Shropshire 29 - Whixall /Morris's bridge/The roving bridge and adders on the moss

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Sion was rather excited as we had promised to take him out for a trip . " Yes it was a lovely day, the last day of June and I was being shuffled along with the words Come on Siony we are off for a trip" I got very excited to be fair and was a bit bemused when they did not go into Gabby . They told me I was going to see a Dutch bridge . Now that excited me . I remember we were supposed to go to Holland and see bridges in Amsterdam so I thought to myself we were probably off to Holland to see the bridges . About time too.

Sadly Sion was going to be a tad disappointed . His face dropped when we got into Ziggy rather than Gabby . I think the penny was beginning to drop that we were not heading for the Tunnel and Holland . In fact Sion had realised that we had emptied the van a few weeks ago and it was rather empty . He sat in the back asking all the time what was happening and where were we going . Poor lad he was not going to be happy to realise we were only going down the road to Whixall . Whixall is a bit like a maze . The country roads all look the same . Green hedges . Green fields and pretty houses . I had been many times and not once had found the same way in nor the way out easily .

We travelled via the A525 towards Whitchurch turning for Fenns Bank . Sion told us that there used to be an aluminium processing plant here years ago . It seemed hard to think of industry in such a rural location . Down one country lane , turning right or left here and there . We were heading for the canal and the quaint and unusual bridges that cross the canal .

We passed the local Methodist church a pretty impressive building and then the local school . We parked up at the car park at Morris's bridge car park . We were not alone . It seemed a busy place with walkers out in force on such a nice June morning . We could see that Sion was thinking about it all very seriously. " Yes I was serious - we had not travelled far and had not gone under the sea in the tunnel " I suppose he was disappointed as were nowhere near Holland , Amsterdam and the wooden canal bridges . Yet he could see the bridge that looked clearly Dutch and would be equally happy in an old Dutch painting .

We climbed up onto the towpath where we had a view of the first bridge we would see . Morris's bridge was a dutch style bridge that lifted for boats to pass beneath but came down and cars could pass over it . - It was constructed around 1800 by Telford and Jessop with some later repairs . Described as a wooden bascule bridge it was operated by counterweights and chains . The windlass carrried by the modern travellers was used to lift the bridge . Cars had to wait whilst the bridge was lifted . It felt a slow pace of life for both the boaters and the road users . It was particularly photogenic and was listed so safe for generations to come . Our walk took us along the towpath with the Whixall Moss to one side . The birds were singing and butterflies were fluttering about everywhere . Signs here and there told us the history of the moss . An area where peat was extracted until the 1990's when the area was deemed a site of scientific interest . There were walks in all directions well used by dog walkers . We did not walk on the moss and left that for another day . The signs warned about the adder population with the hint that heavy boots or wellingtons were necessary . Watch your step . Watch where you put down your feet and where you sit . Advice on what happens if you get bitten by the adder.

Waterlilies were appearing here and there . We reached the moorings . The signs advised that it was possible to moor up for two days . Much more friendly than motorhome parking . The canal split just after it went under the Roving Bridge . This was sometimes called a changeline bridge or a snake bridge . A ramp went up each side and allowed a horse to cross the canal when the towpath changed sides . One side went on to Whitchurch and the other to Wales . We headed off for Whitchurch . Boats were moored up and we passed a lockkeepers cottage . Except there was no lock anywhere along this particularly flat stretch of the Shropshire Union Canal . Some people were parked up and working on the boats . Some boats belonged to the boat hire company in Whitchurch . We stopped and looked at them . We shouted an hello to the people on the boats .

On our way back we met more and more boats . At one point a line of four were going through the Morris's bridge. We got in the car and had to sit and wait for the bridge to be lowered . It seemed fine sitting there watching the antics involved in lowering the bridge . The sun was shining and we had had a lovely walk . Sion though was highly disappointed he had not arrived in the Netherlands nor had he managed a visit to the bridges of Amsterdam .

Another day Sion . Another day .

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