Help for Newbie w/Llangollen Canal itinerary

[lindatork]

Hello from Arizona USA -

My group of 4 is planning a Narrowboat trip on the Llangollen Canal in June 2016. We have hired our boat from Anglo-Welsh starting at their Trevor base. This will be our first venture with a narrowboat and we are super excited. I asked my question on TripAdvisor forum and it was suggested that I post it here.

We are trying to plan our route and it is getting confusing to say the least. Our mode is to go slow everyday, relax and enjoy the short time we have (7days). We would ideally like to plan stops at great pubs for lunch and/or dinner (sometimes we will cook) and also to visit any interesting towns on our route. Easy and chilled out are our words to live by!

Here is our first attempt at an itinerary:

Monday 6/13 - arrive at base; learn how to navigate boat; take off and travel for 2-3 hours. We will pick up boat around 14:00 so I imagine we will be ready to leave base by 16:00. We are thinking to cross the aqueduct and keep traveling to Chirk. Stop at a pub (where)? for dinner and moor somewhere?

Tuesday 6/14 - Travel to Ellesmere (4.5 hours?) Take in the Tuesday market there. (how to get into town?) Moor ? Pub?

Wednesday 6/15 Travel to Whitchurch (5.5 hours) Moor? Pub?

Thursday 6/16 Mess around Whitchurch town (how to get into town?) for a bit and then turn around and head back towards Bettisfield. Travel 2-4 hours. Find pub? Moor?

Friday 6/17 To Hindsford. Jack Myton Pub? (except I just read on here that it is closed?) Moor? Ideally, we would like to moor close to Llangollen so that the following day we can arrive early enough in Llangollen to enjoy the town.

Saturday 6/18 to Llangollen. Enjoy/explore town.

Sunday 6/19 Mess around Llangollen? Make our way back to Trevor to be close for returning the boat tomorrow. Moor? Pub?

Monday 6/20 Return to Trevor base by 9:00. Return boat

Ok. If you have read this far - thank you so much! I would dearly love for someone to help out with our itinerary. We need stopping places/interesting sites/pubs, etc. We also need ideas of where to purchase provisions.

Yes, We have the Canal Companion Welsh Waters and it is very helpful. Yes, I have scoured the Canal Planner online. It is still overwhelming to first timers!

[rasputin]

Ellesmere town right on the end of the ellesmere arm , tesco for food and a few nice pubs.

 

Whitchurch A little walk into town and pubs but it a nice walk and plenty of pubs, Whitchurch arm nice and quiet to moor in

Edited January 11, 2016 by rasputin

[bizzard]

Standard gauge Llangollen heritage steam railway at Llangollen.

[bigste]

For a first trip you picked a cracker and you will be hooked.

[lindatork]

Thank you, thank you! I appreciate the suggestions. Bigste - you made me grin from ear to ear.

 

Keep suggestions/comments/corrections coming!

[Mac of Cygnet]

Since you are (quite rightly!) focusing on pubs, you might like to take a look at my 2015 Pub Cruise which included most of the pubs on your route (except I wasn't able to stay in Llangollen long enough to do it justice!

 

A trip up the valley from Llangollen on the steam railway is a must, surely?

[KJT]

I think June is a good month for the Llangollen as, although still likely to be busy, at least you wont have the school holiday traffic. You will also have (almost) the longest day - which is on the 21st, so it wont be getting dark until nearly 11pm. Do try and make it up to Llangollen itself. There are a couple of narrow stretches which require single boat passage but as you have crew to check ahead it wont be an issue. Plenty of moorings up there, including a marina. I am sure you will be well briefed by the hire company. Also plenty of pubs and restaurants close by, and a few supermarkets are about a 20 minute walk away at the top end of the town.

The steam train ride from Llangollen is well worth the trip as is the horse drawn boat trip up towards horsehoe falls.

I know you will have a great time, whatever you manage to do. Welcome to the forum, by the way.

 

Ken

[canalpubs]

You may want to use the guide to pubs that I produce (a hobby site) which shows all the pubs within a short walk of the Llagollen Canal

 

If you find any changes, please e-mail me you get back so I can keep the guide up to date

 

John

 

www.canalandriversidepubs.co.uk/pubs/llangollen-guide

[Southern Star]

All sounds good enough to me, although I don't think you need to make hard and fast plans, there are plenty of pubs along the way. I believe the Jack Mytton has re-opened now. Nice pub by the lift bridge at Wrenbury, forgotten the name now.

