What have you done today with your Austin Seven

[Reckless Rat]

Challenge for you Wortles - do you think you could get your RN through the little arches?

[Dave Wortley]

Hmmm might do but I would have to go and measure it. Not been to or through Darnall for years.
Not my favourite place. I managed to rescue many rubber bump stops over the years from the crossroads when walking to the shops at lunchtime from work.

[Reckless Rat]

It's at the other end of Darnall, near the Don Valley Stadium (as was). More Attercliffe than Darnall really. You might need to take an interpreter with you...

[Graham Barker]

I shared Dave Mann's concern about the aqueduct being made of cast iron when I helmed a narrowboat across it. The boats bang from side to side because of water rushing through the narrow gap between the hull and the aqueduct wall, if you happen to get the boat off centre. Considering how many thousands of boat crossings must have gone like that over the life of those cast iron wall plates I wondered what the fatigue life of cast iron was.

[David Stepney]

Hi Denis

Pontcysyllte is the aqueduct, Llangollen is the canal.  And to confuse things more the village close by is Froncysyllte.

Cheers

Howard

Sorry to cross swords with you on this one. Local knowledge tells me that it is the little bridge that is Pontcysyllte, or in English “ the connecting bridge” as it saved having to go down to Llangollen to cross the Dee. The aqueduct is known locally as “Pont Dwr Cario”. Pontcysyllte and Froncysyllte were there well before the aqueduct was constructed.

[Howard Wright]

Hi David

I bow to your local knowledge. I was basing my understanding on guide books and internet searches. Your description does make complete sense, although I’m not sure many would know where you mean if you used “Pont Dwr Cario” to identify the aqueduct!

Cheers

Howard

[David Stepney]

Pont Dwr Cario translates as Aqueduct.

[Steve kay]

Pontcysyllte is constructed from both wrought iron and cast iron. The previous aqueduct on the Llangollen at Chirk is a stone structure, but with an iron trough, meaning lighter construction and better water tightness than the tradition means of seal by using puddling clay. Telford has already built an iron aqueduct at Longton, near Shrewsbury, the canal long since closed and so for many years having stood like an odd sculpture in a field. Enthusiasts for Benjamin Outram would credit him with designing the very first iron aqueduct, Holmes on the Derby Canal. However this always gave trouble, whereas the Telford structures remain magnificent and in use. Down here in South Wales we hardly speak Welsh at all, so please do not hesitate to offer corrections. I had thought that Pony Dwr Cario meant, the bridge that carries water, and could be a generic term for any aqueduct.

[Dave Mann]

They are hibernating, on my cycle trip to get a paper I spied that the council has been polluting the environment with salt. I also passed a few parked cars with their engines running and no driver inside obviously defrosting the windows.

[bob46320]

Referring to Graham B's concern of rushing water, the aqueduct is wider than the path of the boat as it continues underneath the footpath. I suspect the cross sectional area of water passing under the footpath and the sides of the boat is equal to the cross sectional area of a fully loaded narrow boat.