The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct was designed by the engineer Thomas Telford, working under the more experienced canal engineer William Jessop, and built between 1795 and 1805 to carry the Llangollen Canal across the Dee Valley. It sits a short distance up the valley from Cefn Mawr and Acrefair, both of which supplied some of the iron used in its construction from the same industrial district described in Mining & Terracotta Heritage.
At 38.4 metres (126 feet) high and 307 metres (1,007 feet) long, it remains the tallest navigable aqueduct in the world. Rather than using conventional masonry throughout, Telford combined cast and wrought iron to build a trough that is both lighter and stronger than stone, allowing for slender supporting piers and arches that still look strikingly modern today. Just as remarkably, the canal it carries has no locks along this section at all, an audacious engineering decision for its time.
The aqueduct and its associated canal were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009, becoming the first World Heritage Site in the United Kingdom to straddle two countries — Wales and England — recognising both the engineering achievement itself and the wider canal landscape it sits within.
The Llangollen Canal towpath runs directly across and alongside the aqueduct, making it one of the most dramatic short walks in the region — and one that's easily reached on foot or by bike from Cefn Mawr and Acrefair, or combined with a longer route from Ruabon itself (see Walks & Outdoor Ruabon). Traditional horse-drawn and powered canal boat trips also cross the aqueduct in season, for anyone who'd rather experience the crossing from the water than the towpath. It's also one of the best photography spots in the whole area.
The towpath is free to walk at any time and is well-surfaced, though narrow in places with no barrier on the aqueduct itself, so it's not ideal for anyone uneasy with heights or for very young children without close supervision. Trevor Basin, at the Ruabon-side end of the aqueduct, has pay-and-display parking, a café and public toilets, and is the usual starting point for a visit. Seasonal canal boat trips depart from the basin and should be booked in advance in peak season.
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