It rained heavily during the night but we woke up ...
... to a thin layer of snow ...
... all around us ...
... at our mooring.
We had thought that we'd have Sunday lunch at the Queen's Head Hotel but we'd been ringing them yesterday and this morning and they appear to never answer their telephone - it's a matter of love me love my dog, so we need to know if we can take Molly with us - their loss ...
... George rang the Navigation Inn at Maesbury Marsh and they welcome dogs in the bar area - good enough for us - so off we set.
Aston Top Lock - it was below here that George met Bonnie and Clyde (the aggressive geese who think they own the place!)
The Shropshire Union Fly-Boat Saturn is moored below the lock ...
... with Bonnie and Clyde ... they saw me coming ...
... got into the water and tried to shoo me away but I wasn't having any of that!
Then they spied George coming ... much easier prey!
... seconds after I took this they were pecking at his boots ...
... and trouser legs; one of them reached right up and George whacked it away with his windlass arm ...
... they didn't like that at all! ...
... and turned their attention back to Rock n Roll!
Leaving Aston middle lock ...
... and the view from Aston bottom lock ...
... swans at rest there in the reeds.
More snow on higher ground ...
... and more wonderful ...
... views ...
... as we approach the very slender bridge 77.
I wonder if BW/C&RT will remove the weeds before the summer onslaught?
Bridge 77 is behind those reeds somewhere ...
... needs a bit of manoeuvring ...
... to gain access!
Lots of twists and turns too ...
... as we approach Maesbury Marsh ...
... with signs of past industry ...
... including the Navigation which in the days of the working canal would have been a warehouse for all sorts of supplies.
Reminds us that we're once again in Wales
After a very leisurely Sunday lunch at the Navigation - thanks to Adam for the recommendation - it certainly didn't let us down - lovely place, great good, loves dogs - all that we needed today.
After lunch we took a short walk down the Monty towards Crofts Mill Lift Bridge
The junction - straight ahead is the mainline to Newtown (under restoration in many areas) and to the right ...
... the short private Mill Arm ...
Canal Centre ... internet cafe, shop, B&B and information centre - maybe breakfast there in the morning!
The towpath became too muddy so we turned round and headed back, past the restored wharf now used as a sanitary station for the boats and the 15cwt crane with is thought to be the only surviving example of its kind.
And there's Rock n Roll moored through the bridge.
Quarter past Six and the sky is amazing ...
... and the temperature is minus 0.7 already - forecast tonight is below minus 4 - brrrrrr!
Funny to read your comments about the geese, we come acrros them last year, and called them the "Killer Geese"< they pecked at Jacquies legs too... We thought the was a lovely place to be...
ReplyDeleteStein and Jacquie