Llangollen Canal Tunnel and Aqueduct paddle 2026

Llangollen Canal Tunnel and Aqueduct paddle 2026 Trevor to Poachers (07/11/2026)

What a fantastic day on the water last Saturday, November 7th! We had a brilliant turnout with 30 paddlers hitting the Llangollen Canal in a great mix of kayaks and canoes.

We launched from Trevor Basin into some incredibly atmospheric morning fog. Emerging onto the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct as the mist swirled around us was an unforgettable way to start. Paddling in a narrow channel suspended 38 meters directly over the River Dee is always a slightly dizzying experience, and with no railing on the canal side, the views looking straight down into the valley were spectacular as the fog began to clear.

After catching our breath from the sheer drop, we continued south towards our first underground obstacle: the Whitehouse Tunnel. With headtorches clicked on, we navigated this 175-meter stretch that takes the canal straight under the heavy traffic of the A5 above.

Once back in the daylight, the fog had fully lifted to reveal some stunning autumn colours framing the canal. Along this stretch, we also paddled past the waterway’s unique cantilever bridge sections, giving us a close-up look at the brilliant engineering that keeps the towpath suspended out over the water along the steep hillside.

We soon reached the second major structure of the day: the Chirk Aqueduct. Standing 21 meters high, it provides a fantastic vantage point as it runs perfectly parallel to the stone arches of the railway viaduct.

Right off the back of the Chirk Aqueduct, we navigated straight into the famous Chirk Tunnel, known locally as “The Darkie”. This one is a proper 366-meter paddle through complete darkness before you finally spot the daylight at the far end.

We wrapped up the 8 km trip by pulling up at The Poachers Pocket pub. A massive thank you to everyone who came out and made it such a smooth paddle, and a special shoutout to the shuttle crew for getting the vehicles sorted at Poachers ahead of time!