Eager to get out and about after a long winter, it was Clive's turn to choose a day trip. We'd been talking about a journey to see Thomas Telford's Pont Cysyllte aqueduct, near Llangollen, for ages, and we finally made it on the  27th April 2002. Studying the map the night before taking a train from Birmingham to Chirk, we found there were in fact two such structures - the Chirk aqueduct to the south, and Pont Cysyllte to the north, separated by a couple of tunnels and several miles of picturesque canal. Having decided to walk rather than cycle, we packed the cameras and had a great day - here are my results. For a map or the area, click here - map courtesy of www.multimap.com. 

The start of the journey - just a short walk out of Chirk Station and onto the Shropshire Union canal.	To the south was the entrance to the Chirk tunnel - wasting no time, we headed in.	It was very, very dark and very, very long - the footpath was rough in places, making walking difficult.	Emerging blinking into the daylight at the south end, our first view of the Chirk Aqueduct.
A sign at the south entrance to the Chirk tunnel - it seemed every bit of 421 metres..	Next to the aqueduct runs the railway viaduct we crossed on the train on the way.	The Chirk aqueduct is wider and shorter than the Pont Cysyllte one we were to cross later - but it was still a long way up...	The towpath was quite wide, and the handrails were very solid - but the lack of a barrier on the far side was worrying.
It was hard to get used to the sheer size and precise geometry of the structures.	I was glad we didn't cycle it - looks like we would have spent more time pushing than riding.	This stretch of canal is very busy with pleasure boats and tourists, drawn by the dramatic scenery.	Having travelled back north through the Chirk tunnel, we headed toward Llangollen.
After a mile or so, the countryside opened out - the peace and quiet was wonderful. The rain, however, was not...	Soon, we came to the second, shorter tunnel of the journey, the Whitehouse tunnel.	The Whitehouse tunnel was much shorter than the previous one, but still tricky to walk.	The canal bank had eroded severely enough further on to cause closure of the towpath.
Fearlessly (or foolishly?) we hopped over the barriers and continued. In places the banks were quite treacherous.	As we rounded the bend to Trevor, the embankment condition deteriorated severely.	The closer to Trevor we came, the more expansive the scenery was - some of the views were excellent.	The walking conditions soon improved... as did the weather. We noted the appearance of the anoraks with some amusement.
Soon, we came to the Aqueduct. I didn't take any pictures at all when I first crossed - Pont Cysyllte has an amazing effect, After a coffee, I ventured back onto the bridge with my camera.	The views - this one eastwards - were incredible. In the distance, the railway viaduct taking the line to Chester can be seen.	I noted this sign with amusement. I can understand climbers wanting to abseil down the structure, but you'd have to be nuts to cross on a bike or horse!	The view westwards toward Wales was equally impressive.  The road bridge is where the B5434 crosses the Dee - Cysylltau Bridge.
The Dee valley was spectacular. The Pont Cysyllte aqueduct rises 126 feet above the river, and is some 1007 feet long, and just 11 feet 10 inches wide.	As my courage built up, I started to study the structure. Whilst a technical triumph, some of the castings looked a little - um - rough, and somewhat unsettling.	The height and sheer imposition of the structure can barely be conveyed in a photograph. This one was taken stood on the parapet on the north side of the bridge.	Thankfully, the weather cleared and the sheer drama of the view became evident.
Again, the lack of any kind of rail on the far side was unsettling. It is thought the holes visible in the edge of the trough were for a proposed second rail that was never fitted.	Determined to study the structure from all angles, we headed down onto the banks of the Dee to get a look from underneath. Wild garlic grew here in abundance.	Due to the trees, finding the ideal spot to take a photo from involved some daring manoeuvres - luckily we both escaped with dry feet.	From underneath one could truly appreciate the scale of the project. Telford built Pont Cysyllte in 10 years between 1795 and 1805 for 47,000 pounds - no mean feat.
Later on, we headed down onto the Cysylltau Bridge. From here we could get a great view of the whole aqueduct. The scale of construction project must have been massive for it's time.	We shuddered to think of the risks taken by the navigators of the day. Imagine the precarious task of hauling those heavy stone blocks into position on the pillars...	As we came back up into Trevor, we caught side of a narrow boat negotiating the aqueduct. The thought of looking over that edge sent shivers down the spine.	We travelled back to Chirk the same way we came... with the improved weather, the boats started to come to life. We spotted this one in the Whitehouse tunnel.