, water and electric hook up is definitely provided.

 

Local rumour had it that one of the grumpy locals who might possibly live in one of the overlooking house's objected to the basin so much they didn't even consider winter mooring

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5 minutes ago, tree monkey said:

Unless it's changed there is no booked winter mooring in the basin itself, the winter moorings are online just after the last narrows, water and electric hook up is definitely provided.

 

Local rumour had it that one of the grumpy locals who might possibly live in one of the overlooking house's objected to the basin so much they didn't even consider winter mooring

Ear. I though you was at work. It's dangerous to climb a tree and type at the same time. 

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1 hour ago, tree monkey said:

Unless it's changed there is no booked winter mooring in the basin itself, the winter moorings are online just after the last narrows, water and electric hook up is definitely provided.

 

Local rumour had it that one of the grumpy locals who might possibly live in one of the overlooking house's objected to the basin so much they didn't even consider winter mooring

 

 

 

Oh, I seeeee.... 

So in the winter, maybe the basin becomes 14 day mooring like most other short-stay spots (subject to not being evicted by a mob of pitchfork-wielding locals). 

I can see the beginnings of a plan- I could stay in the basin for 2 weeks, then move onto an online winter mooring for a month, and then scarper.

Great news for the local pasty shops, which can expect to treble their sales during my stay. 

But the dreaded closures loom large, and one must plan these ventures with military precision.

There are a number of closures appearing on the CRT list. 

Grindley Brook is closed between 9/1 and 20/2, and bridge 31W at Trevor is closed from 3/1 to 20/1, and Hurleston from 3/1 to 3/2. 

They also mention a stoppage near Frankton from 16/1 for 2 months, but then say that not all of that time will be actual closure. 

 

So the intrepid boater has to get out of the basin area and past Trevor before 3/1, and then past Frankton by 16/1 (which allows a stay near both Chirk and St Martins). Our dashing hero might then spend a week or two near Ellesmere, and perhaps the same near Whitchurch, before cruising through the newly reopened Grindley Brook locks in late Feb. 

I love it when a plan comes together.

 

 

 

Edited by Tony1
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13 minutes ago, Tony1 said:

 

 

 

Oh, I seeeee.... 

So in the winter, maybe the basin becomes 14 day mooring like most other short-stay spots (subject to not being evicted by a mob of pitchfork-wielding locals). 

I can see the beginnings of a plan- I could stay in the basin for 2 weeks, then move onto an online winter mooring for a month, and then scarper.

Great news for the local pasty shops, which can expect to treble their sales during my stay. 

But the dreaded closures loom large, and one must plan these ventures with military precision.

There are a number of closures appearing on the CRT list. 

Grindley Brook is closed between 9/1 and 20/2, and bridge 31W at Trevor is closed from 3/1 to 20/1, and Hurleston from 3/1 to 3/2. 

They also mention a stoppage near Frankton from 16/1 for 2 months, but then say that not all of that time will be actual closure. 

 

So the intrepid boater has to get out of the basin area and past Trevor before 3/1, and then past Frankton by 16/1 (which allows a stay near both Chirk and St Martins). Our dashing hero might then spend a week or two near Ellesmere, and perhaps the same near Whitchurch, before cruising through the newly reopened Grindley Brook locks in late Feb. 

I love it when a plan comes together.

 

 

 

My information is slightly out of date but as I understand there is a max stay in the basin of 48hrs even through the winter, the rumours were because of the grumpy arse max mooring times were limited during planning approval.

 

It could have changed of course but don't forget there is a cracking mooring by the old lift Bridge just out of town.

 

The pasties from the butcher are top notch and well worth the effort 

 

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50 minutes ago, tree monkey said:

 

It could have changed of course but don't forget there is a cracking mooring by the old lift Bridge just out of town. 

 

 

Thanks a lot, I'd totally overlooked that stretch, although the map does show a mooring spot, which will be good for 14 days. 

Using street view and moving along the towpath, it looks like there are only enough rings there for maybe two boats, so it's not a spot you can count on being available even in winter. 

But it looks like it has a much more open and pleasant aspect than the online CRT winter moorings further on towards the basin. Those seem to be overshadowed by trees, which I'm not a fan of in the winter months. 

What I've noticed so far is that on the quiet sections of canal in winter, CRT do not enforce the 14 day rule quite so strictly, but I would expect in that spot they will be right on the case 365 days of the year. 

But I'd be happier spending 2 weeks there (and spend maybe £2 each day on diesel to recharge batteries), than spend £255 per month to moor a couple of hundred yards further on. 

