Events planned to mark 10 years of World Heritage Status for Pontcysyllte Aqueduct

A series of events have been planned this summer to mark ten years since the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct was inscribed as a World Heritage Site (WHS) by UNESCO.

Back in 2009, the 200-year-old aqueduct, built by famous canal engineers Thomas Telford and William Jessop, joined the elite club of 1,000 UNESCO World Heritage Sites which includes such iconic structures as Stonehenge and the Pyramids.

June 27th will mark a decade since the iconic local structure was designated as a WHS.

In that time visitor numbers have quadrupled, with nearly half a million people visiting the site last year alone.

Wrexham Council – along with partners in the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal World Heritage Site Board – have organised a series of events throughout the summer and well in to the autumn to celebrate the 10 year anniversary, with a range of community and arts events taking place across the 11-mile WHS area, as well as at the aqueduct itself.

These include Lego aqueduct building sessions at the Canal & River Trust’s visitor centre in Trevor; arts workshops at Corwen and Llangollen run by Denbighshire County Council; a photography competition run by Wrexham Council to highlight many of the sights in the WHS area – and many more.

On June 29th, a community fun day will take place in Trevor Basin, with coracles and canal boats open to the public, a variety of community stalls and activities – and Techniquest Glyndŵr will be on hand providing insight on building aqueducts and bridges.

There will also be the usual fun and bright lights of Underneath the Arches, and the aqueduct’s 10th year anniversary will also be represented at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod.

And as part of the celebrations, organisers are inviting children to take part in a poetry contest, which could see them winning a trip along the Llangollen Canal in a horse-drawn boat – find out more details about the children’s poetry competition on the Glandŵr Cymru website.

Cllr Hugh Jones, Chair of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal World Heritage Site Board, said: “The World Heritage Site is a huge asset for us in this area, and during the last 10 years has brought thousands of people to this part of Wales.

“UNESCO recognition was very much deserved for this area – not just for the way the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct was constructed out of cast iron, the impressive aqueduct and viaduct at Chirk, but also the 11 miles of civil engineering, and the natural beauty of the Horseshoe Falls near Llangollen.

“As well as seeing an increase in its popularity as a tourist attraction, partners have also invested heavily in improving features and facility throughout the World Heritage Site, and with that in mind it’s right that we recognise not just the anniversary of the inscription of the area by UNESCO, but also the level of investment seen in the site during the last decade.

“I’d like to invite everyone to take part in those events taking place as part of the 10th anniversary celebrations – not just the community day taking place in the Trevor Basin on June 29, but also the other upcoming contests and competitions to recognise the World Heritage Site Area’s special importance.”

A full list of events can be found here.