The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in Wrexham, Wales, is a World Heritage Site and the longest and highest aqueduct in the UK – and it’s a stunning spot to go canoeing.

Chanelle Georgina Senior Audience Writer

10:28, 29 Jul 2025

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in WalesThe Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is the highest and longest in the UK(Image: Chanelle Georgina)

The weather in the UK can be a bit hit and miss, but luckily for us, the sun decided to make an appearance on our canoeing day out in Wrexham, Wales.

With assistance from a TNR Outdoors staff member, we steadied ourselves into the boat on Llangollen Canal, ready to follow the simple route along the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct – a World Heritage Site.

In pairs, we paddled across the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, spanning 1,007ft and towering 126ft above the stunning River Dee.

This popular viewpoint allowed us to marvel at the lush greenery encircling the flowing river.

Thankfully, this peaceful moment arrived within 15 minutes of setting off, providing a welcome break from the minor squabbles some couples were having over rowing techniques.

The Pontcysyllte AqueductThe Pontcysyllte Aqueduct towers 126ft above the River Dee (Image: Lee Harvey / 500px via Getty Images)

As we navigated the narrow waterway, we spotted a shop and unanimously agreed to stop for some bottled water and a breather.

It was during this pause that we decided to switch our canoe partners, which made the remainder of the journey significantly smoother.

Happy people canoeing The rest of the journey was a fun one(Image: Chanelle Georgina)

Geared up for the second half, we had just over two hours left to navigate the canal that straddles the England-Wales border.

We had rented the canoes for a three-hour slot (£60 per canoe), from 1.30pm to 4.30pm; there was another available slot from 9.30am to 12.30pm, but we opted not to take it.

This should have provided ample time to canoe five miles of waterway, but as a group, we spent most of the time laughing while trying to master the art of canoeing.

My boat seemingly had a knack for colliding with other boats and the canal banks, much to our amusement.

Emerging from the Chirk tunnel, we encountered a splendid herd of cows. Before long, it was time to hurry back to our starting point.

Cows on grasslandWe came across some mighty cows while canoeing down Llangollen Canal(Image: Chanelle Georgina)

The only snag was the queue of boats at the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct on our return journey, which caused a bit of a delay.

Nevertheless, we managed to make it back just in the nick of time, with a mere minute to spare.