Friday, January 20, 2012

The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, Wales

Narrow boats are seen crossing this towards the camera, the most notable engineering feature on the scenic Llangollen Canal that flows between Shropshire in England and Wrexham in Wales.  Completed in 1805, it takes the canal over the River Dee and is the longest and highest aqueduct in Britain, a World Heritage Site.
Although it may not look much in this pic, taken in May 2005, it is actually rather daunting to steer a boat across it, knowing that the only thing keeping you from the valley floor 126 ft (38 metres) below is a metal plate on the west side!  
It has 18 spans, 4 piers in the water and is 1,007 ft (307 metres) long and 11 ft (3.4 metres) wide including a footpath on the east side. 

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