Full Report for Listed Buildings
The list description is not intended to be a complete inventory of what is listed: it is principally intended to aid identification. By law, the definition of a listed building includes the entire building (i) and any structure or object that is fixed to the said building and ancillary to it and (ii) any other structure or object that forms part of the land and has done so since before 1 July 1948, and was within the curtilage of the building, and ancillary to it, on the date on which said building was first included in the list, or on 1 January 1969, whichever was later.
Date of Designation
29/07/1998
Date of Amendment
29/07/1998
Name of Property
Irishman's Bridge on the Llangollen Canal
Unitary Authority
Wrexham
Location
The bridge carries the Chirk to Newbridge road over the Llangollen Canal.
History
The 6 mile long Llangollen canal had been proposed as feeder to the main Ellesmere Canal that was to link the Rivers Mersey and Dee with the River Severn. The Act was passed in 1793 and this section was constructed under the direction of Thomas Telford: work on the extension to headwaters at Llantysilio, W of Llangollen, was begun in 1804 and completed in 1808. The canal also provided transport to the slate quarries and limestone works. In 1846 it became part of the Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company but the following year was taken over by the LNWR. Transport on the canal diminished in the later C19 with the arrival of the railways and ceased by 2nd World War. The canal was only kept open because of its importance as a supplier of water.
Exterior
Coursed sandstone rubble. A single tall 3-centred arch composed of a single ring of cut voussoirs, set flush with the battered spandrel walls. Square plat band and rubble parapet. A later C20 moulded concrete beam carries a widening of the parapet on the SW side of the S portal. The bridge spans the canal and the towpath on its E side.
Reason for designation
Included as a well formed bridge, characteristic of the series of such bridges on the Llangollen canal where it passed through low cuttings.
Cadw : Full Report for Listed Buildings [ Records 1 of 1 ]