The Big Cruise Day 21: Telford's masterpiece

The weather forecast was quite correct. Today there was driving rain, a brisk wind and it was about 4 degrees C.

Our family met us as scheduled, looking forward to the adventure (we might have waited a day otherwise).

We ventured forth to cross the amazing wonder of the inland waterways which is the Pontycysyllte Aqueduct, crossing the valley of the River Dee, 4 miles from Llangollen. (see also yesterday's blip). The Aqueduct is 1007 feet long (about the same as the height of the new Shard building in London) and rises to 126 feet above the valley floor. There's a towpath and railings on one side but, as the picture shows, nothing on the other.

In fact it is no different to cruising any narrow bit of canal - unless of course you suffer from vertigo. Quite a few folk refuse to do it and walk - although even that is beyond some. The stories are many, including one lady who intended to steer but 3 yards onto the aqueduct she jumped onto the towpath fearing that the boat would be blown off.

My crew showed no such fear and, indeed, young grandson Isaac - seen previously on 22nd April's blip - was given the full exposure to the experience by his mum and grandma. His Dad was using my camera for this and many other pictures in this sequence (hope that's not blipping cheating but I was otherwise engaged with steering into the wind).

Anyway, followed by our friends aboard Princess, we made it across and then continued slowly along the remaining shallow and narrow four or more miles to the moorings at the end of the navigation at Llangollen. We have never been so wet. An amazing day.

[Explanation: Big Cruise Blips begin on 9th April [u](where there's an introduction)[/u] and last nearly 8 weeks with a break in the middle. I am catching up with the back-blipping]