The June Rose: Monday 20 and Tuesday 21 June 2016

Nice to be back on board. Steve has had five days in Scotland playing golf and I have caught up with family and friends. We came back to a note from Tim and Annie from Willow, a couple we met in several different places at the start of our journey last year, who had gone past where we were moored. I expect we will bump into them again sometime!

We booked our passage through the Frankton Locks at the beginning of the Montgomery Canal – you can only enter or exit the Montgomery between 12noon and 2pm each day. We left the boatyard at 11.45am and no sooner had we set sail than it began to rain but very quickly stopped again.

We met the lock keeper who told us that we were one of only two boats entering the Montgomery today. You have to book by 10am on the day of passage otherwise you have to wait until the next day. They do not let anyone in unless you have booked. The reason the lock keeper needs to be there is because the Frankton Lock flight can easily flood if the gates or paddles are left open flooding the gardens and houses of the few properties that are there.

We had a nice easy chug enjoying this very beautiful and peaceful stretch of canal and decided to moor at a place called Maesbury Marsh. Not a hire boat in sight! We only passed two boats going in the opposite direction and only one went past us then came back the other way once we were moored. I went for a walk to explore the area – not a lot around except fields, sheep and the odd cottage, boat and dog walker!

When we got up on Tuesday intending to chug on towards Welshpool we spoke to a couple walking along the towpath who informed us that we could only go another half mile where we would have to turn round and come back as the canal is still under restoration and the bridges are so low where they have been built over the canal whilst it has not been used that it is going to take sometime to alter all of these – 30 years is the general consensus of opinion! I didn’t do my research properly! Oh well at least we stopped before we got to the end – there is only a small handwritten notice at the bridge that says “no entry horse drawn only” which we could have easily missed!

So we went under the lift bridge, turned around and chugged back up the Montgomery to the bottom of the Frankton Locks which we have booked passage for Wednesday.

I always thought that the longest day was 21 June but on the news they were talking about 20 June being the longest day – I checked the diary and that confirms it is 20 June. I spoke to Carolyn Monday evening and she also thought that 21 June was the longest day so we are not sure when it changed! Either way we have now had the longest day!

Leaving Maestermyn Boatyard

And the rain came tumbling down!

Leaving the grounded hire boat that refused our help - I wonder how long they were there!

Maybe it was the fact that the amount of miles had been rubbed out that throw me (more likely that I didn't do enough research!)

At the top of the Frankton Flight - that's one of the cottages that gets flooded if the locks are not managed!

Nothing but countryside then a glimpse of life!

They have spent a lot of money preserving many features along the canal.

Our resting place for Monday night - at this point we had no idea we would be passing it again so soon.

Rolling hills and countryside.

And the sun goes down.

Tuesday morning - I have gone ahead to open the lift bridge so Steve can turn around.

It was pretty hard to open so I am going to wait here in the hope that I don't have to put it down again before he gets back!

It's no wonder it is quite hard to raise these bridges - it is a road after all! they do of course have an hydraulic mechanism to help otherwise it would be going nowhere!