Navigable aqueducts played an important role in getting Great Britain’s industrial revolution off the ground. In an age when railroads and commercial highways had yet to be invented, these elevated artificial water bridges proved their worth at the time and have continued to do so for over two hundred years.

Longdon Aqueduct

(images via: DaveAFlett, The Discovering Wellington Project and Tony Clayton)

Though British engineers were familiar with stone aqueducts dating back more than 1,500 years to Roman Britain, the Longdon Aqueduct in east central Shropshire would have impressed Caesar himself.

(images via: BurnhamMike and Captain Ahab’s Watery Tales)

Dating from 1795, the world’s first large-scale cast iron navigable aqueduct was a vital component of the the Shrewsbury Canal system and was in use through 1944.

(image via: Narrow Boat Albert)

Though the canal has been abandoned, the Longdon Aqueduct and its accompanying towpath remain mainly intact and have been designated a Grade I listed structure. Emboldened by the success of the Longdon Aqueduct, engineer Thomas Telford moved on to bigger things: the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in Wales.

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct

(images via: Aeropic, Geograph and Webbaviation)

Telford dreamed big and took his time: the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct wasn’t completed until 1805 but it still reigns as the longest and highest aqueduct in the UK. Measuring 1,007 ft (307 m) long, 11 ft (3.4 m) wide and 5.25 ft (1.60 m) deep, the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct carries the Llangollen Canal over the River Dee in Wrexham, northeast Wales.

(images via: UNESCO WHC, Waterscape and Boating Business)

The Pontcysyllte (pronounced “pont-ker-suth-tee”) Aqueduct may have been the height -literally – of technology at the time, but its construction involved some surprisingly unusual and ancient techniques. One example is the mortar used to cement the masonry piers: it was made from water, lime, and ox blood!

(image via: Adrian Pingstone)

The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in June of 2009. The aqueduct is used regularly by pleasure boaters and commercial “narrowboats”, and once every 5 years it’s drained (by removing a plug) for cleaning and routine maintenance.

Edstone Aqueduct

(images via: Henley News and Paul Tweedy)

The Edstone Aqueduct is another early cast iron aqueduct, built in the early 19th century to carry a portion of the Stratford Canal. The trough is supported by 13 brick piers that range from 8 to 11 meters (26 to 33 ft) in height.

(images via: Aqueducts of the Inland Waterways and Warwickshire Railways.com)

A trip along the Edstone Aqueduct and its associated canal system takes one back to a time when time was not of the essence, as this video so serenely states:

EDSTONE AQUEDUCT, via PIGandPINEAPPLE

(image via: NB Bendigedig)

The 145 meter (475 ft) Edstone Aqueduct is the longest aqueduct in England. It spans the tracks of the former Alcester Railway line, and locomotive drivers would often top up their boilers via a convenient pipe from the aqueduct.

Avon Aqueduct

(images via: Undiscovered Scotland, Eclectech and Barrow Bob)

At 250 meters (810 ft) long and 26 meters (86 ft) high, the Avon Aqueduct is Scotland’s longest and tallest aqueduct. Built after a design by navigable aqueduct pioneer Thomas Telford, the Avon Aqueduct features a cast iron trough supported by 12 brick and masonry arches.

(images via: Tom Gomez / RedBubble and Scotland’s Places)

Today the Avon Aqueduct runs through Muiravonside Country Park, providing a spectacular scenic view from the park’s lush landscape or from the top of the aqueduct itself. Acrophobics be warned: an ascent to the aqueduct’s upper reaches tends to induce anxiety.

(image via: Dave Henniker)

The Avon Aqueduct carried the Union Canal and is located near Linlithgow in West Lothian, Scotland. Three great navigable aqueducts facilitated water traffic on the Union Canal, which opened in 1822 and was closed in 1965, with the Avon Aqueduct being the largest and longest of the three.

Lune Aqueduct

(images via: Wild Card Walks, Pitt-Dixon and 1st Art Gallery)

Though very much a product of the newly born Industrial Revolution, not all navigable aqueducts expressed modern designs and engineering. Take the Lune Aqueduct, which looks like it was lifted directly from an Italian renaissance tableau.

(image via: Barry CLARE)

The Lune Aqueduct carries the Lancaster Canal over the River Lune in Lancaster, England. Designed by John Rennie following classical architectural techniques, the Lune Aqueduct supports the canal and towpath 19 meters (62 ft) over the River Lune on 5 arched brick piers. The aqueduct was built between 1794 and 1796, and its cost ran way over budget preventing the Lancaster Canal from connecting to the main canal network via the never-built aqueduct over the Ribble river.

