A Day out in Llangollen

After a day out in Bala followed by a luxurious night and large breakfast at Palé Hall Hotel, it was time for a day out in Llangollen.

We hadn’t rally been to Llangollen or anywhere in this part of Wales before. I had ran nearby whilst running along the Offa’s Dyke though so recognised some of the landscapes as we made the short drive through quiet welsh contryside to Llangollen.

Once there, we parked up, visited the Tourist Information Centre and the toilets and then had a riverside stroll along the banks of the River Dee.

It was a cool crisp day and all was fairly quiet in Llangollen. We wandered through the streets and along the other side of the river for a bit but there wasn’t very little happening and not too much to see or do.

Horse Drawn Boat Trip

We took a stroll up the hill to the Llangollen Wharf on the Llangollen Canal. Boat trips run from here but as it was a Monday in October most weren’t operational today. Usually there are trips downstream along the canal to the impressive Pontcysyllte Aqueduct where the boat crosses the highest canal aqueduct in the world. There are also trips upstream to the Horseshoe falls. Today, the only option was a short 45 minute trip a mile or so upstream on a horse drawn canal boat. It seemed like a nice thing to do so we booked onto the next one and sat in the sunshine watching them prepare the horse.

Once onboard we were joined by a few other couples and soon set off at a leisurely walking pace as the canal flowed along under us. The water was crystal clear and hundreds of fish could be seen swimming along under us. Roach, rudd and perch seemed to make up the majproty of them. We passed a little marina and then went onto a stretch of the canal that is shallow and passable by non-motorised craft only.

The Llangollen canal is fed by water diverted from the River Dee at Horseshoe falls a mile or so upstream. The part we were on is just the feeder channel for the canal that was navigable from Llangollen heading north-east over the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and on towards Chesire.

We passed under a couple of bridges and then stopped while the horse was attachd to the other end of the bat ready for the journey back. It was a nice way to while away some time.

Horseshoe Falls

We then bought some snacks and a present for Morgan in the shops in Llangollen before heading off to Horseshoe falls just down the road where we ate lunch and had a quick look at the falls and surrounding countryside.

It was then time to drive back to Palee Hall for some more relaxation and fine dining.

Tags: Day Out