Llangollen Bridge

Llangollen Bridge spans the River Dee at the northern end of the town’s high street in Denbighshire, North-east Wales. It is one of the seven wonders of Wales and holds Grade I listed status. A bridge has stood here since at least 1284, though the present structure dates from the 16th or 17th century. Earlier versions were rebuilt and enlarged over time, and the bridge now carries both road and rail traffic. The bridge has been widened several times, most recently in 1968 when it nearly doubled in width again. The bridge’s origins are linked to two bishops of St Asaph, John Trefor and John Trefor II, who may have rebuilt an earlier crossing. Evidence suggests a bridge existed as early as 1284, possibly built for Valle Crucis Abbey. The current structure may date from the 1540s, when monastic lands were dissolved, or the 1650s, when a payment for work was recorded. The bridge was extended in 1863 for a railway and widened again a decade later. The bridge has four pointed arches of different sizes, with a square opening over the railway. It is built mainly from coursed rubble, except for the newer rail section which is concrete. Pointed cutwaters flank the river bridge, the downstream ones being taller. Local school leavers sometimes jump into the River Dee from the bridge, a tradition often discouraged. The bridge remains in daily use, linking the town’s high street to the surrounding area.