Longdon-Upon-Tern aqueduct

The Longdon-upon-Tern Aqueduct stands in the Shropshire countryside near the village of Longdon-upon-Tern. It is a cast-iron canal aqueduct built in 1796 to carry the Shrewsbury Canal across the River Tern. Thomas Telford redesigned it after the original structure by William Clowes was destroyed by floods. At 186 feet long, it was one of the first two canal aqueducts made from cast iron. The other was Benjamin Outram’s Holmes Aqueduct on the Derby Canal, completed just a month earlier. Though the Shrewsbury Canal closed in 1944, the aqueduct remains as a Grade I listed building. The aqueduct’s cast-iron trough measures 9 feet wide, 3 feet deep, and 186 feet long. It is supported by four spans, each 47 feet 8 inches across. The structure was innovative for its time, using iron instead of traditional masonry. Its survival reflects the engineering skill of Telford and the durability of cast iron. Despite being disused for decades, it stands as a preserved example of early industrial design. Historic England recognises its national importance by listing it at the highest grade. Visitors find the aqueduct in a quiet rural setting beside the River Tern. The cast-iron trough, though empty of water, still dominates the landscape. The four elegant spans rise above the riverbank, showing the precision of 18th-century construction. The surrounding fields and hedgerows add to the peaceful atmosphere. The site offers a clear view of how early canals were built to cross rivers. Though no longer in use, it remains an impressive monument to industrial progress.