Ellesmere

Sadly this eagle owl on an electricity post was plastic

Denise checks that the single width Ellesmere Tunnel is clear

The Ellesmere Arm ends at a small wharf near the town centre

A shorter journey today of some 8 miles with 1 lift bridge as we have booked passage through Frankton Locks onto the Montgomery Canal on Sunday - they are only open 12-2.  More information on that tomorrow.

We had a peaceful, dry, cool but moderately sunny journey through the extensive peat bog nature reserve of Whixall Moss and then onto a much shallower and narrower meandering stretch of canal that took us through attractive woods, past lakes and through a short tunnel to the small town of Ellesmere where we moored at lunchtime in the short arm that leads off the main canal.

We walked into Ellesmere in the afternoon to do some shopping.  We were very pleased to discover that the town's Food and Drink Festival was on this weekend.  So we walked around the two venues and bought some local cheese, smoked trout sausages (!) and cakes.  Walking around the small town centre we found a delicatessen which provided the opportunity to get some more farm cheese.  But for the bulk of our shopping we had to go to the new Tesco, "new"  in the sense that it wasnt there when we were last in Ellesmere over 5 years ago.