Chirk Aqueduct | |
Crosses: | Ceiriog Valley |
Location: | Chirk |
Os Grid Reference: | SJ287373 |
Maintained: | Canal and River Trust |
Designer: | Thomas Telford |
Material1: | Cast iron |
Material2: | Masonry |
Number Spans: | Ten |
Length: | 710feet |
Height: | 70feet |
Passable: | No |
Traversable: | Yes |
Towpath: | East Side |
Complete: | 1801 |
Coordinates: | 52.9282°N -3.0622°W |
Mapframe-Zoom: | 14 |
Chirk Aqueduct is a 70feet high and 710feet long navigable aqueduct that carries what is now the Llangollen Canal across the Ceiriog Valley near Chirk, on the England-Wales border, spanning the two countries.
The aqueduct was designed by civil engineer Thomas Telford[1] for the Ellesmere Canal. The resident engineer was M. Davidson who also acted as resident engineer on a number of Telford's other works. The foundation stone was laid on 17 June 1796 and it was completed in 1801. It has a cast iron trough within which the water is contained. The masonry walls hide the cast iron interior. The aqueduct followed Telford's innovative Longdon-on-Tern Aqueduct on the Shrewsbury Canal, and was a forerunner of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, also on the Llangollen Canal.[2] The aqueduct was briefly the tallest navigable one ever built, and it now is Grade II* listed in both England and Wales.[3] It forms part of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct World Heritage Site.[3]
The aqueduct consists of ten arches, each with a span of 40feet. The water level is 65feet above the ground and 70feet above the River Ceiriog.[4] The stone work is yellow sandstone.[3] William Hazledine provided the ironwork for the aqueduct.[5] Originally built with iron plates only at the base of the trough, iron side plates were added to the aqueduct in 1870 to alleviate leakage.[6]
The Chirk Tunnel starts at the north end of the Chirk Aqueduct, allowing the canal to continue on towards Llangollen.[3] Chirk Railway Viaduct was built later alongside the aqueduct. It is slightly higher than the aqueduct.[7]