Pillar of Eliseg

Between the Bridge Hotel and the Horseshoe Falls, the canal terminates at this point.

There has been a crossing point over the River Dee at Berwyn as far back as Roman times, later serving the Cistercian monks of the nearby Valle Crucis Abbey. At the beginning of the 19th century plans were made to build the first bridge in this most beautiful of locations. Exuperius Pickering was a local entrepreneur dealing in limestone and slate. He had been involved in the building of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and had got to know Thomas Telford well. Telford had been given the work of building the now A5 from London to Holyhead following the latter being chosen as the main port between Britain and Ireland. The existing road was already a major coaching route but its condition was no better than a dirt track in many places. Pickering was quick to see the trading opportunity as the route of the new road would travel close to his works in Berwyn. In conjunction with Telford, the first Llangollen Chain Bridge was duly completed in 1814, the year before work started on the new road. This was made of wood, with chains slung underneath. It survived until 1870 before needing a complete refurbishment by another famous engineer Sir Henry Robinson, owner of the Brymbo Iron Works. Archive Link The bridge fell into disrepair SJ1943 : The Chain Bridge but thankfully, the adjacent Chain Bridge hotel has had new owners in recent years and they have now repaired the bridge as seen here.

The lower bridge (King's Bridge) carries the B5103 over the River Dee to join the A5 near Berwyn Railway Station. The higher bridge is a viaduct crossing a tributary which joins the River Dee and carrying the steam railway between Llangollen and Carrog. The photo was taken from the Chain Bridge SJ1943 : The Chain Bridge, a footbridge crossing the river from the Chain Bridge Hotel to Berwyn Station.

Berwyn Station from the A5 going towards Llangollen.

Class 26 No. 5310 approaches Berwyn station during the Llangollen Railway's diesel gala. It is working a ballast train, but with a carriage included to provide passenger-accommodation.

It is not clear what this building once was. Old maps of the area show a Methodist chapel near this site, but this building doesn't look like a typical chapel.

Class 31 No. 31271 arrives at Berwyn with a service for Carrog during the Llangollen Railway's diesel gala.

Class 31 No. 31271 departs Berwyn with a service for Carrog during the Llangollen Railway's diesel gala.