Plug pulled for cleaning of World Heritage Site

The draining of the aqueduct creates a shower of more than a million litres of water. Pictures by Peter Flemmich

The plug has been pulled on the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct near Oswestry sending more than a million litres of water cascading from the waterway in the sky into the River Dee.

The draining of the aqueduct began yesterday afternoon and saw the water plunge 130ft from the 204-year-old structure into the river.

The newly-crowned World Heritage Site is being drained and cleaned ahead of next year’s tourist season.