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 Late Georgian aqueduct and navigable canal that carries the Llangollen Canal across the Dee Valley near Llangollen in Denbighshire. Designed by Thomas Telford and engineered by William Jessop, it was constructed between 1795 and 1805 as part of the Llangollen Canal system serving the industrial slate quarries and lead mines of the north Wales uplands. The structure comprises a cast-iron water trough supported on stone piers and towering 126 feet above the valley floor, making it one of the most ambitious engineering achievements of its era. The aqueduct remains in use as a navigable waterway and is regarded as an outstanding example of early industrial-age canal engineering and architectural innovation.

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 Late Georgian aqueduct and navigable canal that carries the Llangollen Canal across the Dee Valley near Llangollen in Denbighshire. 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 Britain.

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).

Aubrey Research

Generate a full report for this location

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any address in Britain — drawing on scheduled monument data, Domesday records, Roman heritage, PAS finds and medieval history to reveal the complete story of a landscape.

Research the area around Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal