PKC Plas Kynaston Canal - History

The Plas Kynaston Canal was originally constructed in sections during the 1820s and 1830s, by both the Experius Pickering family and TE Ward, to serve the coal, lime and iron making industries of Cefn Mawr. Original plans submitted show the branch extending from the Trevor Basin to the front of Plas Kynaston Hall. However, the canal only ever reached the rear of the Queens Hotel, where it was then connected by a horse drawn tramway to Plas Kynaston Colliery via a short tunnel that runs under the Queens Hotel, as can be seen on the map below.

The Plas Kynaston Canal connecting the Potcysyllte Aqueduct to Cefn Mawr

The 1875 Ordnance Survey Edition clearly shows the Plas Kynaston Canal extending from the Trevor Basin to the Queens Hotel, Cefn Mawr. The Plas Kynaston Canal measured 833 metres, or just over half a mile in length. For a more comprehensive history of the construction and demise of the Plas Kynaston Canal, please download P Brown’s account in PDF format in the library section of this web site. 



The present plans of the Plas Kynaston Canal Group are to reinstate the canal from the Trevor Basin back to the rear of the Queens Hotel, terminating in a 60 berth marina. This will provide a much-needed link between the Llangollen Canal, Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Cefn Mawr, and once again will promote and foster the economic and social base of the area.

 

At the present moment, according to UNESCO statistics, 200 000 visitors frequent the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct annually, and yet less than one percent of them venture into Cefn Mawr, less than half a mile from the Aqueduct and the central location for the local area. Cefn Mawr could be the visitor centre for the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Cefn Mawr Viaduct providing much needed infrastructure for the tourist industry at this location. The reinstatement of the Plas Kynaston Canal will redress this imbalance and encourage visitors to migrate into Cefn Mawr and surrounding villages, where additional facilities and interest for tourists and industry can be provided. Please see the appropriate pages of this web site.



The Plas Kynaston Canal in Graesser’s & Monsanto Chemical Works, Cefn Mawr, in the 1930s
Berwynfa House and Bridge in Graesser’s and Monsanto Chemical Works, Cefn Mawr, in the 1930s
Plas Kynaston Canal leading from the Trevor Basin into the Monsanto Chemical Works, Cefn Mawr, in the 1950s
The new Monsanto road bridge in the 1960s, crossing the Plas Kynaston Canal in Cefn Mawr
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, Trevor Basin & Plas Kynaston Canal, Cefn Mawr, 1960s
Plas Kynaston Canal in Solutia Chemical Works (Ex Monsanto), Cefn Mawr, in 2002
The very last piece of the Plas Kynaston Canal in 2004 before infill looking into the works from Queens Street bridge
The Solutia Site, 2012, at Cefn Mawr, where the Plas Kynaston Canal once was.