Prairie Adventure : Ellesmere to the Queens Head on the Montgomery Canal

Tuesday 31st July

We had booked a passage through Frankton Locks on the Montgomery canal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montgomery_Canal
You have to book a slot as the locks are only open from 12 -2pm each day. Also they only allow 12 boats through each day. We were facing the wrong way so the first job was to reverse the boat and turn her round.

Unfortunately it was very windy and try as he might John couldn't get her to turn around. We decided to go back the way we had come and find a winding hole to turn around in. I looked at the map book and it seemed like there was a winding hole just before the tunnel.

I managed to get a good shot of this young heron about to take off.

Unfortunately we couldn't turn around before the tunnel. I had mis-read the map book and the winding hole was further on. We had to go back through the tunnel. Time was getting tight to make our booking slot on the Frankton locks and we were both getting anxious. We tried to go as fast as possible.

Eventually we came to the winding hole and turned around.

Back through Ellesmere tunnel.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellesmere_Canal

I could tell something was again lodged on the propeller as the tiller arm was vibrating badly and we didn't have full power.

We had to moor up so John could check the prop. Typical for this to happen when we were in a hurry!

Sure enough a lump of fabric was wrapped around the prop!

Full speed ahead!

We passed these 2 cuties.

The countryside on this stretch was really beautiful.

Finally we arrived at Frankton locks. It was 1.30pm, just in time!

John went to report in with the lock keeper volunteers. I was soon in the first lock. There are a pair of staircase locks followed by 2 single locks. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankton_Junction

As the lock keepers had been expecting us the locks were all set ready for us to go through.

We saw these nesting boxes along the way which we think are for owls.

The canal is unspoilt and the countryside is lovely.

As only 12 boats are allowed through each day and there is only a 7 mile section to explore we didn't see many other boats. Mostly the banks are full of plant life so very few mooring places. We were headed for the Queen's Head pub where we were told there were moorings.