Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The other way, though, is one of the seven wonders of the canal world, the Grade I
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, a scheduled ancient monument, described by Sir Walter Scott as the
greatest work of art he had ever seen, the longest and tallest aqueduct in Britain. Built of
3.8m wide cast-iron trough in dovetailed sections, it has 19 arches of 14m to give an overall
length of 307m, striding 37m above the River Dee, from which it is about to depart. Built by
Telford and Jessop between 1795 and 1805, it featured in Samuel Lane's portrait painting,
which used to hang in Telford's office but is now displayed in the library of the Institution
of Civil Engineers in London. The masonry piers are partly hollow, built with a mortar of ox
blood, water and lime. The trough was made waterproof with Welsh flannel dipped in boiling
sugar. The towpath is built over the trough so that boats do not reach to both sides and wa-
ter can flow past them, rather than a boat acting as a piston and pushing all the water across
the aqueduct. The project brought together a construction team later to work on other ma-
jor projects such as the Menai Bridge and the Caledonian Canal. The flimsy handrail is of
slight consolation for people with vertigo but on the west side the only protection is an up-
stand of some 300mm. The canal is dewatered periodically with a dramatic discharge from
the centre of the aqueduct to the river far below. Upstream is Pont Cysyllte itself, a three-span
sandstone-arched bridge of 1696 over the river.
A cutting hides Chirk Castle. Built in 1284-1310 by Roger Mortimer for Edward I, it was
bought in 1595 by Sir Thomas Myddleton, whose family have owned it ever since. It is the
only border castle to have been occupied continuously since it was built. Restored, it has a
30m Long Gallery of 1678, a Great Saloon, a deep dungeon, walls up to 4.6m thick round a
central courtyard, large round corner towers and D-plan intermediary towers, all set in 1719
parkland and formal gardens by the Davies brothers, behind magnificent wrought-iron gates.
There are elegant state rooms with fine ceilings and walls, Chippendale furniture, James I
tapestries, an 18th century staircase and a ghost. The family arms include a red hand. This is
said to represent former misdeeds and that this may be removed when a prisoner can survive
in the dungeon for ten years. One prisoner almost managed it.
The 420m long Chirk Tunnel was built by Telford in 1801, with a slightly crooked bore
and flared ends, which make the bore appear larger than it really is. All three tunnels on this
canal have towpaths, unusual for the time, avoiding legging. This is the longest British tunnel
regularly used by walkers.
The river marks the border between the Welsh county of Wrexham and the English county
of Shropshire. This is Marches country. The Bridge Inn was important as the first public
house in England in the days when Sunday drinking was not allowed on the Welsh side of the
border.
Despite the terrain, there are only two locks in the 51km between Llantysilio and Whitch-
urch. Ironically, they come in the much more gentle country at New Marton, a village marked
by a wind pump. These are the busiest locks in Britain with 9,500 movements per year.
