CPAT Regional Historic Environment Record
The following information is from the on-line database 'Archwilio'.
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Pontcysyllte canal aqueduct

Primary Reference Number (PRN) : 101202
Trust : Clwyd Powys
Community : Llangollen Rural
Unitary authority : Wrexham
NGR : SJ2704141987
Site Type (preferred type first) : POST MEDIEVAL AQUEDUCT
Status : listed building I, World Heritage Site , scheduled monument

Summary :
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is a World Heritage Site 306m long 38m high that carries the Shropshire Union Canal across the River Dee on 18 arches and a cast iron canal trough with towpath on east side. I

Description :
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct 306m long 38m high carries the Shropshire Union Canal across the River Dee on 18 arches and a cast iron canal trough with towpath on east side. In good condition built 1775 to 1805 by Telford (S D175; CAS, 4/12/93).

Foundation stone laid 25/07/1795 and opened on 21/11/1805 (Pratt, 1983).

Being considered as a potential candidate for a World Heritage Site (AMB, 1999).

The aqueduct pioneered the use of cast iron as a building material for major construction projects and is still the highest canal aqueduct ever built (Heritage in Wales, 1999, 4).

Scheduled monument consent granted for trial refurbishment of one arch, adjoining pier and abutment of Pontcysyllte aqueduct (CPAT DC, 2000).

Longest and highest aqueduct built along entire canal network. Spans 307m on 18 masonry piers at height of 38.4m above surface of river Dee, with 4 standing in river itself. An icon of the industrial revolution. (Viner, 2003).

The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct was completely renovated in 2003-2004 to mark its bicentenary, with every effort being made to respect its technical heritage. The work consisted of removing corrosion on the cast iron, changing defective metal parts by others of the same form and of similar materials, repairing the pier masonry, and completely restoring the towpath and its railings, which were in a poor state of repair (Cadw, 2022).

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal was designated a World Heritage site in 2009 (Cadw, 2022).

Sources :
Ancient Monuments Board for Wales , 1999 , Annual Report
British Waterways , 2003 , Pontcysyllte Aqueduct Refurbishment: Application for Scheduled Monument Consent Appendix 1 Historical Research Report ( © British Waterways)
British Waterways , 2003 , Pontcysyllte Aqueduct Refurbishment: Application for Scheduled Monument Consent Appendix 2, General Items Relevant to the Refurbishment of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct ( © British Waterways)
British Waterways , 2003 , Pontcysyllte Aqueduct Refurbishment: Application for Scheduled Monument Consent Appendix 3, Surface Preparation and painting of the Cast Iron Sections of the Aqueduct ( © British Waterways)
British Waterways , 2003 , Pontcysyllte Aqueduct Refurbishment: Application for Scheduled Monument Consent Appendix 4, Towpath Restoration ( © British Waterways)
British Waterways , 2003 , Pontcysyllte Aqueduct Refurbishment: Application for Scheduled Monument Consent, Supporting Information Summary of Historical Refurbishment and Refurbishment Approach ( © British Waterways)
Cadw , 1999 , Heritage in Wales
Cadw , 2000 , Database of Listed Buildings in Wales
Cadw , 2002 , CPAT Threat Archive - Pontcysyllte canal aqueduct
Cadw , 2003 , Cadw Field Monument Wardens Report - De175(DEN)
Cadw , 2013 , Scheduled Monument consent letter ( © Cadw)
Cadw , 2014 , Scheduled Monument consent letter
Cadw , 2015 , Scheduled Monument consent letter
Cadw , 2015 , Scheduled Monument consent letter
Cadw , 2016 , Database of Listed Buildings in Wales ( © Cadw)
Cadw , 2017 , Scheduled Monument consent letter
Cadw , 2018 , Scheduled Monument consent letter
Clwyd Fine Arts Trust , nd , The Artist's Journey through North Wales: Clwyd
Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust , 2000 , CPAT Threat Archive - Pontcysyllte canal aqueduct ( © Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust)
Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust , 2003 , CPAT Threat Archive - Pontcysyllte canal aqueduct ( © Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust)
Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust , 2004 , Photographic record - Film 1766
DCMS , 1999 , title unknown - Pontcysyllte canal aqueduct ( © DCMS)
Hood, A , 2000 , The making of a World Heritage Site , Heritage in Wales : 15 : 14-17
Hughes, S., 2000 , Copperopolis: Landscapes of the Early Industrial Period in Swansea
IFA Wales/Cymru and Cadw , 2008 , Cyflwyno Fframwaith Ymchwil ar Gyfer Archaeoleg Cymru / Introducing a Research Framework for the Archaeology of Wales
Irowerth, D , 2005 , The canal in the sky ( © Irowerth, D)
Lott, Graham and Barclay, Bill , 2002 , Geology and building stones in Wales (north) / Daeareg a cherrig adeiladu yng Nghymru (y gogledd)
Martin, R , 1999 , Changes in the Vale of Llangollen, 1790-1865 , Transactions of the Denbighshire Historical Society : 48 : 52-73
Ordnance Survey , 1975 , OS record card SJ 24 SE 8
Pratt, D , 1983 , G.W.R., Pontcysyllte Branch , Denbighshire Historical Society Transactions : 32 : 35-50
Pratt, D , 1994 , From the Air
Quenby, R , 1992 , Thomas Telford's Aqueducts on the Shropshire Union Canal
Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales , 2001 , Cofnod Haf / Summer 2001
The Handley Partnership , 2014ff , HAAbase built heritage assessment system: Buildings at Risk database
Trinder, B , 1997 , The Making of the Industrial Landscape
Williams, G V , 1999 , The Ellesmere Canal Navigation - a great public utility , Transactions of the Denbighshire Historical Society : 48 : 23-36
Wrexham County Borough Council , 2007 , Pontcysyllte Aqueduct & Canal: World Heritage Site Nomination Summary

Events :
152998 : Ruabon, Former Wynnstay Colliery, desk based assessment, 2008 (year : 2008)
215614 : Trevor Basin, pedestrian footbridge, archaeological evaluation and monitoring and recording. 2024 (year : 2024)

Related records
Handley Partnership: HAA Buildings at Risk Database 1601_1 http://haabase.com/buildingdetails.php/?BARURN2=1601_1

Compiled date : 31-01-1987


Images :



Archaeological data, from the Historic Environment Record, supplied by The Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust in partnership with Local Authorities, Cadw and the partners of ENDEX © CPAT, 2025 (and in part © Crown, 2025). It is intended to be used for private research only and is not for use as part of commercial projects. If you wish to use this information for publication in printed or multimedia form or to compile resources for commercial use, prior permission must be obtained in writing. Use of this information is subject to the terms and conditions of access to HER data published on CPAT's website. Please contact the HER if you have any further questions regarding this information. Please quote the Primary Reference Numbers (PRNs) in any correspondence.

March 29, 2025, 8:59 pm - File produced for Archwilio from CPAT's Regional HER.
Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust, The Offices, Coed y Dinas, Welshpool, Powys, SY21 8RP
tel (01938) 553670, email her@cpat.org.uk, website www.cpat.org.uk

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