The photo I posted yesterday to accompany my ‘Cherie’s Place Thought’ was taken by Mr C whilst we were enjoying a lovely lazy sunday.

Our first port of call was a boatyard near Trevor basin to board a longboat for a leisurely lunch as we travelled along the canal (the lunch experience was a Christmas gift). The boat journey culminated in spectacular views as we travelled across the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and back. WOW!

After our lunch experience we were not quite ready to return home. We parked at Blackwater Meadow marina near Ellesmere. From there we had a gentle stroll along the canal path and through the Ellesmere Tunnel, taking in the view of Black Mere pool before retracing our steps to the marina and our car.

Built by Thomas Telford, 1795 – 1805 there are 18 piers of local stone, the central ones over the Dee being 126′ high up to the ironwork.

The canal runs through the iron trough, 1007′ long, 11′ 10” wide and 5′ 3” deep, the largest in Britain. The iron was supplied by William Hazeldine form his foundaries at Shrewsbury and nearby Cefn Mawr.

Total cost £47,000

Water is fed from the Dee at the Horseshoe Falls at Llantysilio near Llangollen.