Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
27
Llangollen Canal
Distance
75km from Llantysilio to Hurlston Junction
Highlights
Castel Dinas Bran
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, the longest and tallest Chirk aqueduct and viaduct in Britain
Navigation Authority
Canal & River Trust
OS 1:50,000 Sheets
117 Chester & Wrexham
118 Stoke-on-Trent & Macclesfield
125 Bala & Lake Vyrnwy
126 Shrewsbury & Oswestry
The names 'Llangollen' and 'Canal' do no more than reflect the confused history of a water-
way that bears little resemblance to what was originally planned. Built by Telford and Jessop,
it was opened below Pont Cysyllte in 1805 and from Llangollen three years later, not that Llan-
gollen featured in the original plan. It was to be a canal running north-south from Chester via
Wrexham, Chirk, Ellesmere, Frankton and Weston to Shrewsbury and the River Severn, tak-
ing coal from Ruabon and bringing lime to numerous kilns. A change was made to a cheaper
east-west link via Whitchurch to the Chester Canal, to become the main line of the Shropshire
Union Canal. The plan to link the Mersey, Dee and Severn was not to happen as a direct line.
Had the change been made sooner, the section above Frankton would not have been built and
the feeder from the Dee would have been along the south side of the river. However, the mag-
nificent Pontcysyllte Aqueduct was complete, leading up to what was intended to be a 4.2km
tunnel to the north of Trevor. Cutting of this never began.
To supply the feeder, Telford built Horseshoe Falls, the falls actually being J-shaped, despite
the name. 140m long and 1.2m high, of masonry with a cast-iron capping, it provides a reli-
able source of 5,500m
3
/day from the River Dee, supplying water for domestic use at the far
