It’s tunnel vision as inspectors hit Llangollen canal

At 1,200 feet long, the Chirk tunnel on the Llangollen canal is the longest in Wales and one of the centrepieces of the 11-mile World Heritage Site.

On Tuesday, Thomas Telford’s 200-year-old engineering masterpiece went under the microscope as engineers carried out a structural survey of two tunnels in the area.

The Canal and River Trust charity has the challenging task of maintaining a 2,000-mile canal network, which was largely constructed during the reign of George III.

The Llangollen Canal is currently one of the busiest and most popular waterways in the country and keeping its structures, like Chirk and Whitehouse tunnels and the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, in good working order requires regular maintenance.

Engineering specialists used a boat to travel through the 421 metre-long Chirk and 174 metre-long Whitehouse tunnels to see if there have been any structural changes since the last principal inspection three years ago.

It included checking for leaks, cracks and damaged brickwork. The tunnel contains more than a million bricks, with much of the surface sealed in clay to make it waterproof.

Chris Reynard, from the trust, said the engineers’ observations will be analysed to decide if any major repairs are needed.

Opened in 1805, Chirk tunnel is the longest of three canal tunnels on the Llangollen Canal, formerly a branch of the Ellesmere Canal, and is remarkable as one of the first tunnels to incorporate a horse towing path.

Previously, boat owners would have had to ‘leg it’ through a canal tunnel by lying on the roof of their vessels and effectively walking along the roof.

“A trip into the canal tunnel is like stepping back in time. It’s dark, quiet, a little bit eerie and much of the brickwork dates back to when the tunnel was constructed two centuries ago,” Mr Reynard said.

“The Llangollen Canal is arguably more popular than ever before and Our inspection is a good example of the type of work needed to keep it in top shape.”

For more information about how to support the vital work of the Canal & River Trust by donating or becoming a ‘Friend’, check out www.canalrivertrust.org.uk or call the customer services team on 0303 040 4040.