(images via: Geograph and Lancaster Guardian)

The Lune Aqueduct not only looks Roman, it was built using Roman technology adapted by designer/architect John Rennie. To ensure the stone bed of the aqueduct would not leak, Rennie specified the use of Pozzolana powder, a Roman invention that allows concrete to set underwater. Kudos to both Rennie and the Romans: the Lune Aqueduct is still in use today, though a £2-million “makeover” conducted in early 2011 should keep it humming along for another couple hundred years or so.

Slateford Aqueduct

(images via: Kim Traynor and Scotland’s Places)

Located in in south-west Edinburgh, Scotland, the Slateford Aqueduct is part of the Union Canal system. Completed in 1822, the aqueduct measures 180 meters (600 feet) long and is 18 meters (60 ft) in height.

(images via: Spokes and Structurae)

Cyclists have made the tow path along the Slateford Aqueduct a favorite route for racing and recreation, and a network of stairways installed by local authorities has encouraged walkers and joggers to explore the area as well.

(image via: Feet First Canal Walks)

The Slateford Aqueduct carries the Union Canal over the Water of Leith (the main river flowing through Edinburgh) and Inglis Green Road. The eight-arched aqueduct was mainly used for commercial use by coal barges until competition from railroads made such slow transport unprofitable.

Almond Aqueduct

(images via: Olympiaa, CanalPlan AC and PerryWeb)

The 130 meter (420 ft) long Almond Aqueduct carries the Union Canal 23 meters (76 ft) over the River Almond and, in its day, helped reduce the travel time between Edinburgh and Glasgow to a mere 13 hours.

(images via: Geograph and Paul Hicks)

The liquid nature of all navigable aqueducts’ “roads” means water levels rise and fall depending on a variety of factors, mainly rainfall in the region. As such, most large navigable aqueducts were built with overflow outlets much like the one in your bathroom sink. Above you can see water spewing forth from the Almond Aqueduct’s overflow outlet, taken from the top and looking down.

(image via: Citizenthom)

Freeze frame! The above photo captures a spectacular icicle that formed from water exiting the Almond Aquaduct’s overflow channel during a sharp cold spell in January of 2009. The flash-frozen flood compares with the legendary Broxburn icicle, which stretched 22.8m (75ft) long in 1895.

Chirk Aqueduct

(images via: Narrow Boat Hire and Charnwood Cam)

Chirk Aqueduct is a 21 meter (70 ft) high, and 220 meter (710 ft) long navigable aqueduct that carries the Llangollen Canal from Wales to England, or vice versa. Completed in 1801 after a 5-year-long construction period, Chirk Aqueduct is another Thomas Telford design with a cast iron trough concealed by masonry walls and piers.

(image via: MAntunes)

A railway viaduct was later added alongside the Chirk Aqueduct, designed with the same style and basic construction methods though its quite a few years more recent.

(images via: Your Local Web and Gerry Cork)

Cruising the Llangollen Canal over the Chirk Aqueduct takes a twist when, just beyond the northern end of the aqueduct, the canal flows into the Chirk Tunnel complete with towpath. It must have been a unique experience towing coal barges through the 420 meter (nearly 1,400 ft) long tunnel.

Barton Swing Aqueduct

(images via: John Eyres and Narrowboat Tacet)

The poster child for 19th century British engineering has to be the Barton Swing Aqueduct, opened in 1894 to replace a stone aqueduct built in 1761. Directed from a brick control tower situated on an island in the Manchester Shipping Canal, this ingenious swinging aqueduct allows the Bridgewater Canal to cross the newer shipping canal by spinning 90 degrees.

(image via: Vince’s World)

The tower also controls a swinging road bridge slightly upstream but still pivoting on the island. When in use, both bridge and aqueduct swing around to line up along the longitudinal axis of the island. Here’s a cool video of the Barton Swing Aqueduct doing what it does best:

Barton Aqueduct, via NBKeepingup

Ash Aqueduct

(image via: Geograph)

Two hundred years after the first cast-iron navigable aqueduct appeared in Great Britain, the Ash Aqueduct officially opened. Two centuries is a long time for a certain technology to remain in use, relatively unchanged, but perhaps Thomas Telford was a man ahead of his time.

(images via: Renderosity and Basingstoke-Canal.org)

The Ash Aqueduct officially opened in June of 1995 and, unfortunately, graffiti taggers wasted no time in welcoming it to the ‘hood. The aqueduct’s stated purpose is to carry the Basingstoke Canal from Surrey into Hampshire, over the Blackwater River.

