Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
On Gingerguide's self-guided Cardiff & Snowdonia audio tour, Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is a stop worth about ~45 min. Stand in front of it, press play for a short narrated story, and put any follow-up question to the built-in AI guide.
- Type bridge
- Suggested visit ~45 min
- Cardiff & Snowdonia Cardiff & Snowdonia guide
About Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
A canal in the sky: the longest aqueduct in Britain and the highest canal aqueduct in the world, carrying narrowboats 38 metres above the Dee in Telford and Jessop's iron trough.
The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct carries the Llangollen Canal across the valley of the River Dee in north-east Wales. At 307 metres long it is the longest aqueduct in Britain, and at 127 feet (38 metres) above the river it is the highest canal aqueduct in the world. The canal runs in a cast-iron trough just over 11 feet wide, carried on 19 spans and eighteen hollow masonry piers.
It was designed by the engineers Thomas Telford and William Jessop; construction began in 1795 and it opened in 1805. The towpath runs along one side of the open trough, leaving boaters and walkers with an unguarded drop on the downstream edge. UNESCO inscribed the aqueduct and an 18 km stretch of canal as a World Heritage Site on 27 June 2009. Its Welsh name, Traphont Ddŵr Pontcysyllte, roughly means 'the bridge that connects'.
Did you know? Pontcysyllte is the highest canal aqueduct in the world and the longest in Britain, carrying boats 38 metres above the River Dee in a cast-iron trough just over eleven feet wide.
How much time do you need at Pontcysyllte Aqueduct?
Around ~45 min works well for Pontcysyllte Aqueduct — time to look properly and listen to its story on the spot. Linger if you like; nothing on a self-guided walk is on a clock.
Should you stop at Pontcysyllte Aqueduct?
Yes — Pontcysyllte Aqueduct made the cut as one of 13 places the Gingerguide team researched and narrated across Cardiff & Snowdonia. The story tells you why it is worth the stop, and the AI guide fills in anything you still wonder.
Nearby stops in Cardiff & Snowdonia
Sources and further reading
Where to check the facts about Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and read more:
Day 1 of the Cardiff & Snowdonia in 2 days itinerary →
Updated:
Hear the story of Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
Preview the Cardiff & Snowdonia tour free in the Gingerguide app.