Pontcysyllte aqueduct and canal in North Wales has been designated as Britain’s newest World Heritage Site.

The 200-year-old structure near Llangollen, built by Thomas Telford and William Jessop between 1795 and 1805, is the longest and highest aqueduct in Britain.

Heritage lovers have campaigned for more than six years to have the aqueduct recognised alongside the world’s best known cultural and historical sites. Last night their campaign finally succeeded when it was added to the prestigious list by officials at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) meeting in Seville, Spain.

“We are absolutely over the moon," said Dr Dawn Roberts, economic development manager for Wrexham Council.

"We have been working on this for so long and it means so much to those of us that are from this area.

“To have our aqueduct and our canal named as a World Heritage site is amazing. There is so much local pride and a lot of celebrations going on.”

The aqueduct is regarded as one of Telford’s greatest civil engineering achievements. He designed a cast iron trough for the canal and laid it on top of 18 stone piers to carry the waterway 126ft above the River Dee. Around 16,000 canal boats cross the aqueduct each year.

Dr Roberts added: “World Heritage status does not bring with it any prize or money, it is more of a badge of honour. It is an awesome sight and one of those sites in the world we feel people must visit.”

Pontcysyllte was Britain’s only nomination at the 33rd session of Unesco’s World Heritage Committee.

The list currently features around 900 properties deemed to have “outstanding universal value” for humanity, including the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal and Stonehenge.

Rhodri Morgan, Wales’s first minister, said: “World Heritage nomination for Pontcysyllte aqueduct and canal is the cherry on the cake for Wales’s historic transport and industrial environment.”

Julie Sharman, general manager for British Waterways Wales and Border Counties, said World Heritage status would bring “increased economic prosperity to local communities”.

Councillor Aled Roberts, leader of Wrexham County Council, said: “Pontcysyllte aqueduct is a major part of our heritage and regarded very fondly by local residents.”

Pontcysyllte aqueduct and canal is the 28th World Heritage inscribed site in the UK, and the third in Wales. The other two are Blaenavon Industrial Landscape and the Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd.

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