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Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal is a post-medieval navigable aqueduct in Wales, constructed to carry the Ellesmere Canal across the valley of the River Dee. The structure exemplifies the engineering ambitions of late eighteenth-century canal construction, when inland waterways were being extended to connect industrial regions and mineral resources across Britain. Built to traverse difficult terrain, the aqueduct demonstrates the technical solutions developed to maintain canal levels across significant natural obstacles.
The aqueduct spans its valley on a bed of Ludlow Rocks, which comprise mudstone, siltstone and sandstone of Silurian age. These fine-grained sedimentary formations provide a stable foundation, though their soft nature required careful construction practices typical of projects built during this period of rapid industrial expansion.
The monument is protected by Cadw, the Welsh heritage organisation, under reference DE175. The aqueduct remains an important example of civil engineering heritage and retains its original functional purpose as part of the modern canal network. Its construction represents a significant achievement in British engineering and continues to serve both navigational and heritage purposes within the Welsh landscape.
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference DE175. View the official record →
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal is a post-medieval navigable aqueduct in Wales, constructed to carry the Ellesmere Canal across the valley of the River Dee. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference DE175.
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.
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.
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).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and 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.
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal stands on Ludlow Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ludlow. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.