We decided to leave Ellesmere before our 72 hour mooring limit was up, we made our way to the junction and visited Blackwater Meadow to order a new gas hose pigtail and topped up at the water point.
There is a higgledy-piggledy maintenance yard here which (thankfully) maintains its historic look.
We carried on through the countryside, past Frankton Junction where the Montgomery Canal joins and onwards to Maestermyn where we took a short lunch break and a phone call confirmed a change of plan.
We had a progressively damp afternoon up through New Marton Locks heading for a mooring at The Poachers Pocket pub, unfortunately several others had had the same idea and beat us to it. We had better luck at Chirk Bank, however whereupon the weather improved as soon as we moored up. We had our evening meal and later walked down the hill to Bridge Inn within sight of the Chirk Aqueduct.
We had a pleasant evening there chatting with other holiday makers both boaters & motor-home users. In the morning another boater gave us valuable information recommending moorings for the night. We followed his advice and crossed the Chirk Aqueduct,through the Chrik Tunnel and the Whitehouse Tunnel and on to Froncysyllte where we found a nice mooring.
We walked up past the old limekilns to Fron Liftbridge and climbed up from the canal to the unmistakably yellow Aqueduct Inn where we were tempted to stay for lunch.
We had a good phone signal here (unfortunately absent at Ellesmere) and were then able to contact our friends Ruth & Barry and arrange for them to meet us on Saturday.
nb wrens-nest 