Castell Dinas Bran.......

Because it was so hot at 2.30pm we waited until 7.30pm to climb to the ruins of  the castle, 800 odd feet above Llangollen, across farm paddocks and rock paths rather steep in places. Bloody hard work it was. Built in 1260 and deliberetly burned down to prevent take over by invaders in 1277 it seems like a lot of hard work for nothing. The ruins cover quite a large area and the view was worth the climb.

Probably an entry way with the Aqueduct away in the distance....

Alot of the rock would have been nearby but timber, mortar etc...... a Big Carry...

 

The plan of what was once on the hill top.....

Llangollen village below, the large white marque RH side is about 300 metre's from where the NB is moored. Used for a music festival starting next month...

Very Sturdy construction....

A lot of large dugout area's within the walls..

Leonie's First rope fender attempt, pretty good I reckon and wouldn't you know it, ripped a rubber one off today so this one's already in use....

Seen today, a fresh water  Terrapin, Beware though these docile  looking Critta's have been know to leap at passing boats and will latch on to Bare Flesh....

TRAIN SPOTTERS read this......

Dreamt all night about my "Left Front Wheel" so with the sun blazing again decided to check it out.Down to the rail station and there it was parked up in it's glory hissing steam, "Sparkies Bro".
Brought tickets for the return trip to Carrog, about 7 mile each way, then settled into an old school carriage seat. The journey has two stops, the second where the train is swapped to the other end for the return trip and one tunnel. On the return we alighted at the second stop, didn't want to wait for the wheel thing to happen, and walked the two miles back to Llangollen  along the tow path after walking up to Horseshoe falls, the start of the canals water supply.. A very enjoyable day....

 

 

Big Black and Beautiful, (to a train spotter,Iv'e got  two  badges  on order)...

The Heart of the  Loco, the "coal Range"....

At the turn around I was taking a photo from the platform when one of the "Stokers" asked if I wanted to "climb  aboard", sure did, and no one else got asked,  lucky me....

At the station before leaving...

On the way, smoke, steam, noise and smell...

Lights on going through the tunnel, DAMMM thought it might be a "Back Row Of the Movies " type thing.. and got soot instead of Jaffa's...

AT the turn around, coming in from what was the rear...

Pipes and Gadgets...

 



Food to make those big wheels turn...

More levers and pipes....

You gotta have  ID......

 

Carrog Station, railway pies and coffee for the return...












On the return had an  upgrade to a "Orient Express Type Cabin"...... OH and there was a Movie Star already seated....

In the signal box at Carrog changing the points to move the train and changing signals. All cable activated, the fartherest  movement that is done from here is 528yrds, takes a good puller he said...

Tomorrow head,n back toward, who No's........

One Way Traffic........

This blog was on the way into Llangollen, I published it but it didn't and Iv'e  just noticed it was still in Drafts, So here is a Catch up blog. Shame not to see how narrow it was...

Monday morning left our overnight mooring, 200 mtrs from viaduct, blue skies and getting warmer to make Llangollen, the start or the end  of the Llangollen Canal. It's 4.5 miles of twisting narrow canal and in two stretches only one way. Leonie walks ahead with the walkie talkie and says No or Go...
By the time we got to Llangollen it was Hot so out came the shorts and most worn out Tee shirt.

A stretch of the one way, sheer rock face forms one side, blasted and hand dug....

Makes steering a 60 - 70 foot NB hard yakker around these tight bends... That's where Drifting in the parents car down the river experience comes in handy...

That's why you need Srambled Eggs on the Patio in the sun before a days work...

Llangollen  is a nice scene with River Dee running through town and cafe's and pubs hang'n on the side walls .......

Looking to the right with the train station on the river bank, sun still shining, 8.45pm......

Tried Work, Breeding, Cooking, Male Risk Management, Rope Splicing so why not make some Rope Fenders, No Sweat for Leonie....

Tomorrow we'll probably be all Steamed Up......

AQUEDUCT ........ Freakyy

On the move by 10am to cover the last 10 miles to the Aqueduct at Pontcysyllte with the sun out but a cool wind in the open spaces. Not so much on coming traffic as a lot of the hire boats are back at base which was good as there's some tight blind approach under a  bridge corners to negotiate. The farmland  and bush scenery in Wales is green and lush, easy on the eye. The nearer we got to Aqueduct the more foot traffic on the tow path and finally it was our turn with a NB about three quarters of the way across ahead. The steel trough is lower than the deck on the boat and  I must say the first 30 metre's with no side protection  visible on the drop side was pretty Freaky. The 1007ft length at idle speed is a nice trip and basically the boat steer's itself. One part I jumped off, on the tow path side of course, to lift a side fender and Leonie was Not Happy....

The River Dee  126ft below....

The man doing some fenceing and his quad bike don't look to big from up here...

Looking back, there's about 5ft of water in the trough....

To get there you go through two tunnels,  Chirk  459yrds.....

And the Whitehouse tunnel  191yds.....Not much room on the side.  This canal has a continuos flow of water  from  Horseshoe Falls weir above Llangollen running down it which causes quite a current in the narrow tunnels and makes steering tricky. The water flow ends at Hurleston Junction reservoir, about 55 miles then is treated and used for domestic use in the city of Crewe.

Crossing the Chirk Aqueduct, 70 ft to the river,  with the rail aqueduct beside.....

Went for a walk, about 9pm, not dark till 10pm, that hand rail is on the Far side...

Walked back across aqueduct, Let the Rail GO........

 Then walked down to almost river level.....

On the boat Leonie say's politely, " have you passed wind", no it's the wild Garlic growing amongst the tree's, strong smell....

A few 'Big Horn' sheep....

Old stone canal side house....



And after a 'Big Day' what better than a Pork roast with sea salt rubbed crackle, Good cook that Leonie.......