Pontcysyllte Aqueduct on the Llangollen canal, May 2009.

This is a brief portrait of the aqueduct and two of the boats that carry passengers across it. The recommended pronunciation is not exact, but it serves many of us locals well enough! The aqueduct, built between 1795 and 1805, is one of Britain’s most spectacular products of the Industrial Revolution. Known as “The Stream in the Sky“, it was designed by Thomas Telford, the self-educated son of a Scottish shepherd, and built under the direction of William Jessop. The cruise boat shown in this video and a horse drawn boat, both based at Llangollen Wharf, bear the names of these great engineers. Telford’s use of a cast-iron trough to carry the water across the Dee valley was revolutionary, allowing a very light, lofty structure with the minimum of stonework. Indeed, the top portion of each pier is hollow. The approach embankment on the Froncysyllte side was at the time the biggest earthwork in the UK. It extends just as far (and high, 90 feet) as earthworks were less costly than fine masonry and cast iron! Also, a bridge of only one boat’s width would have caused traffic congestion if it had been much longer, and the embankment has curves that align the canal with the ideal placement for the aqueduct. For more info on the Aqueduct, please visit