The Legacy Of Thomas Telford (Continued)

You may remember back in July 2019, I wrote about the lesser known legacy of one of our most revered Engineers, Thomas Telford – that not only was he a prolific designer of canals, bridges and roads, but he was also the first President of the Institution of Civil Engineers. When he attained this role in 1820 he was already highly influential in his field, but every great engineer has a journey to greatness, and I have discovered that on this day, November 26th 1805, one of his most spectacular projects was opened.

The Pontcysyllte aqueduct carries the Llangollen Canal across the valley of the River Dee and enabled England and North wWales to be linked by creating a navigable course between the Rivers Dee, Severn and Mersey. The original plan had been to create a series of locks down each side of the valley but Telford’s vision resulted in the longest and highest aqueduct in Britain, now a Grade I listed building and World Heritage Site.

Telford, supported by the more experienced William Jessop, designed a cast iron trough supported by masonry piers to carry the canal across the valley at a height of 126 feet. The canal is just 12 feet wide with the towpath mounted above the water and pedestrians and the horses once used for towing protected by railings. The trough sides rise only 6 inches above the water level so the helmsman of the boat feels he is on the edge of an abyss – an experience not for the fainthearted. I’m sure the view provides distraction however – not to mention the awe inspiring engineering of the early nineteenth century.