The Llangollen Canal
The Llangollen
canal was originally known as the Ellesmere Canal and
the original concept was for a canal to link the Rivers Mersey, Dee
and Severn by running from Ellesmere to Shrewsbury, the actual outcome was
somewhat different from this original plan, with part of the original
Ellesmere canal project now forming the Llangollen canal while another
section has become part of the Montgomery canal, with a third part now the
Shropshire Union mainline.
An Act was passed
in 1793 giving Royal consent to the project with Jessop appointed Chief
Engineer and Thomas Telford was made
General Agent, surveyor, Engineer Architect and overseer of works.
The Chester to
Ellesmere Port section was completed by 1795, and the construction of the
Pontcysllte
Aqueduct was planned. The original
idea being to have locks at each end, though this was abandoned at Jessops
recommendation in favour of an iron aqueduct 125 feet above the Dee with a
similar solution for the aqueduct over the Chirk, though this being at a
lesser height of 70ft.
William Jessop
left the project in 1801 to be replaced by Thomas Denson and the Pontcysllte
Aqueduct was completed in 1805 at a
height of 121 feet above the Dee, this left the feeder canal from the Trevor
to the Dee to be constructed to complete the Llangollen canal as it is
today, which was in place by the beginning of 1808.
This left a 41
mile canal through some very impressive countryside dominated by the elegant
and dramatic architecture of the
Pontcysllte and Chirk
aqueducts and the equally breath taking encounter with the Dee valley. The
Canal leaving what is now the Shropshire Union just north of Nantwich
crossing miles of unpopulated Cheshire farmland before reaching the Welsh
border near Chirk .
The Ellesmere
canal merged with the Chester Canal in 1813 to from the Ellesmere and
Chester Canal Company which later merged with the Birmingham and Liverpool
Junction Canal in1845 and then the Shropshire Union Railway and Canals
Company in 1846. Predictably with the development of the Railways and
declining local mines trade began to suffer until the western branch was
closed in 1917 following a breach at Hordley Wharf.
Commercial traffic on the canal had come to an end by 1939 between
Hurleston and Llangollen, though this section was preserved from closure in
1944 as it served the purpose of feeding water to the Shorpshire Union main
line as well as drinking water to the Mid and South east Cheshire Water
Board, by an agreement made in 1955, which secured the canals future.
Today the
dramatic scenery and architectural heritage has ensured renewed interest in
the canal as a destination for tourists travelling by boat foot or other
means and it remains an ever popular holiday destination.