Pontcysyllte Aqueduct

The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, begun in 1795 and opened in 1805, was built by the celebrated civil engineers, 

Thomas Telford and William Jessop, to span the River Dee and take the Llangollen Canal

across the Vale of Llangollen from Froncysyllte to Trevor.

 

Measuring 1007 feet in length and rising to a height of 126 feet above the river on 18 stone piers,

it is an astonishing feat of engineering. Telford developed an ‘iron trough’ to carry the canal

and the ironwork for the structure was cast at the nearby Plas Kynaston Ironworks.

 

It is said the joints were caulked with Welsh flannel dipped in boiling sugar and iron particles

and sealed with hot lead.

 

More information:Thomas Telford, L.T.C. Rolt. www.pontcysyllte-aqueduct.co.uk

 

See how it was constructed:

http://www.peoplescollectionwales.co.uk/sites/default/files/item_videos/original/2014/May/Pontcysyllte%20-%20trimmed.mp4