The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is a navigable aqueduct that carries the Llangollen Canal over the valley of the River Dee in Wrexham County Borough in north Wales. Completed in 1805, it is the longest and highest aqueduct in Britain; it is the first navigable cast iron aqueduct in the world and a Grade I Listed Building and UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. The aqueduct, built by Thomas Telford and William Jessop, is 1,007 ft, or 307 metres, long; 11 ft, or 3.4 metres, wide; and 5.25 ft, or 1.60 metres, deep. It consists of a cast-iron trough supported 126 ft, or 38 metres, above the river on iron-arched ribs carried on eighteen hollow masonry piers (pillars). Each of the nineteen spans is 53 ft, or 16 metres, wide and has undergone a recent renovation. In 2007, it was reopened, allowing for daily sightseeing cruises along the entire route.
 |
| Pontcysyllte aqueduct on the llangollen canal. Pontcysyllte is pronounced 'pont-ker-suth-tee'. Image credit: Gareth Davies |
It was opened on 26 November 1805, having taken around ten years to design and build at a total cost of £47,000. Adjusted for inflation, the sum is equivalent to no more than £3,330,000 in 2014 but bears a much larger relationship to contemporary GDP of only some £400 million. On the other hand, such a project would cost more today due to factors that did not apply in the early 19th century, such as higher real wages, safety measures, new regulations and taxes, financing fees, and so on. [source]
Image credit: Robert Silverwood
At that time, artificial canals were the main means of transport for people, goods, and materials in the UK in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, before the industrial revolution made them obsolete with the use of steam trains. However, and despite the incipient time, today we can still find that this longevity means the transport has become one of the biggest tourist attractions in Wales, besides being the longest and highest aqueduct in Britain and being declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. And in our time, despite its advanced age, the aqueduct is one of the busiest areas of the UK canal network – its capacity per year is about fifteen thousand boats.
Image credit Alison Wheatley
Image credit: Jeremy
Image credit: Susanne
 |
| Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is the longest and highest aqueduct in Britain, a Grade I Listed Building and a World Heritage Site. Image credit: Tony Jones |
Image credit: Robert Silverwood
Image credit: Philip Blayney
Image credit: Photo Phiend
 |
| Boattrip Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. Image credit: Markus Baumgartner |
 |
| Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, 126' above the river Dee, this aqueduct is part of the Llangollen canal system that once moved freight all over England. When railroads took that job, they became recreational waterways for narrow boats. Image credit: Bob White |
Completed in 1805 , still in good condition and use , well maintained ! An Engineering Marvel ! Save it as a Heritage Structure ......
ReplyDelete