What I found last winter was that any normal/free mooring spots near towns tend to be fully occupied by liveaboards for most of the time, so I wouldn't expect those 2 or 3 spots to be available, especially given they are the only free spots for a few miles. 

The budget-conscious liveaboards will be all over those spots from mid-Oct onwards, I would guess.

 

 

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3 hours ago, tree monkey said:

It could have changed of course but don't forget there is a cracking mooring by the old lift Bridge just out of town

 

2 hours ago, Tony1 said:

Thanks a lot, I'd totally overlooked that stretch, although the map does show a mooring spot, which will be good for 14 days.

 

It's a brilliant spot with a lovely view of Dinas Bran, I spent some time there the summer before last. It even has rings, although in contrast to most of the Llan it is a bit noisy due to the proximity of the A539....maybe not so much of an issue in winter when your windows are closed! 

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1 hour ago, haggis said:

I have something at the back of  my mind saying that there is no electricity in Llangollen basin in winter but I may well be wrong 🙂

 

The hardy Haggis ! 

 

It would be typically perverse for a local authority to stop the electricity at the time of year when its most needed.

I wonder if they are concerned about people plugging in fan heaters or hairdryers, and basically extracting the maximum possible power for their full stay? 

Do they not know boaters don't wash their hair in winter??

Or is that just me?

Oh dear, that's embarrassing.....

 

Their stinginess does not matter- I have a decent charging system, so I can get 100Ah of charge into the batteries in about an hour of engine running, and the other 20 or 30Ah I might need will come from solar. 

But I beg you Mrs Haggis, do please throw a few more coals onto the fire this winter. Poor Mr H looked so pale and wan when last we met- I fear he may suffer the same fate as the famous Captain Oates.

If you hear him say 'I'm just going inside for a while- I'll be back soon', then its time to panic.

 

 

Edited by Tony1
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Left the Llangollen today after a great few weeks. No queues at Hurleston today either. So many excellent moorings and even better pubs- highlight for me was the Cotton Arms at Wrenbury, although the Sun at Llangollen ran it close( for great real that is) The Swan at Marbury also worth a visit for a posh meal.

We will return 😎

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  • 4 weeks later...

 

I'm just wondering if anyone knows whether the dear old Llangollen is still busy?  

If it is, I might postpone my visit until the closures in early Jan, and deliberately trap myself there for a month.

I bet its lovely when its really quiet in winter.

 

 

 

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6 hours ago, Tony1 said:

 

I'm just wondering if anyone knows whether the dear old Llangollen is still busy?  

If it is, I might postpone my visit until the closures in early Jan, and deliberately trap myself there for a month.

I bet its lovely when its really quiet in winter.

 

 

 

I have just travelled the full length of the Llangollen and not been in a queue at any lock. There are still plenty of boats around (most of the hire boats appear to be out) but always available moorings. I'm sure there are still bottle-necks in places if you arrive at certain times in the week.  I have seen it much busier on previous visits. 

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On 18/09/2022 at 07:31, rgreg said:

I have just travelled the full length of the Llangollen and not been in a queue at any lock. There are still plenty of boats around (most of the hire boats appear to be out) but always available moorings. I'm sure there are still bottle-necks in places if you arrive at certain times in the week.  I have seen it much busier on previous visits. 

 

Hi there, can I ask- did you have any problems at the Swanley or Baddiley locks? 

I came through there about this time last year, and there was one lock in there somewhere that had only one paddle working if I remember right, and I had some trouble shifting one of the gates. Thankfully I got some help so not too much hassle, but remember thinking it would been a right pain doing that lock solo. 

 

Not that I'll be doing it solo, I think. I passed Hurlstone junction a few days ago and there was a queue of boats waiting to go up. And in fact I remember last year even in early Oct there was a queue of boats to come down as well, although I did moor close by and try a moderately early start in the morning in an effort to beat any queues. 

 

There were some works in that area last winter, so I'm wondering if they've fixed it now?

 

 

Edited by Tony1
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8 hours ago, Tony1 said:

 

Hi there, can I ask- did you have any problems at the Swanley or Baddiley locks? 

I came through there about this time last year, and there was one lock in there somewhere that had only one paddle working if I remember right, and I had some trouble shifting one of the gates. Thankfully I got some help so not too much hassle, but remember thinking it would been a right pain doing that lock solo. 

