Underneath the arches event wins award
A spectacular event at a World Heritage side has been shortlisted for the best Welsh visitor event.
The Underneath the Arches evening at the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct was named best visitor event at the North Wales Tourism Awards last week and now goes forward to the All Wales final.
The team that organises the annual event was up against over 100 other nominations.
Underneath the Arches has gone from strength to strength since it began in 2011. It is a celebration of music and song with a spectacular firework finale which lights up Thomas Telford’s magnificent Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.
Organised by Wrexham County Borough Council it is a fitting tribute to the Llangollen canal World Heritage Site and an eagerly anticipated event for people across Wrexham Shropshire and from other parts of the UK to visit.
Councillor Terry Evans, lead member for Economic Development and Regeneration, said: “This was a terrific result and great for the team having staged it for the sixth year this summer. It’s a lot of hard working bringing this, and the many other events the team is involved with, together but I know they find it very worthwhile and worth all the effort as so many people get to enjoy this amazing event.”
The aqueduct is one of the highlights of the 11 miles of canal that runs from Chirkbank in Shropshire to Llangollen named a World Heritage Site.
The canal was built 200 years ago by Shropshire engineer Thomas Telford as part of the transport system of his time. It was originally to have carried raw materials out to Ellesmere Port for loading onto ships. But engineers could not cut through the mountains above Llangollen and the plan stalled.
In June 2009 the canal was granted World Heritage status and since then has attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.