Pontcysyllte Aqueduct

This famed 'stream in the sky' 18-arched engineering marvel designed by Thomas Telford and the lesser known William Jessop is simply fantastic. I was lucky enough to have visited this along with the equally impressive Aqueduct of Segovia in Spain in the same month. Both are UNESCO World Heritage Sites but Pontcysyllte is unique because you can traverse the entire length on foot and by boat. It's amazing to watch kayakers and boaters bob across this aerial waterway against a beautiful lofty backdrop.

The setting is stunning; the aqueduct is breathtakingly impressive and foot access via nearby car parks is easy. There is an all-day £3 parking charge and there are toilets in the smaller car park at Trevor Basin. There is also a small cafe on one side of the canal and a cute little visitor centre on the other side. The visitor centre has friendly staff and a small one-room display that contains a TV display, information boards and some interesting engineering artefacts.

Overall, it's a top attraction that's well worth visiting. I recommend seeing it as part of an 11-mile (18 km) out-and-back hike along the canal to Llangollen.

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is a feat of engineering that carries the Llangollen Canal over the River Dee. The dizzying journey along the ‘stream in the sky’ is an exhilarating experience whether you are on a boat or on foot. The 18-arched stone and cast iron structure was completed in 1805 and was the longest aqueduct in Great Britain and the highest canal aqueduct in the world at the time.

Need a good head for heights if you want to walk across, just a narrow canal & footpath. There is a metal fence/handrail along the footpath and nothing on the other side of the canal