(Satellite, 18,660 photos)
Nice photo via unesco
This Facebook post has some photos in the comments.
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| Nickey.com posted Narrow boats crossing the Llangollen Canal on Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, North East Wales. See More: nickeyscircle.com/pontcysyllte-aqueduct-in-wales/ Nickey.com posted Express Way Explorers posted Glynis Waghorn: “Drove” a canal boat across here on a very windy day and walkers had to keep pushing the boat away from the walkway as the wind was blowing the boat against the side. Scary, memorable and fun 🤩 For the love of Narrowboats posted Stunning view of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct Finished in 1805 after a 10 year design and build program and is the longest aqueduct in the UK. Designed by Thomas Telford and William Jessop....although many just accredit it to the former. The original plan was to create a series of locks down both sides of the valley to an embankment that would carry the Ellesmere Canal over the River Dee....that would have been one hell of a set of locks.. After Telford was hired the plan was changed to an aqueduct that would create an uninterrupted waterway straight across the valley. Despite considerable public skepticism, Telford was confident his construction method would work because he had previously built a cast-iron trough aqueduct – the Longdon-on-Tern Aqueduct on the Shrewsbury Canal. Granted World Heritage status in 2009 |
"Its nineteen cast-iron spans carry the waterway 126 feet / 38.4 metres above the river, and for two centuries it remained the tallest navigable aqueduct in the world....It is the first great masterpiece of civil engineer Thomas Telford (1757–1834) and formed the basis of his outstanding international reputation." [cadw]
"The aqueduct is 1,007ft (307m) long....Telford's design for the aqueduct saw workers build 18 slender stone piers [columns] 125ft (38m) high. To save weight and material the piers were hollow from about 70ft (21m). The canal itself was carried in a trough made of cast iron plates. The trough was 12ft (3.7m) wide and 5.5ft(1.7m) deep." [ice]
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| One of the many photos on TimeTravelTurtle: |
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| abcboathire [The arches were constructed with four cast-iron segments.] |
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| Historical Events By the Day posted November 26, 1805 Pontcysyllte Aqueduct Opens in Wales Having taken ten years to build, the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct towers over the River Dee valley in Wrexham, Wales. A feat of civil engineering, it is still in use more than two centuries later, allowing boats to cross the Llangollen Canal approximately one-hundred-twenty feet above the valley. The aqueduct consists of a narrow cast iron trough supported by stone columns and bordered by a railed path that is built so horses can tow canal boats. The span occasionally closes for maintenance. It is it emptied by a plug in one of the highest spans and is opened to drain the canal water into the River Dee below, for inspection and maintenance of the trough. |
When my wife and I visited England, I was surprised by how much the old canal system was still used for recreation. I've since learned that many people live on the canal in a houseboat. Some have a permanent mooring, but some move at least every two weeks.
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| bbc, arpingstone historic-uk also has this photo [This is another source that put the opening date at 1805 instead of 1795. Was the aqueduct done in 1795, but it couldn't be effectively used until 1805 when the canal was finished?] |
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| Nickey.com |
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| Duck & Cover, Growing Up in the Atomic Age posted Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, Great Britain, one of the greatest feats of engineering, spans the Dee Valley and has been in use for over 200 years. The aqueduct is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sally Vernon: The Wynn's went over it and did a video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8Z3D0IH2Os |
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| The Ocean Buff posted The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, completed in 1805, is one of the most remarkable feats of civil engineering from the Industrial Revolution. Spanning 307 meters (1,007 feet) and standing 38 meters (126 feet) above the River Dee in Wales, it remains the longest and highest aqueduct in Britain. Designed by Thomas Telford, with assistance from William Jessop, it utilized revolutionary cast-iron construction to carry the Llangollen Canal across the Dee Valley. Supported by 18 stone piers, the aqueduct features a cast-iron trough to hold the waterway, an innovative design choice that allowed for its considerable height and structural durability. The construction was both ambitious and risky for its time, but Telford’s use of hollow piers and cast iron significantly reduced the weight while ensuring strength. The aqueduct not only connected the local industries in Wales to the English canal network but also became an enduring symbol of British engineering prowess. It remains a World Heritage Site and continues to attract visitors who admire its design and scenic views. |
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| Brian Byrne commented on the above post I've done it a few times. This was last year. |
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| David John Mant commented on the above post My photo September 1972. |
Why can't I see a tow path?
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| Back Roads Country Life posted Not for the faint-hearted! Canoeing across the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in Llangollen - with a 126ft drop on either side - has to be on your bucket list 👊🏴 Great shot by Arron Gary Coe! Bridges Now and Then shared Abandoned Places posted Not for the faint-hearted! Canoeing across the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in Llangollen - with a 126ft drop on either side - has to be on your bucket list Great shot by Arron Gary Coe! Colin David Shaw: I volunteer there every Sunday and was there yesterday. Far from being abandoned it is CRT's 2nd most visited location in the country with around 500,000 visitors per year. Canoeing across is safe, as canoeists are sitting at water level with most of their body weight well below the edge of the trough. Paddleboarding across is NOT permitted though, not even sitting or kneeling on the board as body weight is much higher than in a canoe. |
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| Nick Thorne commented on the above post Visited in 2016. Amazing! |
Mar 2024:
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| 12:07 video @ 0:57 327. The highest canal aqueduct in the world just got emptied! It is drained every 20 years for a full inspection of the cast iron trough. |
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| @ 2:43 |
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| @ 2:57 |
For future reference: Chirk Aqueduct and Tunnel
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