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There has been a crossing point over the River Dee at Berwyn as far back as Roman times, later serving the Cistercian monks of the nearby Valle Crucis Abbey.

This fording point is now lost but events at the beginning of the 19th century set in motion plans to build the first bridge in this most beautiful of locations.

Exuperius Pickering was a local entrepreneur dealing in limestone and slate, amongst other things. He had been involved in the building of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and had got to know Thomas Telford quite well, well enough indeed for the famous engineer to impart a big secret to our hero!

Telford had been given the work of building the now A5 from London to Holyhead following the latter being chosen as the main port between Britain and Ireland. The existing road was already a major coaching route but its condition was no better than a dirt track in many places.
Pickering was quick to see the trading opportunity as the route of the new road would travel close to his works in Berwyn, albeit on the other side of the river....

In conjunction with Telford, the first Llangollen Chain Bridge was duly completed in 1814, the year before work started on the new road. This not only opened up the trading route Pickering had hoped for but also saved him a substantial amount of money in tolls over the Llangollen town bridge.

This first construction was made of wood, with chains slung underneath. It survived until 1870 before needing a complete refurbishment by another famous engineer Sir Henry Robinson, owner of the Brymbo Iron Works.