CHIRK AQUEDUCT & RAILWAY VIADUCT, CEIRIOG VALLEY, CHIRK, WALES.
CHIRK AQUEDUCT IS A 21 M (70 FT) HIGH AND 220 M (710 FT) LONG AQUEDUCT THAT CARRIES THE SHROPSHIRE UNION CANAL ACROSS THE CEIRIOG VALLEY AND WHICH MARKS THE BORDER BEWTEEN WALES AND ENGLAND.
THE AQUEDUCT WAS DESIGNED BY THOMAS TELFORD AND COMPLETED IN 1801. IT POSSESSES A CAST IRON TROUGH WITHIN WHICH THE WATER IS CONTAINED, THE MASONRY WALLS EFFECTIVELY HIDING THE CAST IRON INTERIOR. THE AQUEDUCT FOLLOWED TELFORD'S INNOVATIVE LONGDON-ON-TERN AQUEDUCT ON THE SHREWSBURY CANAL, AND WAS A FORERUNNER OF THE PONTCYSYLLTE AQUEDUCT ALSO ON THE LLANGOLLEN CANAL.
TELFORD PIONEERED THE USE OF CAST IRON IN BRIDGES AS WELL AS AQUEDUCTS, AND CAST IRON TROUGHS WERE WIDELY USED ELSEWHERE ON THE BRITISH CANAL NETWORK, ESPECIALLY WHERE A SECURE AND WATERTIGHT CROSSING OR BRIDGE WAS NEEDED. ANOTHER FAMOUS EXAMPLE IS THE COSGROVE AQUEDUCT ON THE GRAND JUNCTION CANAL AT MILTON KEYNES IN BUCKINGHAMSHIRE.
THE AQUEDUCT CONSISTS OF TEN ARCHES, EACH WITH A SPAN OF 12 M.(40 FT.). THE WATER LEVEL IS 20 M(65 FT) ABOVE THE GROUND. THE FIRST STONE WAS LAID ON 17 JUNE 1796. WILLIAM HAZLEDINE PROVIDED THE IRONWORK FOR THE AQUEDUCT. SIDE PLATES WERE ADDED TO THE AQUEDUCT IN 1870. IT CROSSES THE RIVER CLOSE TO THE LATER RAILWAY VIADUCT.
THE RAILWAY VIADUCT AT CHIRK WHICH WAS ERECTED IN 1846-8 AND REBUILT IN 1858 WAS THE WORK OF THE SCOTTISH ENGINEER HENRY ROBERTSON. THE 100 FEET HIGH STONE STRUCTURE WAS BUILT FOR THE SHREWSBURY AND CHESTER RAILWAY AND HAS TEN SPANS WITH ROUND ARCHES BETWEEN PEDIMENTED ABUTMENTS CONTAINING NICHES. THREE FURTHER ARCHES AT EITHER END OF THE VIADUCT REPLACE FORMER TIMBER SPANS AND ARE DATED 1858-9. THE VIADUCT STANDS SOME 30 FEET ABOVE THE ADJOINING AQUEDUCT.

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