[Graham Davis]

Personally find most of the pubs in Llangollen to be a bit soulless, but they do a good pint and a nice lunch in The Corn Mill, by the river bridge, and you can look out over the Falls and across to the Railway Station.

The Steam Railway now goes all the way to Corwen, and is well worth the trip.

Ellesmere you can moor almost in the centre of town and several good pubs there and there was an excellent butchers who did wonderful sausages.

Whitchurch is a shortish walk from the end of the Arm and is quite nice.

[arbutus]

I’m sure you will have a great time.

 

Here’s some random thoughts.

 

The canal from Trevor to Llangollen is one of the highlights of the trip. Do make sure you have enough time to do the trip if you are leaving your visit there to the end of your week.

 

Try to load a week’s provisions onto the boat before you start off, especially heavy and bulky items as there will not be many places to stop and stock up. Carrying stuff back to the boat on foot can literally be a pain in the neck. Here’s a list for starters beer, wine, milk, bottled water (if you use it), potatoes, fruit, toilet rolls.

 

Ellesmere is the easiest place to stock up mid-trip. You can go up the canal arm and try to find a mooring. The town, and Tesco supermarket are at the end of the canal arm. There is a good delicatessen in the town Vermeulen & son.

 

Make sure you can make a couple of evening meals, just in case you decide to moor overnight in the countryside or you find that you are running late and can’t get to a pub in time.

 

You may like actually cruising and decide to go further than your original plan.

 

Early morning and late evening can be the best times of day to cruise.

Do start off early at least one morning when the mist is still on the canal.

 

It’s best to fill the water tank every day. Water points are marked on the canal guides. It can take an hour a day to queue and fill the tank, especially if you like your showers.

 

As the boat will be longer than the canal is wide, make sure you know where to turn the boat when you decide to head back to base. Turning points or winding holes are marked on the canal guides but are not always easy to spot. I’ve met a few hire boats that have missed their turning point and have had to continue to the next point. This added a few hours to their journey and really threw their plans into disarray.

 

When you take over the boat, loading the boat takes time.

 

Space on the boat will be at a premium. For your luggage, either try to use soft bags that can fold and stow, or if you have a car, empty your bags and suitcases and leave the empty suitcases in the car.

 

If you moor in Llangollen there is a ruined castle on a hill that is a pleasant walk and gives good views,

Castell Dinas Bran http://www.castlewales.com/dinas.html

 

In Llangollen, I’ve hade some nice food at the Corn Mill. This is just over the bridge, overlooking the river. http://www.brunningandprice.co.uk/cornmill/

 

Don’t get confused by the signs in Wales, most are in both English and Welsh.

 

If you decide to go on past Whitchurch, Grindley Brook locks can be a bottleneck with queues of boats, so if you decide to go that far, do allow plenty of time on the return journey.

 

Coming from Llangollen, the first lock you meet will be New Marton. The approach to the lock can be confusing. Just before the lock is a bridge. Before the bridge is a water point, while after the bridge there is only room for a couple of boats to wait for the lock. So at busy times there are boats at the water point, some may be taking on water, others may be waiting for the lock. You don’t want to be cruising past all the boats on the water point and then find they are waiting for the lock and you need to reverse to join the back of the queue for the lock. Narrowboats don’t do reverse very well.

[Laurie Booth]

Harrison Ford has done it and wants to go back.

[OldGoat]

Bear in mind that your batteries need charging - even if you don't watch TV in the evenings (UK TV is so much better than....) or leave the lights on. The electric fridge is a killer. You need at least 4 hours cruising / engine running per day.

 

Things can be a bit primitive in the UK - no concierge, no air-con and the natives can be grumpy at times.

Don't say 'can I get' but '(please) may I have'

That's part of the olde-world-charm....

 

it might be worth doing some research on museums, churches, and other sites - but 'we' tend to keep them secret (don't know why), even to residents!

[Tim Lewis]

 

 

Hello from Arizona USA -

My group of 4 is planning a Narrowboat trip on the Llangollen Canal in June 2016. We have hired our boat from Anglo-Welsh starting at their Trevor base. This will be our first venture with a narrowboat and we are super excited. I asked my question on TripAdvisor forum and it was suggested that I post it here.

