Chirk Tunnel and Aqueduct

Looking towards the south portal of the 421m-long Chirk Tunnel

Date	3 April 2015
Location	Chirk, Wrexham County Borough	SJ 28672 37378; 52.92904°N, 3.06254°W
Information	Chirk Aqueduct carries the Llangollen Canal over the Ceiriog Valley, with the river below forming part of the border between Wales and England. The aqueduct was built between 1796 and 1801 by Thomas Telford during the construction of the then Ellesmere Canal. The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct three miles to the north was also later built by Telford for the same canal. Chirk Aqueduct’s ten arches span a total length of 220m, at a height of 21m above the River Ceiriog. The waterway is contained by a cast-iron trough between the stone side walls. Alongside the aqueduct runs a complementary masonry arched viaduct, built by Henry Robertson in 1846-1848 for the Shrewsbury and Chester Railway. At the Welsh end of the aqueduct, the canal continues northwards through the 421m-long Chirk Tunnel, built in 1794-1802. The Aqueducts (Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales); Chirk Tunnel (Wikipedia)

Chirk Aqueduct over the River Ceiriog with the later railway viaduct to the left

The south portal of the canal tunnel can be seen in the distance

Looking south. Symbolising the supremacy of the railways over the canals, the viaduct was built 9 metres taller than the aqueduct.

Looking through one of the aqueduct’s 10 arches towards its companion railway viaduct

Chirk Tunnel

Looking towards to the north portal of Chirk Tunnel