What we now know as the Llangollen Canal initially formed the majority of the Ellesmere Canal, and later was part of the Shropshire Union Canal, and only with increasing popularity of pleasure boats was it renamed the Llangollen Canal in an effort to attract more visitors: ironically, the canal was not originally intended to go to Llangollen. (See Ellesmere Canal).
The Ellesmere Canal was intended to provide a route from coalfields and ironworks near Wrexham to the sea. From Nantwich, canal traffic took the Chester Canal (now part of the Shropshire Union Canal) to Chester where - at least, initially - sea access via the River Dee was possible, or continued via the first part of the Ellesmere Canal to be built, linking Chester with the River Mersey at a place known since the arrival of the canal there in 1796 as Ellesmere Port. It also linked to the Montgomeryshire Canal from near Llanymynech: though nowadays we consider the Montgomery Canal to start at "Frankton Junction" in Shropshire, the first part of this was the Llanymynech Branch of the Ellesmere Canal.
The canal's most notable features include the spectacular Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, an aqueduct engineered by Telford to carry the canal over the valley of the River Dee east of Llangollen (the Dee also supplies the canal with water, taken from the weir at the Horseshoe Falls, about three miles west of Llangollen). Another aqueduct carries the canal over the River Ceiriog at Chirk; there are tunnels nearby at Whitehouses and Chirk, and another south-east of Ellesmere.
The LlangollenCanal was initially known as the 'EllesmereCanal' and later as part of the 'Shropshire Union Canal'.
The canal was intended to provide a route from coalfields and ironworks near Wrexham to the sea.
The canal's most notable features include the spectacular Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, an aqueduct engineered by Telford to carry the canal over the valley of the River Dee east of Llangollen (the Dee also supplies the canal with water, taken from the weir at the Horseshoe Falls, about three miles west of Llangollen).
Our destination, 14th century Llangollen Bridge is truly a wonder, not to be missed, for at this time, from one end to the other it will be crowded with dancers, singers, musicians and merrymakers (with the requisite numbers of tourists, of course), from dozens of different nations, resplendent in their national costumes.
This is the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, founded in 1947 after the mindless destruction of World War II with its shocking waste of life and disruption of much that had been held dear for so long.
Llangollen Bridge may be listed as one of the seven wonders of Wales, but it is the International Eisteddfod with its motto: Byd gwyn fydd byd a gano; gwardiadd fydd ei gerddi fo (Blessed is a world that sings; gentle are its songs) that is the true wonder.
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