World Heritage Site of Pontcysyllte Aqueduct & Llangollen Canal
Jake Davies
Known by the nickname "stream in the sky", the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct carries the Llangollen Canal across the River Dee valley, and is a registered UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Aqueducts are numerous and not particularly new, Romans were building them 2,000 years ago. In addition, the canal system in the UK has dozens and dozens of them, but what makes the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct noteworthy and worth a UNESCO listing is that it was the very first one made out of cast iron. It is also the highest navigable canal aqueduct in the world and the longest in Great Britain.
Llangollen Canal
Now called the Llangollen Canal, it was previously part of the Ellesmere Canal, and runs from Llangollen in Wales across the border into England through Ellesmere, and on to Hurleston Junction where it connects with the Shropshire Union Canal.
The World Heritage listing includes 18 kilometers of the canal from Horseshoe Falls where a small feeder canal supplies water for the navigable section, all the way past Chirk and also includes the Chirk Aqueduct.
Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford was the man who designed the two aqueducts included in the World Heritage listing. The first to be completed was the Chirk Aqueduct which crosses the Ceirog River.
It opened in 1801 and at the time was the tallest navigable aqueduct ever built. It is 220 meters long and 21 meters above the river. It is supported by 10 masonry arches.
The bed of the canal is composed of iron plates bolted together. A later railway viaduct now runs parallel to it.
From the Chirk Aqueduct it is just a 6 kilometer walk to the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, but if you are walking it you should bring a flashlight as the Chirk Tunnel is more than 420 meters long and unlit.
The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct was completed in 1805 and crosses the River Dee. It is 307 meters long and 38 meters above the river.
The cast iron trough is supported by 18 masonry arches. Perhaps the most impressive feature, especially when crossing the aqueduct, is its narrowness, less than 4 meters including the towpath. Walking across it, or riding in one of the narrow boat tours, gives great views up and down the valley.
From inside the boat there is no guardrail to obscure the view, but fortunately the towpath has a sturdy guardrail. It is also possible to canoe across.
Trevor Basin
On the north side of the aqueduct is Trevor Basin where there is a visitor center and several cafes and pubs as well as boat rentals and tour boats. There are car parks for those arriving by road.
A footpath leads down to the river where you can view the aqueduct from below. The visitor center has videos, models, and other displays on the making of the aqueducts and plenty of information on the area.
Trevor Basin, Off Station Road, Trevor, Wrexham, LL20 7TY
Tel: 01978 822912
Open from 10 am to 4 pm every day, except November to March when it is open Friday to Sunday.
Access
Less than two kilometers from Chirk Aqueduct is Chirk Castle, a National Trust property built in the 13th century.
Llangollen has many attractions for the visitor including rides in a horse-drawn narrow boat and a heritage steam railway. There are also plenty of interesting sights and views the whole length of the canal, including a pub or two for a break or a snack.
By public transport, the two closest railway stations are Chirk and Ruabon. Chirk Station is an unmanned station immediately adjacent to the entrance to Chirk Tunnel and trains connect with Chester Station in Chester or Shrewsbury. Ruabon is the next station north of Chirk and has buses that run to Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.
See a listing on hotels in and near Wrexham
Map
Book Hotels in Cardiff - Booking.com
Find Hotels in Swansea - Booking.com