(image via: Ministry)

“Things that are wanting are brought together / Things remote are connected / Rivers themselves meet by the assistance of art / To afford new objects of commerce.” So reads the inscription (translated from Latin) on the south side of the Lune Aqueduct. This wonderful expression of romantic optimism reflected the era’s belief that art and science working together could accomplish great things for great public benefit. The UK’s navigable aqueducts helped realize that hope.

Aqueducts, those most triumphal examples of Roman arched architecture, have been displaying the engineering genius of the ancients for tens of centuries. These spectacular monuments not only spanned rivers and valleys to provide Roman cities with precious drinking water, aqueducts also spanned the length and breadth of Rome‘s far-flung empire. Here are 15 of the most noteworthy survivors.

The Park of the Aqueducts, Rome, Italy

(images via: University of St.Thomas, Insane, Montalbon and LA Times)

It’s been said that “all roads lead to Rome” but the same might be said about aqueducts. Ancient Rome had a population of just over 1 million and on hot summer days, it takes more than bread and circuses to cool off a public inflamed by a gladiatorial doubleheader at the Colosseum. During the Middle Ages, Rome’s population dropped to around 30,000 – due in no small part to water shortages caused by the decay of the Eternal City’s life-giving aqueducts. The remains of several of Rome’s largest aqueducts can be seen, up close and personal, at The Park of The Aqueducts.

(image via: Wikimedia)

A common theme of art’s Romantic Age was the decline and fall of Ancient Rome. Painters such as Thomas Cole sought to express the weight of history and the loss of wisdom embodied in the fall of Rome by painting the remnants of the Empire’s largest and most visible examples of monumental architecture, the aqueducts. Above is “Roman Campagna (Ruins of Aqueducts in the Campagna di Roma)”, painted by Cole in 1843.

Aqueduct of Segovia, Spain

(image via: Cinque Terre Liguria)

The Aqueduct of Segovia is one of the best-preserved Roman aqueducts in Spain. So well-built was the aqueduct and so studious its maintenance through the Middle Ages that it functioned as a viable water delivery system well into the 20th century.

(images via: Fotografias and Wikimedia)

The aqueduct features a total of 167 arches and the granite blocks used in its construction were assembled without the use of mortar.

(image via: Sacred Destinations)

The aqueduct was repaired in the year 1072 and again in the late 15th century on the orders of Spain’s ruling couple, Ferdinand and Isabella. At that time it was specified that the original visual style and construction techniques be followed to the letter. Currently undergoing repair and restoration, the Aqueduct of Segovia is a valued city and state cultural landmark that showcases the vast skill of Roman engineers nearly 2,000 years ago.

Eifel Aqueduct, Koln, Germany

(images via: D.E.A and Wikipedia)

The Eifel Aqueduct was built in 80 AD to provide the Roman city of Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium (today’s Cologne) with fresh water. The entire system stretched across 95 kilometers (59 miles) to tap springs in Germany’s Eifel region. Most of the aqueduct was built underground to minimize damage, vandalism (perhaps from actual Vandals) and freezing in winter.

(image via: Stephanie Klocke)

The few above-ground sections of the Eifel Aqueduct that remain show complex and skillful construction methods using brick and stone masonry that would not be matched in central Europe for many centuries. Curiously, medieval craftsmen would remove the calcium carbonate scale that accumulated in the inner walls of the aqueduct and reuse it as a sort of faux marble called Eifel Stone.

Pont d’Aël, Cogne, Italy

(images via: Postecode and Aymavilles)

The Pont d’Aël is a practical combination of an aqueduct and a bridge. Located near Aosta in northern Italy, the Pont d’Aël was part of a 6 km (3.7 mile) long aqueduct that brought water to the newly founded Roman farming colony of Augusta Prætoria Salassorum; today’s Aosta. The original structure dates from the year 3 BC and rises 66 meters (216.5 ft) above the Aosta Valley.

(image via: Dilia Splinder)

Unusually, the Pont d’Aël and its associated waterworks were not financed by the state; instead the venture was privately planned and funded by Caius Avillius Caimus, a wealthy citizen from the city of Patavium (Padua).

Plovdiv Aqueduct, Bulgaria

(image via: Structurae)

Founded by the ancient Macedonians and named Philippopolis, today’s Plovdiv, Bulgaria was renamed Trimontium by the Romans as a nod to the three main hills that dominate the city. The Balkans as a whole were a critically important part of the Roman Empire and the regions towns and cities often hosted garrisons of legionaries to ensure invaders would be rebuffed. Trimontium was no different, and aqueducts were used to provide a secure flow of fresh water that would not be disrupted should the city fall under siege. Little is left of Trimontium’s aqueduct but the short section that still stands displays a quite modern beauty highlighted by the pleasing use of red brick and white local stone.

