Michael and Pam's Travels Our European Motorhome Adventures and other Travels

Chirk Castle, Wales 2017 ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ

Travelled: 87 kilometres from Welshpool to Nercwy in Wales

Visited:  Montgomery Canal and Chirk Castle (National Trust) ยฃ11 pp

Stayed: The Butchers Arms, Nercwy (BritStop) just use the pub and its free parking with water and power. N53.13543 W3.13947


We wake to the sounds of something like an emu walking about on the roof of the Hymer.  It was just a big fat Welsh pigeon but it sounded like something much bigger.  Anyway we are up, sort of in any case.  The sun is well and truely up and its only 5 am.  Pam stays awake in sympathy for almost 30 seconds, but the blog calls and I get up to start rambling on about whatever.

With the inverter now repaired and working properly making coffee is much less stressful event.  We have 3kgs of our favourite blend with us, thanks to the 30kg limit given by Singapore Airlines.  However Pam found we had .5kg of Oreo left from last year’s emergency supply, so she insisted we use that first.  It’s surprisingly good at 6 am.

We both slept well after our little sangria party with the neigbours last night and Pam wants to go for a walk.  So we head south away from Welshpool towards Belan on the walking path running adjacent the canal.


The canal and locks were constructed to carry limestone for processing into fertiliser.

Its a beautiful walk past a series of locks and stone bridges.  The pathway is well maintained and we can recommend the walk.


Belan lock is the first on our walk, it does operate on a Sunday. Must be a bit early as we don’t see any boats on our walk unfortunately.

The section of the canal we follow winds its way around a large hill.  At some points the canal is 10 or 15 metres above the valley floor, providing some great views.


One of a number of stone bridges we pass under on our canal walk.  Each bridge has a number this in 121 !
Reminds us of our trip down the Midi Canal a few years ago.
After almost an hours walk we found this lovely old stone Church on the edge of the canal.

Back in the Hymer, we say goodbye to our neigbours as they roll out.  The carpark is now empty and I have the urge to do a little maintenance.  With the inverter working properly again I decide to run a power wire under the floor to the off-side near the fridge where the coffee machine lives.  The task takes about an hour,  thankfully the Hymers double floor and under floor storage makes it relatively easy.  After making the next coffee, I cannot work out why I didn’t do that 3 years ago.

Packed up we hit the road again into northern Wales.  Its Sunday afternoon by the time we reach our first stop, Chirk Castle.  The Welsh like the English enjoy their Sunday drive and the traffic is heavy on the A483.  But it’s moving along steadily enough.  As we near the Castle we find the famous Chirk half marathon is on today and the Castle is the finishing point.  The carparks are all full, but luckily enough a parking marshall sends us to the bus carpark just below the castle’s entrance and we park next to an ambulance.



Pam and a bus load of Asian students outside the entrance to Chirk Castle.
Pam at the top of the grand staircase. Must say all the National Trust places we have visited are well maintained.
Photo of the grand saloon, tapestries and fine furnishings. Chirk was even more enjoyable in that you could take photos.
Another lovely piece, from Chirk Castle.
The Lonely Planet recommended visiting Pontcysylite Aqueduct. Pam said ‘no way we’re going though that’, it looks like 8 foot to me. So we drive through with an inch on either side.

We only get to see the aqueduct from a distance.  The carpark is isolated and a long walk from the aqeduct.  There are some likely lads hanging around in cars at either end of a carpark, just looking for a motorhome to break into.  I let my insticts do my thinking and we continue on…no aqueduct today.



Its time to think about somewhere to stay and Pam find the Butchers Arms in the BritStop book.  Half an hour later we find this little pub on a hill.  I go and have a chat with the Licensee, Richard.  He is a lovely old fellow and he gives us the run down.  There’s even power available.  So we settle in for the evening.  Pam has a quick nap but after my success this morning I’m in the mood for maintenance.  So I replace the carbon water filter (even though we buy the water we drink, we installed a carbon filter on the main tank 2 years ago for showering and washing up etc).  I purchased new window locking mechanism for 2 of the windows in the off-season.  So I installed those as well.  Lastly one of the adjustment clamps on the Thule bike rack we purchased last year was faulty.  I sent a photo and complaint to the agent and they sent two as replacements, so I fitted that as well.

Feeling very pleased with myself I woke Pam up and said Beertime.


The Butchers Arms is a lovely little pub.  We can recommend the home cooked steak pie.

Michael and Pam


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