Pontcysyllte Aqueduct

Why visit

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is worth allowing time for because it combines a structure whose engineering, design and relationship with its surroundings can be read on site. The site is more useful than a quick photograph: its surviving features give clear evidence of how the place developed and how people used it. Key things to concentrate on are key structural details and the building’s relationship with the surrounding streetscape or landscape. Its position in or near Trevor also makes it a practical anchor for exploring the surrounding region without reducing the visit to a simple landmark stop.

What you will see

• key structural details.
• the building’s relationship with the surrounding streetscape or landscape.

History

Thomas Telford and William Jessop designed the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, completed in 1805 to carry the Llangollen Canal high above the River Dee. Its cast-iron trough was a major engineering achievement.

Photographs

Stephen Craven · CC BY-SA 2.0 · full attribution on the image credits page.

Visitor tips

1. 1

   Allow enough time for the principal features rather than treating the stop only as a photograph.

2. 2

   Check the official visitor page shortly before travel for access, booking and any temporary restrictions.

About North Wales

Edwardian castles, Eryri mountain landscapes, Portmeirion and the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct World Heritage Site.