Aqueduct of the Gier, Lyon, France

(images via: France-Voyage, Virtual Globetrotting and Giorgio Temporelli)

The Aqueduct of the Gier is one of the longest and most complex Roman aqueducts. Utilizing tunnels, covered concrete culverts and classic raised sections over a sinuous path that stretches over 85 km (52 miles). The aqueduct was built over a period of several years at least in the first century AD and brought water to the Roman city of Lugdunum; now Lyon in eastern France.

(image via: Wilke Schram)

The Romans were brilliant hydrological engineers and investigation of the inner workings of the Aqueduct of the Gier reveals the extensive use of soldered and pressurized lead pipes, holding tanks, siphons and manholes provided for maintenance.

Aqüeducte de les Ferreres, Tarragonna, Catalonia (Spain)

(image via: Xtec)

The Aqüeducte de les Ferreres (also known as Pont del Diable in Catalan and Devil’s Bridge in English) is a spectacular, 249 meter (817 ft) long aqueduct built around the year 0 in the reign of the first Roman emperor Augustus.

(images via: Academic.ru and Serrallenc)

The 27 meter (88.5 ft) high structure was built to bring fresh water to the Roman city of Tarraco, today Tarragona in Spain’s autonomous region of Catalonia. In the year 2000, UNESCO added the Aqüeducte de les Ferreres to its listing of World Heritage sites.

(image via: Cinque Terre Liguria)

Here’s a short video featuring the Aqüeducte de les Ferreres in all its glory:

Valens Aqueduct (Bozdogan Kemeri), Istanbul, Turkey

(images via: New Istanbul Times and Guides of Istanbul)

The Valens Aqueduct, or Bozdogan in Turkish, was one of the main aqueducts supplying water to the capital of Byzantium, Constantinople. Such was the importance (and structural integrity) of this aqueduct that after the great city fell to Ottoman invaders in 1453, the occupiers repaired and maintained the aqueduct which today is a prominent part of Istanbul’s infrastructure. The aqueduct was built during the reign of Emperor Valens (364–378 AD) and was still functioning, albeit at a much-reduced capacity, into the early 18th century.

(image via: Achudinov)

During the 1940s, Istanbul city planners were faced with a conundrum when designing the route of Ataturk Boulevard, which would intersect with an existing segment of the Valens Aqueduct. Thankfully, a solution was found by which the boulevard passed under the aqueduct’s arches without disturbing its foundations. Subsequent repairs, cleaning and strengthening have ensured the underpass is safe for both citizenry and history.

Herod’s Aqueduct, Caesarea, Israel

(images via: Works For Christ, Inner Faith Travel, Teach All Nations and Vintage Posters)

The Roman port of Caesarea on Israel’s Mediterranean coast was a major center of administration during the early years of the 1st millennium – the only problem was it did not have a constant and reliable source of fresh water. The solution was to construct an aqueduct that brought fresh spring water from the slopes of Mount Carmel, 16 k (about 10 miles) away.

(image via: Corbis)

Called Herod’s Aqueduct after the Judean king who commissioned it, the structure features arched pillars typical of Roman-era construction but hugs the ground as the area’s terrain was mainly flat. The aqueduct also may appear somewhat squat; this is due to an expansion performed in the 2nd century AD that widened Herod’s original design to carry two parallel water channels and thus increase the aqueduct’s capacity.

Moria Aqueduct, Lesbos, Greece

(images via: Harald Voglhuber and Agni Travel)

The remains of the Roman aqueduct near Moria on the Greek island of Lesbos are striking in their combination of delicacy and strength. Architectural masters of the ancient world, the Romans perfected the structural arch to the point that many of their grandest monuments required no mortar to hold the stones together. The Moria Aqueduct was constructed mainly of locally quarried marble.

(image via: Los Chu-Chus)

The Moria Aqueduct supplied approximately 127,000 cubic meters (33,528,000 gallons) of fresh spring water per day to the Roman city of Mytilene. Precise inclination of the aqueduct’s water course over its original 22 km (13.7 mile) length ensured that water arrived at a slow and steady rate – as with all Roman aqueducts, an exceptional feat of hydrological engineering!

