The Llangollen Canal

Breath-taking mountain views, historic market towns and havens for wildlife

The beautiful 41-mile long Llangollen Canal crosses the border between England and Wales, and links the Eisteddfod town of Llangollen in Denbighshire with the Shropshire Union Canal, just north of Nantwich in Cheshire.

The scenery varies from rural sheep pastures and ancient peat mosses, to tree-lined lakes and the dramatic foothills of Snowdonia.

In 2009, an 11-mile section of the waterway from Gledrid Bridge to the Horseshoe Falls in Llangollen was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO. This includes the incredible 307-metre long Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and 220-metre long Chirk Aqueduct.

Soaring 35 metres above the rushing waters of the River Dee, which tumble out of Snowdonia, the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is truly one of the wonders of the waterways. Built by the great canal engineers Thomas Telford and William Jessop, the aqueduct was completed in 1805.  Supported by giant 18 pillars, it’s the longest and highest aqueduct in Britain, with an exhilarating sheer drop on one-side.