We are trying to plan our route and it is getting confusing to say the least. Our mode is to go slow everyday, relax and enjoy the short time we have (7days). We would ideally like to plan stops at great pubs for lunch and/or dinner (sometimes we will cook) and also to visit any interesting towns on our route. Easy and chilled out are our words to live by!

Here is our first attempt at an itinerary:

Monday 6/13 - arrive at base; learn how to navigate boat; take off and travel for 2-3 hours. We will pick up boat around 14:00 so I imagine we will be ready to leave base by 16:00. We are thinking to cross the aqueduct and keep traveling to Chirk. Stop at a pub (where)? for dinner and moor somewhere?

Tuesday 6/14 - Travel to Ellesmere (4.5 hours?) Take in the Tuesday market there. (how to get into town?) Moor ? Pub?

Wednesday 6/15 Travel to Whitchurch (5.5 hours) Moor? Pub?

Thursday 6/16 Mess around Whitchurch town (how to get into town?) for a bit and then turn around and head back towards Bettisfield. Travel 2-4 hours. Find pub? Moor?

Friday 6/17 To Hindsford. Jack Myton Pub? (except I just read on here that it is closed?) Moor? Ideally, we would like to moor close to Llangollen so that the following day we can arrive early enough in Llangollen to enjoy the town.

Saturday 6/18 to Llangollen. Enjoy/explore town.

Sunday 6/19 Mess around Llangollen? Make our way back to Trevor to be close for returning the boat tomorrow. Moor? Pub?

Monday 6/20 Return to Trevor base by 9:00. Return boat

Ok. If you have read this far - thank you so much! I would dearly love for someone to help out with our itinerary. We need stopping places/interesting sites/pubs, etc. We also need ideas of where to purchase provisions.

Yes, We have the Canal Companion Welsh Waters and it is very helpful. Yes, I have scoured the Canal Planner online. It is still overwhelming to first timers!

 

I believe that the Jack Mytton has reopened.

 

Shame not to do the Montgomery canal :-(

 

Tim

Edited January 11, 2016 by Tim Lewis

[lindatork]

Good morning! It is so sun to wake up here in the US and see that my new friends in the UK have been responding to my post! Thank you.

 

Definitely going to check out the steam railway in Llangollen - thanks for the tip.

 

Mac - your Pub Cruise is an awesome guide. We will take it with us.

 

John - I found your guide a while back and have it bookmarked - it is great.

 

NB - I hadn't thought about how long we would have sunlight. Winter has been quite dreary even here in Arizona lately. Gets dark by 18:00.

 

Southern Star/Graham - thanks for the suggestions.

 

Arbutus - your rambling list is exactly the kind of thing we need. All those things you don't know that you need to know are great! I am going to take it along.

 

Goat - I didn't think about needing to run engine to keep electricity! That's a great head's up. We have been to the UK before, but haven't run into too many grumps! Hopefully we are laid back travelers who don't demand (many) luxuries (we will see about that one...). Looking forward to as much charm as we can handle!

 

Don't stop!

[Loafer]

The Sun Trevor is a good pub, between Trevor and Llangollen.

 

I found Whitchurch to look a bit drab, almost as if it's closing down. Lots of businesses up for sale.

 

From Trevor, I'd go across the aqueduct first and motor as far as is comfortable for 1.5 days, then return 2 days maybe stopping at places you liked the look of on the outbound trip. Back to Trevor, then left after the aqueduct to Llangollen.

 

I'd say you want to spend half your week on the Llangollen side of the aqueduct and take in the steam railway. It's very pretty up there and Llangollen is a really cute Welsh town with plenty of eating and drinking.

 

My bet is that you will regret only having one week, but you will enjoy it and want to come back!

[arbutus]

Although you have the canal companion Welsh Waters, you might like to also get the Collins Nicholson guide to the Llangollen canal. Some people like using the canal companion, others prefer the Nicholson guide. I like using the Nicholson.

 

Amazon.com have it http://www.amazon.com/Collins-Nicholson-Waterways-Guides-Counties/dp/0008101590/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1452526417&sr=8-4&keywords=collins+nicholson+canal+guides

 

If you look at the UK amazon site you can look inside the book to get an idea of the layout, the maps and the descriptions. Although the “look inside” does not actually cover the bits of the book you need which cover the Llangollen canal.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Counties-Canals-Collins-Nicholson-Waterways/dp/0008101590/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1452526347&sr=8-7&keywords=collins+nicholsons+guide

[Pie Eater]

Water points at Llangollen, above New Martin locks, Ellesmere, Bettisfield and above Grindley Brook locks.

