Booked Holiday on the Llangollen

[Paul J]

Hi there!

 

Three of us are travelling over to the UK ( from Canada ) this summer (barring any ash clouds) and have booked a week holiday cruise out of Whittington. We plan to head up to the town of Llangollen and back to Whittington during that week. I expect this canal to be busy, especially during the first week of August, but would appreciate any tips you might have to offer, both in a general sense as well as anything pertaining to this particular canal.

 

We are really looking forward to this little adventure!

[Laurie Booth]

You'll have a good time.

[journeyperson]

Hi there!

 

Three of us are travelling over to the UK ( from Canada ) this summer (barring any ash clouds) and have booked a week holiday cruise out of Whittington. We plan to head up to the town of Llangollen and back to Whittington during that week. I expect this canal to be busy, especially during the first week of August, but would appreciate any tips you might have to offer, both in a general sense as well as anything pertaining to this particular canal.

 

We are really looking forward to this little adventure!

 

It looks as though you are going from Maestermyn which is between Ellesmere and Llangollen. If you have time it would be worth visiting Ellesmere and the meres as well as Llangollen. Maybe go up to Llangollen first and do Ellesmere before returning the boat, time permitting.

[Tiny]

From Whittington you can go to Llangollen and back in a few days.

 

If it's very busy on that trip and you then want quiet and unspoiled (except by BW eco ideas) then follow that trip by going down the Monty. It's a minimum 2 day trip as you have to book to go through Frankton Locks (close to Whittington) by 10am on the day of passage. As the locks are only open for two hours a day boat numbers are restricted to 7 maximum per day up or down. This makes the canal very peaceful. There are pubs by the cut at Queens Head and Maesbury and a shop/cafe by the cut at Maesbury. As on the Llangollen there are mooring places with rings, two water points and so on.

 

Below Frankton on the Llangollen about 1 hours travel is Ellesmere with town and pubs/shops up the arm and another water point on the main canal. You can turn here if you want and head back.

[kienik]

I would definately reccomend a stop at the Willeymoor Lock pub (if you venture that way) as it is fantastic and serves great food. the landlady is very friendly and it is one of the last surviving real pubs on the cut

 

Nik

[ditchcrawler]

Hi there!

 

Three of us are travelling over to the UK ( from Canada ) this summer (barring any ash clouds) and have booked a week holiday cruise out of Whittington. We plan to head up to the town of Llangollen and back to Whittington during that week. I expect this canal to be busy, especially during the first week of August, but would appreciate any tips you might have to offer, both in a general sense as well as anything pertaining to this particular canal.

 

We are really looking forward to this little adventure!

If you look at this web site the list some very good visitor mooring http://www.shropshireunion.org.uk/

[tony collins]

I suspect that part of the reason for the planned trip is the crossing of the Dee valley! - I don't blame 'em either!

[Paul J]

You'll have a good time.

 

Thanks, we're certainly looking forward to it.

 

It looks as though you are going from Maestermyn which is between Ellesmere and Llangollen. If you have time it would be worth visiting Ellesmere and the meres as well as Llangollen. Maybe go up to Llangollen first and do Ellesmere before returning the boat, time permitting.

 

Yes, we plan to make the trip in both directions if possible, but we have set Llangollen as the first priority. If there are many delays we'll have some time to spare, if things go faster we'll continue past the boatyard toward Ellesmere.

 

Thanks for your input.

 

From Whittington you can go to Llangollen and back in a few days.

 

If it's very busy on that trip and you then want quiet and unspoiled (except by BW eco ideas) then follow that trip by going down the Monty. It's a minimum 2 day trip as you have to book to go through Frankton Locks (close to Whittington) by 10am on the day of passage. As the locks are only open for two hours a day boat numbers are restricted to 7 maximum per day up or down. This makes the canal very peaceful. There are pubs by the cut at Queens Head and Maesbury and a shop/cafe by the cut at Maesbury. As on the Llangollen there are mooring places with rings, two water points and so on.

 

Below Frankton on the Llangollen about 1 hours travel is Ellesmere with town and pubs/shops up the arm and another water point on the main canal. You can turn here if you want and head back.

 

We will certainly keep that in mind and I shall note down the details in my "trip book".

 

Thanks very much.

 

I would definately reccomend a stop at the Willeymoor Lock pub (if you venture that way) as it is fantastic and serves great food. the landlady is very friendly and it is one of the last surviving real pubs on the cut

 

Nik

 

I suspect that it will be, unfortunatley, a bit outside our range. Sure looks like a good place to stop, too.

 

Thanks for your suggestion.

 

I suspect that part of the reason for the planned trip is the crossing of the Dee valley! - I don't blame 'em either!

 

Definately! I'm hoping to have one of the ladies take the boat across while I go ahead of them and get the video cam set up.

Edited May 6, 2010 by Paul J

[enviropc]

I can recommend the Montgonary Canal!

I went up it for the first time today and it is wonderful, very quiet and the food at the Queens Head was very nice.

We are currently moored by the Queens Head as we live 15 mins away.

Make sure you smile and say hello to passing boaters, I found all the hire boaters miserable between Ellesmere and the Montgomery today, they just blanked us.

Im guessing they had all just picked up their boats and where concentrating on not crashing.

[Paul J]

I can recommend the Montgonary Canal!

I went up it for the first time today and it is wonderful, very quiet and the food at the Queens Head was very nice.

We are currently moored by the Queens Head as we live 15 mins away.

Make sure you smile and say hello to passing boaters, I found all the hire boaters miserable between Ellesmere and the Montgomery today, they just blanked us.

Im guessing they had all just picked up their boats and where concentrating on not crashing.

 

Haha. Hopefully I'll be able to smile while concentrating on not crashing. I imagine it must be a bit daunting at first, sliding a 62 foot length of steel boat past another in a narrow section of canal. I'll be carrying full insurance for certain.

 

Thanks for more info on the Monty.

[Nic]

Spending a fortnight there this August, so shall keep an eye out on this thread.

[mikevye]

I would definately reccomend a stop at the Willeymoor Lock pub (if you venture that way) as it is fantastic and serves great food. the landlady is very friendly and it is one of the last surviving real pubs on the cut

 

Nik

 

You must have caught her on pension day usually miserable as sin, oh and beware credit/debit cards are not taken at this hostelry! The food however is trad pub grub and when it eventually comes its usually v'good, as for being one of the last real pubs you must have been going at hyperspeed to miss all the others!

[abfab]

We did Llangollen from Shardlow, two weeks there and back. Very hectic but we didi it! Just over the aquaduct to the left is the Talford Arms. We sat outside and the landlady overheard me say that my feet were painful. Next thing I knew she had my feet in a bowl of hot water, a multitude of foot creams that she had bought back from Sri Lanka and a bowl of strawberries and cream to eat. She then gave me a little pot of tiger balm to take away. What a star and a very lively landlady as well. We went again and had their steak and ale pie. Very nice.

[journeyperson]

The Sun, Trevor, just before the narrows is a good overnight mooring, although only long enough for two or three boats. The hotel/pub is above you across the road and the River Dee is below you. Next morning you can wait for a few boats to come down having vacated the marina moorings and then do the last bit to Llangollen. Not much use if you are on a tight schedule, but ok if you are going to spend a day or two up there. I went up there twice last year, once on my own in June and again in October because my wife wanted to do it. I'm going to head south for the River Nene this summer.