Investigations underway to preserve Aqueduct Bridge

A laser scan survey of Grade II Listed Aqueduct Bridge and its immediate surroundings in the village of Aqueduct in Telford and Wrekin is begin carried out this week.

Telford & Wrekin Council says the investigations will provide an archive of the structure so that engineers can better understand how to approach future work to conserve the bridge.

The original Aqueduct was constructed c1792, forming part of the Shropshire Canal which extended from Wrockwardine Wood to Coalport.  

It carried the western arm of the Shropshire Canal over the old Wellington to Bridgnorth turnpike road, allowing tub boats to carry cargo between the Shropshire coalfields and the River Severn.  

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, this stretch of the canal was the main means of transporting coal supplies to the ironworks at Coalbrookdale. The arrival of the railways in the 1860s heralded the demise of the canals and eventually the Aqueduct.

In 2001, the aqueduct was restored and a plaque added to remember the war dead of Aqueduct village.

Telford & Wrekin Council project engineer Nicola Heath said: “This is a much-loved local structure which is of historic importance.  Understanding the challenges of its construction and any impact of work done over the decades is key to its preservation, and these are what the 3-D images and current investigations will help us with.

“We will then need to look at funding.  As the bridge has listed status we are hoping to be able to apply for heritage funding.”