 

Rubbish disposal at Llangollen, Ellesmere and above Grindley Brook locks.

 

Steve

[OldGoat]

......

NB - I hadn't thought about how long we would have sunlight. Winter has been quite dreary even here in Arizona lately. Gets dark by 18:00.

 

 

 

Goat - I didn't think about needing to run engine to keep electricity! That's a great head's up. We have been to the UK before, but haven't run into too many grumps! Hopefully we are laid back travelers who don't demand (many) luxuries (we will see about that one...). Looking forward to as much charm as we can handle!

 

Don't stop!

It's my weird sense of humour....

 

From my memories of being state-side - 'cos you're a lot further South - when it's sundown - it gets dark instantly.

Over here we're a bit more laid back - it gets dark ever-so-slowly. Coupled with June being around the longest day, you'll probably be able to see until about 2 a.m.

That is unless it's raining - that's the problem with Wales - it rains. Bring waterproofs.

[JohnEW2912]

Linda - great to see you took my advice and posted on here as well as Trip Advisor! I don't think I can add much more to my post on there and the posts above.

 

It's just possible our boat could be on the Llangollen at the same time - look out for us.

[Peter X]

I haven't done the Llangollen and am from south London so cannot offer any local knowledge, but I will say this.

 

Steering a narrow boat and operating the locks is easy when you know how, but it's important to get the basic safety right from the outset so do listen carefully to what the hire company staff tell you during the handover. Some hire companies probably do things better than others, I've sometimes met hirers doing their first lock who appeared not to have been told anything about how to deal with it.

 

Having said that, you will find that most boaters are happy to explain things to you if you need help. If you arrive at your first lock unsure what to do, just steer slowly in alongside the lock landing, step ashore holding the centre line to hold the boat in place, and send one or two of your crew up with a windlass each to ask people questions.

 

You'll be fine and have a great time; by the end of the week you'll be planning your next trip.

[OldGoat]

I'm impressed with the research you have done - well, your itinerary looks well thought out, so I thought I'd see whether there any events on while you're here. Llangollen has nothing! You'd just missed a 3 day bluegrass event. The motor museum is only open at weekends. At least the steam train is running.

 

It's a quiet rural canal - so not a lot to 'do', if that's what you want. However, it would be a pity if, having come several thousands on miles across the Pond to miss out on what is nearby. If you feel the need for a side trip, might I suggest you consider visiting Chester? A beautiful walled City (you can walk along the walls), gentrified shopping and a beautiful Cathedral - go and listen to Choral Evensong for some fantastic music. No religion required...

There's bus (slow), train 40 minutes, taxi (expensive) from Whitchurch.

If you've time before or after the holiday, then Birmingham is well worth a visit - because it's got lots of canals. There's an excellent museum at Dudley (Black Country Museum) - sort of similar to Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia - I don't know what you have in Arizona. It also has a canal running into it.

 

I'll shut up now.....

[Scholar Gypsy]

I would suggest you moor by the Lake (Mere) at Ellesmere, which is just through the tunnel. It's an easy walk from there into the town, but it's a lovely place to sit on your boat or on the towpath and watch the sun go down over the lake.

 

You get a good view of the cricket ground as you go over the aqueduct - you may need to do further research if you want to understand the rules...

 

If you like bogs, Whixall Moss is worth a stop. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fenn%27s,_Whixall_and_Bettisfield_Mosses_National_Nature_Reserve

 

There used to be a pub there, miles from anywhere, but I can't remember what it is called ...

 

I do agree with others who have suggested the steam train. I keep meaning to walk to castle the top of the hill above Llangollen but have not managed it yet. http://www.castlewales.com/dinas.html

[JohnEW2912]

Would that be The Waggoners at Platt Lane? I can remember going in there some time in the late 70s/early80s.

[Scholar Gypsy]

Would that be The Waggoners at Platt Lane? I can remember going in there some time in the late 70s/early80s.

 

Yes, you have prompted me to walk over and consult the Nicholsons.

 

This doesn't look too promising: http://www.canalandriversidepubs.co.uk/pubs/llangollen/waggoners-inn.html

 

Bu this may be more useful to the OP: http://www.canalandriversidepubs.co.uk/pubs/llangollen-guide.html

Edited January 11, 2016 by Scholar Gypsy