Pontycysyllte and the Fosters

(Now there's a title for a novel!)

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First - some facts.

The aqueduct takes the Llangollen branch of the Shropshire Union Canal 1007ft. across the Dee valley at a height of 126ft.

It took 10 years to build and was completed in 1805 - probably by Thomas Telford.

Its design is unique as it consists of a cast iron trough which sits on brick pillars. The joints in the trough were dovetailed and sealed with a mixture of Welsh flannel and lead dipped in boiling sugar. Even today it hardly leaks and is said to be in as good a condition as when it was built.

 

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The non-towpath side is completely unprotected. The cast iron is about a foot higher than the water then it is 126 feet straight down .....

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Look carefully and you can see the shadow of B-Hive crossing the aqueduct.

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We were lucky enough to see this wonderful rainbow whilst crossing the highest aqueduct in Britain!

.....to the River Dee below!!

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Moored at Froncysyllte awaiting the arrival of the Fosters tomorrow. The boat hasn't been this clean for ages!!

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They managed to find us.

  

 

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and out came the swingball

 

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Tim had a go at steering over the aqueduct.

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Then we had to turn round and wait for it to be clear in order to come back again.

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It got rather full there!
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Which meant Jonathan had to leap off with a rope in order to keep things under control.

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But eventually he steered us back over

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Followed by one or two others!!

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We made sure he worked hard - even doing the lift bridge!!

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It was really good to see them and we hope they enjoyed themselves. Susan and Jane didn't stop nattering the whole time (you'd never have guessed that, would you?) and Nick had two playmates aboard for a change.