The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct (Welsh pronunciation: [ˌpɔntkəˈsəɬtɛ]; Welsh: Traphont Ddŵr Pontcysyllte) is a navigable aqueduct that carries the Llangollen Canal across the River Dee in the Vale of Llangollen in northeast Wales.Put Pontcysyllte Aqueduct at the forefront of your travel plans using our Wrexham holiday builder.
The 18-arched stone and cast iron structure is for use by narrowboats and was completed in 1805 having taken ten years to design and build. It is 12 ft (3.7 metres) wide and is the longest aqueduct in Great Britain and the highest canal aqueduct in the world. A footpath runs alongside the watercourse on one side.
The aqueduct was to have been a key part of the central section of the proposed Ellesmere Canal, an industrial waterway that would have created a commercial link between the River Severn at Shrewsbury and the Port of Liverpool on the River Mersey. Although a less expensive construction course was surveyed further to the east, the westerly high-ground route across the Vale of Llangollen was preferred because it would have taken the canal through the mineral-rich coalfields of North East Wales. Only parts of the canal route were completed because the expected revenues required to complete the entire project were never generated. Most major work ceased after the completion of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in 1805.
The structure is a Grade I listed building and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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Pontcysyllte Aqueduct reviews
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Well sign posted from the A483 the brown tourist signs take you to a large pay and display car park with plenty of space. From there it’s just a short level walk to the canal and the aqueduct. Near... more »
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Gorgeous area on the must see in north Wales Just to sit & watch the canan boats is so relaxing .just walk over the viaduct.(if you dare ) and just a mile or two from Llangollen. more »
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Had a fantastic day out. The photo cannot capture the real sense of awe you feel when walking over the aqueduct. The walks in the woods nearby are also great exercise and you feel so exhilarated being in the country if the city is your home.
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Fantastic bit of engineering and still being used over 200 years later. Great sight & at one end there is free parking and free clean modern toilets. Pleasant walk for viewing below.
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