Chester and beyond

Chester is a lovely city, full of history, elegant buildings, and charm.  I have been surprised that with such a wet climate the buildings here, especially in the market squares, have few, or no verandahs.  In France and other European countries I have been to the shops often have quite wide arcades in front of them, providing shelter, and a meeting place, yet here, with a similar climate I had not seen a similar thing - until I got to Chester.  This city has them in large numbers, though interestingly, most are around the first floor of the buildings, with only a couple on the ground floor that I noticed.

The ornate Victorian clock above the east gate.

Just showing how I rug up in my best merino clothes!  This was the first really cold day.

A Christmas tree amongst the shops.

Chester Cathedral. It was nice to see it in the sunshine.

The other side of the Cathedral.

I love the post boxes here.  It wasn't until my friend Roy pointed it out that I noticed the reigning monarchs initials on them.  Most have ER for Elizabeth, but this one has VR for Victoria!

Just one of the many beautiful buildings in Chester.  Walton's jewellers are on the ground floor, but notice the arcade continuing in both directions at the top of the stairs, the length of the street

Up on the first floor arcade this is what you see.

After leaving Chester I took quiet back roads to Wrexham and was impressed with this tree sending its roots down, despite the rock.

The church at the village of Rossett.  I'm taken with the Lych gates that I have been seeing at the churches over the past few weeks.

The first village I saw in Wales, Gresford, was quite intriguing.  All the cottages had a circular room, a bit like a church porch, in the design (this has two), and very distinctive windows.

This is a church, not a cathedral.  It is one of the largest and oldest mediaeval churches in the UK.  I actually had a sing in it.  Below you can see the interior, with the ceiling's beautiful musical angels.  I thought at first that they were Christmas decorations, but no they are VERY old and a permanent fixture.

A close up of the angels.

 As I have walked it has seemed, over time, that I have been walking in a protective bubble as far as the weather is concerned.  Yes, I have had some wet days, windy days, and cold days, given that it is winter there have not been too many that have affected me.  Today I was talking to the vicar in St Oswald's church in Oswestry and he told me that four years ago at this time the temperature was minus 20, with snow and ice making any sort of travel difficult!  Why am I telling you this?  Well the UK is currently experiencing a "weather bomb" - I think that's fancy language for fierce storms!  Ferocious seas crashing on the coastlines to the north and south, gale force winds bringing trees down and causing power outages (I'm very familiar with that at home), and snow falls with more expected.  Yet despite this weather bomb I have still managed to make forward progress, with a little help!  

Yesterday I did relent and decided for safety's sake that I had best get off the road.  I was walking in a very quiet area, but the wind was so strong that I didn't hear cars approaching and found they were passing me before I was aware of them.  That was when I decided it was time to get off the road.  I hitched with a kind man (a retired aerospce engineer who plans to follow my journey on the blog), who took me sideways to a bus stop where I could catch a bus a mile or so into Trefor and from where I planned to walk along the canal. 

The only thing that I was disappointed about was that the wind was so strong I probably wouldn't be able to walk across the aqueduct - one of my reasons for going this way!  Like I said earlier, I feel as if I am in a protective bubble when it comes to the weather because after I had eaten a sandwich, chatted to the locals in the pub, the wind had dropped sufficiently for me to feel quite safe crossing the aqueduct.  Why was I concerned you ask?  Well, this aqueduct, was built to carry the Llangollen canal across the river Dee.  Designed by Thomas Telford this aqueduct is a 1/4 mile long and is 126 feet high.  It is very exposed, with a railing on one side, but no railing on the canal side and with a pack it would be possible to be blown "off course" - like I had been a few times earlier in the day!  Like I said, its almost as if I have a little bubble of better weather around me, because by the time I was up on the aqueduct the wind had dropped markedly.  Having said that, I kept my left arm across the top of the iron railing for the entire length, and though I paused a couple of times to look out, I didn't look down, or get my camera out!

I found a path through a park leaving Wrexham.  It was sheltered for much of it, and I visited the National Trust manor (actually just the cafe) called Erddig.

Looking down on the Llangollen canal at Trevor

The start of the Pontcysllte aqueduct.......

.....,.and looking back, having crossed it.  A few figures for those interested.  It is 1,007ft long, 11ft wide, stands 126 ft above the River Dee, has 19 spans each 16metres wide.

Looking across at the rail viaduct, from the canal.

The Chirk aqueduct, by contrast, is 70 foot long, and stands 710 foot high.  It is also designed by Thomas Telford.  The higher, and longer, rail viaduct next to it was built after the canal acqueduct.  Maintenance work is being done on the two tunnels and the aqueduct.

The view from the aqueduct at Chirk.  The view from Pontcysyllte is just higher!

A memorial commemorating the quarry workers on the canal.

The church at Chirk.  Actually had this to myself and had a pleasant half hour playing the piano as well as having a sing.

The interior of St Oswald's church at Oswestry, and the exterior below.

I have been trying to get a map of the Offa's Dyke Path, without success.  Thus I may or may not follow some of the path.  I need to start veering away from the border of Wales as I am heading towards Worcester.  Over the past few days google maps has served me well as I have meandered along quiet lanes and byways.

More next time.