Welsh waters: Day 12

Another day of sunshine and showers, and shortly after we set off at about 8.15 there was a very vivid example of what happens when you get both together.

We arrived at Frankton Junction less than half an hour later, and turned into the Montgomery Canal.  There were a few boats moored there, but only one that appeared to be set to go down so we tucked in behind to wait for the locks to open.  Shortly afterwards, a couple of lock keepers arrived and the boat ahead started to go down.  There’s a staircase lock first, and once they were in the lower chamber I reset the top one for us and we started on our way down.

There are then a couple of single locks, and we crossed with a boat coming up.  At the bottom, there was also another boat heading for the locks.  I opted to walk on to the next lock, which is about half a mile away.  The boat ahead of us was mooring at the junction with the short Weston Branch.  The next bridge on the mainline is No 70 — because the numbers continue from the Llangollen main line.  There was a hire boat coming through.

I warned the boat that Adrian was coming round the corner, and suggested they toot their horn as a warning.  I carried on walking, but Adrian says the two boats danced round each other very well.  At Graham Palmer Lock, a boat was arriving to come up, but the lock was in our favour with the gate half open, so I claimed it for us and Adrian was soon arriving.  It has a shallow fall of under 2ft.  The next section is long and straight, and very tree-lined.

At Heath Houses, the railway crosses the canal, and there’s an old packet house and a bridge beyond.

Unusually there were no boats moored at Queen’s Head, where the A5 crosses the canal.  Next come the three Aston Locks, which Adrian worked.  The top one needed filling, but a boat was coming up the middle one, and then a boat arrived below it as we were ready to leave.  This canal is so narrow and shallow, locks are probably the best places to meet boats coming the other way.  We carried on for another mile or so and moored at Maesbury Marsh, opposite the old bone works.  We are the only boat here.  Just as we arrived, there was a heavy shower of very big raindrops, but at least it only lasted for 60 seconds.

After lunch, we went for a walk around the village, which apart from some old buildings near the canal is largely fairly modern housing.  We walked down a lane to the next bridge, where the Canal Central cafe was open.  It’s only open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, so I think this is the first time we’ve been able to visit.  We had tea and coffee, and the tea pots had knitted tea cosies.

We have booked for dinner at The Navigation this evening.  This is another place that only opens at the weekend; we’ve been here both previous times we’ve been down the Monty, and it’s been very good.

The latest podcast is out today.  It’s about the IWA lock wind last month at Cholmondeston Lock, and you can listen to it here.

7 miles, 8 locks.  (43 miles, 27 locks)