THOMAS Telford himself will be on hand to see that a major celebration of one of his most famous engineering feats goes according to plan on Saturday.
To mark the granting of World Heritage status to Pontcysyllte Aqueduct earlier this year, Wrexham Council and British Waterways are staging a major outdoor event at nearby Trevor Basin.
One of the high points of the day comes at 1.45pm with the unveiling of commemorative plaques set within a local sandstone mounting.
The two plaques – inscribed in Welsh and English – will sit side by side within the 5ft tall sandstone obilisk, which has been hand crafted from the same material used to build the aqueduct more than 200 years ago.
To ensure the event goes like clockwork, engineering legend and builder of the aqueduct Thomas Telford himself will be on hand to supervise proceedings – or rather an actor who looks very much like the great man.
The day’s packed programme starts at noon and will feature stalls, fairground rides, falconry displays, puppet shows, a magician and a ventriloquist.
There will also be the chance to enjoy music at the canalside, listen to the world famous Froncysyllte Male Voice Choir, see demonstrations of traditional canal crafts and find out how the aqueduct and canal were built.
Stalls will be open from noon-5pm, entertainment will be provided in the main marquee from 2.30pm to 6.45pm, with a lantern parade at 6.45pm.
The day, organised with the help of local community groups, will finish with a spectacular fireworks display at 7pm.
The council’s lead member, Cllr Bob Dutton, said: “This is a free event and we hope as many people as possible will join us to mark this fantastic achievement.”
British Waterways Wales & Border Counties general manager Julie Sharman said: “Achieving World Heritage status has brought this leisure destination the recognition it deserves, along with opportunities for increased economic prosperity to local communities.”
The aqueduct, built between 1795 and 1805, is regarded as one of Telford’s greatest achievements.
A cast iron trough on top of 18 stone piers carries the canal 126ft above the River Dee.
There are about 900 sites on the World Heritage list including Stonehenge and the Statue of Liberty.