A breezy autumn stroll over Chirk Aqueduct certainly blows the cobwebs away at 70 feet above the ground, crossing the 710-foot long aqueduct via the towpath.
The aqueduct crosses the English/Welsh boarder and is part of the Shropshire Union Canal, this section being part of the Llangollen branch and was built by Thomas Telford and William Jessop from 1796 to 1801.
Surprisingly the water in the aqueduct is contained by a bed of iron plates bolted together and just the side walls of stone from the local quarry at Pont Faen. There is no trough to carry or contain the water.
Looking down on the River Ceiriog, massive isn't it?
In July 2009 UNESCO made an 11 mile stretch of canal a World Heritage Site.
Here we can see the 10 arches each spanning 40 feet.
The Viaduct was opened on the 14th August 1848 connecting the railway to Chirk. This came about after Henry Robertson informed a Parliamentary Committee that opening coalfields in North Wales to the markets of the North West of England and also to Shropshire would be advantageous.
When the Parliamentary Committee agreed it soon received Royal Assent on 30th June 1845.
Should you ever wish to visit the aqueduct and viaduct here’s the post code LL14 5DA