Llangollen Canal

The Llangollen Canal is a canal narrowboat in England and Wales.

Both from tourism as well as from industry historical perspective it is probably the most impressive canal in England and Wales. The canal begins at the Hurleston Junction, the canal junction with the Shropshire Union Canal at Nantwich, and ends after 73 miles and 21 locks and 2 aqueducts and 3 channel tunnels in the Welsh mountains near Llangollen to Horseshoe Falls, a weir on the River Dee. Today's designation as Llangollen Canal was originally the background to attract more ( Boat ) tourists to the famous Llangollen, because actually it is at today Llangollen Canal just around the central section of the Ellesmere Canal, which later became part of the Shropshire Union Canal network was.

History

The Ellesmere Canal was to connect the Mersey at Netherpool ( now called the Ellesmere Port ) to the River Dee, and from there over Overton (south of Wrexham ) lead to the Severn at Shrewsbury. The plan was to connect the iron works and coal mines at Bersham between Wrexham and Ruabon and lead the Canal to Llanymynech, where connection should be made to the configured Montgomeryshire Canal. There were other suggestions that it would be more practicable, a more westerly route from the River Dee to the River Severn, which passed the industrial areas around Ruabon to build. And ultimately, this route was chosen, which required both two Auquädukte and two Channel Tunnel, namely Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Chirk Aqueduct and Chirk Tunnel and White Houses tunnel.

The Ellesmere Canal was, however, never built as planned. Only the central section between Trevor and Weston Lullingfields via Lower Frankton arose. Instead, this central section was continued west of Trevor to Llangollen to Horseshoe Falls. This section also serves to water supply. In addition, the channel was eastward out of Frankton Junction on Ellesmere and Whitchurch by Hurlestone Junction at Nantwich, for connection to the then still rival Chester Canal.

The operators of the Ellesmere and Chester Canal merged in 1813. A further merger in 1845 with the company of the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal and the formation of the Shropshire Union Railway and Canal Company introduced a year later, ultimately formation of the Shropshire Union Canal network.

Decline

The commercial traffic stopped in 1936 after a fracture of the canal at Newtown, Powys one, today a part of the restored Montgomery Canal. Around 1939 came the traffic between Hurleston and Llangollen to a halt. The channel, which is now the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Railway Company was one, was subsequently closed due to an initiative of this company in 1944. Ultimately, the Llangollen Canal survived only because the water intake to the Horseshoe Falls offered the main water supply of the Shropshire Union Canal.

Renaissance

In the late 20th century, the recreational boating on the English Narrowboat channels became more popular and the Llangollen Canal with its aqueducts in the Welsh mountains is a culmination of the entire canal system.