The Llangollen Canal

The Llangollen Canal leaves the Shropshire Union Canal just north of Nantwich in rural Cheshire and climbs through deserted Shropshire farmlands to cross the border into North Wales near Chirk. It then cuts through increasingly hilly countryside to finish alongside the River Dee tumbling out of Snowdonia, just above Llangollen. It is 41 miles long and takes at least three days to cruise (one-way).
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The Llangollen Canal is probably the most beautiful canal in Britain, certainly it's the most popular. The scenery varies from isolated sheep pastures to ancient peat mosses, from tree lined lakes to the foothills of Snowdonia. Towns along the way include medieval Whitchurch with its half timbered buildings, the interesting market town of Ellesmere set in its own "Lake District", the fortified border town of Chirk and Llangollen itself, sat astride the River Dee, an ancient gateway to Wales beneath the ruins of Castel Dinas Bran.
The aqueducts at Chirk and Pontcysyllte were built by the engineers Thomas Telford and William Jessup and use cast iron troughs to contain the canal. At Pontcysyllte the trough sits atop 120 foot high slender masonry towers. When you cross it there is an exhilarating sheer drop on the non-towpath side!
Hireboats (self drive) on this canal: Maestermyn Cruisers Marine Cruises
Hotel boats on this canal 2003:   Full details Coming Soon!
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