Pontcysyllte

Isn't this beautiful? This is the longest navigable aqueduct in Great Britain and the highest in the world. The cast iron trough is just over 1,000 feet long and is 126 feet above the River Dee. It carries the Llangollen canal which connects Llangollen to the Shropshire Union canal and thus to the main canal network. Like many canals the coming of the railways led to a decline in canal trade and this canal fell into disrepair but just like the Rochdale canal in Manchester the aqueduct survived because the water it carries was needed; it is a feeder for the Shropshire Union and it is also used to supply drinking water for south Cheshire. The growth of leisure cruising led to the Llangollen being restored and this structure is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.