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Brynich Aqueduct is a post-medieval cast-iron structure carrying the Brecknock & Abergavenny Canal across the landscape of Wales. Built during the canal age of industrial Britain, the aqueduct represents the engineering ambitions of the period, designed to maintain the canal's water level whilst spanning an obstacle below. The structure rests upon foundations bedded in Lower Devonian rocks of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone, geological strata formed in the Early Devonian period when this region lay beneath ancient seas.
The aqueduct's cast-iron construction reflects the technological advances of its era, combining strength with economy of materials. Its design enabled the canal to cross the valley without interruption to traffic, a critical requirement for the commercial operation of the waterway that connected ironworks, quarries and agricultural areas to wider transport networks.
The monument is protected by Cadw, the Welsh heritage organisation, under reference BR185, acknowledging its significance as an industrial and engineering heritage asset. The structure survives as evidence of Wales's development during the Industrial Revolution and remains a notable example of canal engineering adapted to local topography.
Brynich Aqueduct (Brecknock & Abergavenny Canal) is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference BR185. View the official record →
Brynich Aqueduct is a post-medieval cast-iron structure carrying the Brecknock & Abergavenny Canal across the landscape of Wales. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference BR185.
Brynich Aqueduct (Brecknock & Abergavenny Canal) dates from the post medieval/modern period, and is classified as a aqueduct. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Brynich Aqueduct (Brecknock & Abergavenny Canal) is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Cadw — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Wales. The official designation reference is BR185.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Coed y Caerau Camp (3.4 km), Coed y Brenin Enclosure (3.6 km), Gileston Standing Stone (5.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Brynich Aqueduct (Brecknock & Abergavenny Canal)'s history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Brynich Aqueduct (Brecknock & Abergavenny Canal) stands on Lower Devonian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.