 

Not that I'll be doing it solo, I think. I passed Hurlstone junction a few days ago and there was a queue of boats waiting to go up. And in fact I remember last year even in early Oct there was a queue of boats to come down as well, although I did moor close by and try a moderately early start in the morning in an effort to beat any queues. 

 

There were some works in that area last winter, so I'm wondering if they've fixed it now?

 

 

I had no significant queues anywhere, but perhaps this was fortunate timing. If memory serves me correctly there was a paddle out of action somewhere but it didn't cause any significant issues at the time. 

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10 minutes ago, rgreg said:

I had no significant queues anywhere, but perhaps this was fortunate timing. If memory serves me correctly there was a paddle out of action somewhere but it didn't cause any significant issues at the time. 

Povey's lock (the one below Grindley Brook) has one paddle broken at the moment, there was a stoppage notice that it will be closed one day in the first week of October to fix it.

 

Works to repair the broken offside paddle at Povey’s Lock on the Llangollen Canal have been scheduled for Tuesday 4 October. Navigation will be closed on this day from 8.30am and it is expected to take 4 hours.

Until then, navigation remains open using the towpath paddle only. Please ensure the water within the lock is as level as possible with the bottom pound before progressing through.

An update will be provided on Tuesday 4 October, following these works.

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1 hour ago, rgreg said:

I had no significant queues anywhere, but perhaps this was fortunate timing. If memory serves me correctly there was a paddle out of action somewhere but it didn't cause any significant issues at the time. 

 

Thanks both, it sounds as if the Baddiley and Swanley locks are all working ok then. 

It'll be interesting to see if/when the boat numbers start to reduce over the next 4/5 weeks as it gets increasingly colder. 

I remember by late December last year, around Northwich I think I was seeing only half a dozen moving boats each day.

As a liveaboard CCer, the traditional opening of many 2 day moorings for 14 days on 1 November does give a lot more flexibility, so that will be welcome.

Even staying for 4 or 5 days means it is easier to plan for deliveries to local pickup points etc.

Nantwich moorings mostly stay at 2 days max all year round, but then Nantwich always seems to be heavily occupied by boats. 

I risked staying there for 3 days as I was waiting for a parcel delivery, and there were a few boats around who were already there when I arrived, and were still there when I left, so I'm wondering if the enforcement is already starting to relax a bit.  

 

 

Edited by Tony1
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Just now, Leemc said:

So many boats seem to take liberties on those Nantwich 1/2 day moorings. When we’ve been there recently there has been enough space for all. Enforcement!  Didn’t come across any

 

I seldom see the boat spotters, but they are definitely out there, and certainly in the summer.

I took a chance on staying an extra day, but only because an expensive ebay item I was expecting was delayed, and I was also sticking some soundproofing sheets underneath a new engine cover board before the weather got wetter etc, so the board had to stay upside down for a day. 

I don't see the point in deliberately overstaying and inviting enforcement emails from CRT that ask you to move on, especially if you're a liveaboard as these seemed to be. 

If you want to be living aboard for the next 5 or 10 years, why get into their bad books deliberately? 

There are plenty of moorings less than a mile to the south, still within easy biking range of Nantwich shops etc- and a lot less towpath traffic too.  

 

 

 

 

 

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We've just spent a week at The Cotton Arms at Wrenbury and the first time I saw the bridge used was this morning, although I think I heard it the evening before last. 
Anglo Welsh said they were quiet at the moment.

And I hope the boater who had the Ambulance and Paramedic (and Fire Brigade) on Friday night is OK.

Edited by Graham Davis
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On 26/09/2022 at 09:48, Tony1 said:

 

I seldom see the boat spotters, but they are definitely out there, and certainly in the summer.

I took a chance on staying an extra day, but only because an expensive ebay item I was expecting was delayed, and I was also sticking some soundproofing sheets underneath a new engine cover board before the weather got wetter etc, so the board had to stay upside down for a day. 

I don't see the point in deliberately overstaying and inviting enforcement emails from CRT that ask you to move on, especially if you're a liveaboard as these seemed to be. 

If you want to be living aboard for the next 5 or 10 years, why get into their bad books deliberately? 

There are plenty of moorings less than a mile to the south, still within easy biking range of Nantwich shops etc- and a lot less towpath traffic too.  

 

 

 

 

 

Just back on Nantwich embankment after 5 week trip and exactly the same boats are still here on the 1 day mooring before the basin and 2 day ones on the embankment. Enforcement?!? Don't think so. Never feel guilty about overstaying a day when some boats are clearly overstaying for months!

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