AN 11-mile canal which includes two aqueducts and a dam is set to be illuminated in celebration of its 10th anniversary as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, the 126-foot tall watercourse that carries the Llangollen Canal over the River Dee, will form the centrepiece of the three-week project expected to attract thousands of visitors.

It is the canal’s most popular tourist spot, built by architect Thomas Telford in 1805 to transport slate and limestone from North Wales to industrial towns in England.

However the heritage event – led by the Canal & River Trust and Clwydian Range & Dee Valley AONB – also aims to bring attention to other graded and scheduled monuments along the canal including the Chirk Aqueduct, Castell Dinas Bras and the Horseshoe Falls.

They will all be illuminated by expert lighting firm Enlightened for Bristol from 7.30pm to 9.30pm during October 7-27.

Terry Evans, Wrexham county councillor and member of the World Heritage Status Board, hopes the illumination will highlight that the World Heritage Site “is an 11-mile corridor”.

The project is funded by Visit Wales and the National Lottery Heritage Fund and its launch coincides with the UK World Heritage Annual Conference in Llangollen on October 7-8.

Adnan Saif, regional director of the Canal & River Trust, said Llangollen Canal is “a beautiful waterway” and “a lovely place to visit throughout the year”.

“Research shows that being next to water makes you happier and healthier and this luminaire event will allow visitors to see the canal in a different light whilst helping to celebrate ten years since it became a World Heritage Site,” he said.

Lord Elis-Thomas, the Welsh Government deputy minister for culture, sport and tourism, added: “This project is a great example of how innovative ideas can help us make the most of our World Heritage Sites.”

For more information on the project, visit www.canalrivertrust.org.uk