Aqueduct of Tyre, Lebanon

(images via: Virtual Tourist and Worship Excellence)

Tyre was founded by the Phoenicians in the 9th century BC on an island just off the coast of today’s Lebanon. The city’s claim to fame in the ancient world was Tyrian Purple, a brilliant violet dye made from a certain species of snail. Long invulnerable to attack, the city was finally conquered by Alexander the Great and revived by the Romans. Most of the monumental architecture visible at Tyre today dates from the Roman period (2nd to 6th century AD).

(image via: Virtual Tourist)

An island city in the sea requires fresh water to support its population, and the remains of Tyre’s aqueduct can be seen running along its former main avenue which leads to a massive triumphal arch.

Diocletian’s Aqueduct, Split, Croatia

(images via: Skyscraper City, Andrew Petcher and All Empires)

Diocletian’s Aqueduct in what is the modern city of Split, Croatia, was one of the last large aqueducts built in the Roman Empire. Estimated to have been completed in the first few years of the 4th century AD, the aqueduct was 9 km (5.6 miles) long and brought fresh water from the Jaso river directly to the massive palatial complex in the center of the city of Spalatum where the Roman Emperor Diocletian lived after his retirement.

(image via: Snjezana Novak)

The best-preserved portion of Diocletian’s Aqueduct can be found near Dujmova?a where a 180 meter (590.5 ft) section stands 16.5 meters (54 feet) high. Not too shabby for a guy who lived out the remaining few years of his life gardening and growing vegetables.

Zaghouan-Carthage Aqueduct, Tunisia

(images via: Corbis and Corbis)

One of the longest aqueducts ever built anywhere in the Roman Empire marched across the arid plains of Tunisia, bringing life-giving water to the refounded city of Carthage. Some of the Zaghouan-Carthage Aqueduct‘s 132 km (82 mile) course has succumbed to the ravages of time, leaving only a line of pillars reminiscent of those at Stonehenge.

(image via: Corbis)

The Carthage of Hannibal lost a hard-fought, bitter war to the Roman Republic early in the second century BC that ended with the city being completely destroyed. It wasn’t long, however, before Rome realized the advantages of re-establishing Carthage as a Roman city and upon doing so, its population swelled to an estimated 500,000. Building the Zaghouan-Carthage Aqueduct was essential to provide the colonists with water for domestic and agricultural use.

Acueducto de los Milagros, Mérida, Spain

(images via: Fotopedia)

Of the three main aqueducts built by the Roman’s to supply the city of Emerita Augusta (Mérida, today) with water, Los Milagros (The Miracles) is the largest and best preserved. It is thought that the aqueduct was constructed in the 1st century AD with further work performed at the beginning of the 4th century AD.

(image via: Urbanity)

Los Milagros drew water from an artificial lake formed by the damming of several small rivers. The aqueduct itself utilized a double-arcade format and the stonework was mainly granite blocks interspersed with stripe-like layers or contrasting red brick. Only 38 of the aqueduct’s 25 meter (82 ft) high pillars remain but the ruins still evoke a powerful sense of ethereal beauty and wonder.

Pont du Gard, Nimes, France

(image via: Wallpaper Web)

Perhaps the most beautiful and most complete large Roman aqueduct is not found in Rome, nor the whole of Italy – it’s in the neighboring country of France. The ancient Roman Aqueduct of Le Pont du Gard is 2,000 years old (more or less; experts can’t agree) and was built to bring water to the Roman city of Nemausus (today’s Nîmes) from the Fontaines d’Eure springs near the town of Uzès.

(images via: Le Clus des Romarins, Travelpod and Globus Journeys)

What is known today as the Pont du Gard is actually only a portion of a much longer system of aqueducts stretching nearly 50 km (31 miles) in length. In its prime the aqueduct delivered as much as 20,000 cubic meters (5 million gallons) of water to the Castellum of Nemausus daily.

(image via: Real Daily Photo)

The Pont du Gard was made a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985, and this worn relic of an ancient empire is more than deserving of the honor. You’ve got to hand it to the Romans: without the aid of computers, motors, electricity or even paper they managed to construct large-scale, precisely engineered “machines” that functioned perfectly precisely for centuries. Just like your Mom’s Buick… not.

(image via: Riding Brazil)

Outwardly lacy and delicate yet designed with inward strength, the survival of so many Roman aqueducts built up to 2,000 years ago – and in many cases, built without mortar to hold their stones together – seems almost miraculous. Not so much, really: the more you learn about the Romans, the more their profound skill, knowledge and insight can be appreciated. One wonders how many of OUR civilization’s monumental architectural works will still be around two thousand years hence.