‘The river in the sky’ as it’s known is a marvel to behold, even in the pouring rain when I visited. I took a train to Ruabon then the number 5 bus to Trevor which drops you off about a ten minute walk from the aqueduct. Once there you can pop into the free and informative visitor’s centre which has a few videos and boards about the construction. After a decade of construction it opened in 1805 employing a cast iron trough to carry the five foot five inches deep canal 1007 feet (307 metres) across the River Dee which lies 127 feet (39 metres) below. It holds enough water to fill 16,000 baths. 

But away from the facts, the aqueduct when you venture outside and go and see it is pure engineering magic of the highest degree. Picture this in your mind. You are walking along a gentle canal, nothing untoward, past houseboats and ducks, when up ahead you see that the land disappears but the canal doesn’t. It continues, without so much of a blip, across a valley to the other side far far away. All the time though, there is a perfect line of water suspended in a flat line. You could almost believe that the land either side of the water was dug away rather than the aqueduct constructed, until you spot the iron archways and stone supports grandly lifting the water high in the sky. It simply beggars belief. There is a narrow path to the left hand side of the water on which pedestrians may pass from one side of the valley to the other. It was on this path that I followed the water from land to 127 feet above the River Dee and was able to take in the grandeur of the surrounding countryside. Having only visited the aqueduct only this one time and this one time being a mid-autumn day, I had no real comparison to make, but I’d wager that mid-autumn, with the trees a kaleidoscope of oranges, browns, yellows and greens, must be one of the most stunning times to visit. It goes without saying that the plentiful rainfall (as superbly demonstrated on this particular Friday) creates a lush, verdant landscape that can be viewed 360 degrees around, so long as you’re careful not to get dizzy and trip into the canal. Peer over the side of the metal railings and you see the Dee rushing below you, a stark contrast to the barely mobile water above it, autumnal leaves drifting languidly along. After crossing the river, a football pitch is laid out to the right (surely one of the most beautiful places to play the beautiful game) and to your left a water treatment plant. Then, before you know it, you have arrived at the other side of the valley, back on terra firma and with the water continuing as if nothing had ever happened.

And that’s all there’s really there to see. You can practise photography, take a canal boat along the aqueduct and have a cup of tea in a stationary canal boat cafe, but really you won’t be spending more than a morning or an afternoon here. It is well worth making a detour to go and see though and the chaps at the visitor centre are very friendly and welcoming. Doable from other WHS sites like Liverpool, Ironbridge Gorge, Blaenavon or the Gwynedd Castles. It’s really quite impressive and there are walks along the canal if you want to spend more time near the site.