The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in Llangollen in North Wales is the tallest of its kind in Britain. The UNESCO World Heritage Site was designed by civil engineers Thomas Telford and William Jessop in the 19th Century. It’s a cast iron structure suspended above the River Dee in Llangollen, and it’s supported by iron arches and 18 pillars. In recent years, the aqueduct has become a hit with holidaymakers who can kayak across the narrow stream. TikTok user, and travel writer, Emily, who is known as londoncitycalling on the social media platform, posted a video all about her visit to the bizarre attraction.
In the video, she said: “Did you know that you can go kayaking in the sky in North Wales? “Located close to the town of Llangollen, this aqueduct sits at 126ft, or 38m, above ground level, making it the tallest of its kind in the world. “The aqueduct carries the Llangollen canal over the River Dee. “There’s a footpath to take in the amazing views, or for something even cooler, you can go kayaking, canoeing, or take a long boat along the canal. “This is definitely one of the coolest and most unique things you can do in North Wales.”
The footage showed a string of kayakers paddling across a narrow aqueduct. Next to the water, there was a narrow footpath where people were walking and taking in the views of the Welsh countryside. The video has had more than 900,000 views with hundreds of users flooding into the comments to share their excitement. One person wrote: “I don’t like heights, but I love kayaking and the experience looks amazing.”
A second wrote: “This looks so cute.” While a third added: “I’ve done this, and it’s absolutely amazing! I was slightly scared of falling off, but it’s very safe.” Holidaymakers have also taken to TripAdvisor to share their thoughts on the Welsh attraction. One person wrote: “A fantastic trip with wonderful views. It was great to see the boats making their way along the water.” While a second added: “Enjoyable experience of walking on top of one of the tallest aqueducts whilst barges sailed past.”
Visitors to the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct can walk across the narrow path free of charge, while tickets to kayak across cost £55 per person for a two-and-a-half-hour session. Other nearby attractions include Chirk Castle, and Llangollen and Corwen Railway, which operates steam trains. The Welsh town of Llangollen is four hours away from London by car, and it’s a 90-minute drive from Birmingham. For those who want to stay overnight, there are several accommodation options in the area, including a four-star stay at The Hand Hotel, which costs £114 per night based on two people sharing a room.
