Scheduled MonumentsWalesPontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal
Post Medieval/Modern · Aqueduct

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal

Denbighshire, Wales
Cadw SAM DE175
Period
Post Medieval/Modern
Site type
Aqueduct
Broad class
Water Supply and Drainage
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is a cast iron aqueduct carrying the Ellesmere Canal across the River Dee valley near Llangollen in Denbighshire, Wales. Designed by Thomas Telford and engineered with William Jessop, it was constructed between 1795 and 1805 as part of the ambitious canal network serving the industrial regions of the Midlands and North Wales. The structure comprises nineteen slender cast iron arches spanning approximately 307 metres at a height of some 38 metres above the river, representing a pioneering achievement in the use of cast iron for large-scale civil engineering works. The aqueduct remains substantially intact and continues to carry canal traffic, standing as a remarkable testament to late eighteenth-century engineering innovation and the industrial transport infrastructure that transformed Britain.

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference DE175. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal?

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is a cast iron aqueduct carrying the Ellesmere Canal across the River Dee valley near Llangollen in Denbighshire, Wales. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference DE175.

What period does Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal date from?

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and 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.

Who is responsible for protecting Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal?

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and 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 DE175.

What other scheduled monuments are near Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Offa's Dyke: Section from Footpath S of Pen-y-Bryn to Orseddwen (7 km), Ring cairn and Selattyn Tower on Selattyn Hill (7.2 km), Orseddwen cairn (7.4 km).

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