We are now at Chirk, a small old fashioned town right on the Wales England border between Wrexham and Oswestry. A couple of pubs in the village, butchers, bakers but no candle stick makers. I love this greengrocers with stuff out side just like they used to be until Tesco and Sainsbury’s came along.

Chirk is famous for its aqueduct. It was completed in 1801, designed by Thomas Telford and built by him and some builders. It measures 220 metres long and is 21 metres high. Has ten arches and spans the river Ceiriog. It’s in two parts, one part is for the canal boats which must be quiet a thing to go across in a narrow boat. On one side you have the towpath and one the other side a sheer drop of 21 metres. You have to make sure you get off the boat on the right side.

The other part of the aqueduct is for the railway, and trains pass over to everyday. This part was built higher because at the time to travel by train was so much better so you could look down on the Canal. It amazes me how they built these structures all them years ago and even more that they are still standing and being used every day. If you walk across it, I did, Nikki can’t walk across anything high, her legs go to jelly and it feels like the ground is all moving under her feet. Me, I just love things like this so had to walk across it. The views from it are fantastic and you relies how high up you are and appreciate the builders work even more. When you walk across it you actually cross the border of Wales and England, so yesterday I walked from Wales into England. No wonder I slept well last night.

Another part of the canal is the tunnel which is 241 metres long and very dark. Known to the locals as The Darkie. It starts just by the railway station and exits at the aqueduct. It was one of the first canal tunnels to have a towpath. There is a handrail all along the length of it so you don’t fall in the canal if you choose to walk through it. I asked Nikki if she wanted to walk through it with me and her answer was a big NO. So I said to her I will see her on the other side as I went into the darkness and yes it was dark as I don’t normally carry a torch around with me. But the handrail was there to stop me falling in the canal. In the picture you van just a speck of white just above the handrail. There is light at the end of the tunnel. That was my goal to get there. I made it.

Y