Llangollen Canal

In the 18th century canals and the horse-drawn barge were the most efficient way of hauling goods over long distances but, with the advent of the railway, most of them fell into disrepair.

The Llangollen Canal fared better than most because it was used, for years more, to carry drinking water from the River Dee to the Hurleston Reservoir in Cheshire. Today it's again in use, carrying visitors up and down the Vale of Llangollen. In addition, the old towpaths offer miles of peaceful, traffic-free walking. And the canal itself is part of the attraction, thanks to the great civil engineer Thomas Telford (1757-1834).

To collect water for the canal from the River Dee, Telford designed an elegant curving weir called Horseshoe Falls. The adjacent riverbank is a tranquil picnic spot. It's about 2.5 miles west of Llangollen. You can get there on foot along the canal towpath via the Llangollen Steam Railway (a 15-minute walk from Berwyn station), on bus 98, or by car along the A542 (turn left onto the B5103 after about 1.5 miles).