Shropshire Star

Seeing the Llangollen canal in a different light for anniversary

Structures stretching along the canal from Chirk to Llangollen, will be illuminated in 10th anniversary celebration of the World Heritage Site.

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A number of structures stretching along the canal will be illuminated

Next month’s luminaire spectacle will be held on various evenings throughout October as part of the year long celebrations of an 11 mile stretch of canal being named a World heritage site.

The tourism board, This Is Wrexham, has announced that it has secured £45,000 of funding from Visit Wales alongside the Canal & River Trust and Denbighshire County Council.

“The funding has led to us appointing specialist company, Enlightened, to design and stage a three week luminaire spectacle,” spokesman Joe Bickerton said.

“During this time, we’ll be lighting five structures for 2-hours per night - most likely to be between 8-10pm. These are Chirk Aqueduct & Viaduct, the Whitehurst Tunnel, the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, Dinas Bran Castle and the Horseshoe Falls.”

Chirk councillor, Terry Evans said the Welsh Dragon would be projected onto the Chirk Tunnel.

“This promises to be a spectacular series of evenings, that will show off these magnificent structures in quite literally a new light,” he said.

The anniversary celebrating will also see video company, Storm & Shelter make a short “day in the life” film about the World Heritage Site.

“This film will be ready for release on October 7 to coincide with the UK World Heritage Site Conference in Llangollen,” Councillor Evans said.

The World Heritage Site celebrates the construction of the Llangollen Canal by Shropshire Engineer, Thomas Telford. The site stretches from Chirk Bank in Shropshire through to the Horseshoe Falls in Llangollen where the canal, fed by the River Dee, begins.

It attracts visitors from across the world who marvel at the Thomas Telford structures, which include the two aqueducts and the Chirk viaduct, the series of tunnels and the canal itself.