Chirk Aqueduct

Chirk Aqueduct is a canal aqueduct built between 1796 and 1801 by William Jessop and Thomas Telford for the Ellesmere Canal. It is constructed from roughly coursed limestone rubble with ashlar dressings and features cast-iron railings on the parapet on the east side. The aqueduct stands approximately 20 metres high and has ten round-headed arches that are divided by pilaster strips, with curving end walls at both the north and south. Each arch includes keystones and imposts that extend to the soffit. The canal runs in a trough with a cast-iron bed and stone side walls. The aqueduct, which cost £20,898 to build, was opened in 1801 and spans the valley of the River Ceiriog, with part of it located in Wales, as the border cuts through the structure at an angle of about 45° from the south-west to the north-east. It presents an impressive sight alongside the Chirk Viaduct, which runs parallel immediately to the west.