Scotch Hall Bridge is a multi-arched canal bridge of c.1804-05 carrying New Road over the canal. An Act to construct the Ellesmere Canal, linking the Dee, Mersey and Severn Rivers, was passed in 1793. In 1801, during construction, it was decided not to continue the canal northwards to Wrexham. Instead a 9.656km long feeder canal was constructed in 1804-08 to supply water to the main canal, which it joined just below the bridge, and twin docks were built at Pontcysyllte to provide wharfage. The docks became the terminus of the main canal. Thomas Telford was responsible for the detailed design of the canal bridges and he succeeded William Jessop as the principle engineer on the canal in 1801 and the innovative iron-bridges on the canal are illustrated in the autobiographical 'Telford's Atlas'.

The bridge was built in three adjoining sections, the largest central arch being the original bridge over the canal. The east arch was added later to bridge access to the East Trevor Basin wharfs. A gateway in the parapet west of the central arch which led to steps down to the House next to Telford Inn appears to have been destroyed during construction of West arch to provide access to west wharfs. In 1846 the canal became part of the Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company, but in the following year was taken over by the London & North Western Railway. Transport on the canal diminished in later C19 with arrival of the railways and ceased by World War II. The canal was only kept open because of its importance as a supplier of water and has now become a major tourist asset.

This bridge is internationally significant as a very early example of an iron-arched canal bridge, internationally there may only have been one earlier example, used on a river navigation cut in Yorkshire, northern England (one preserved arch is in the York Railway Museum). There are three examples of the innovative surviving iron-arched bridges on the Llangollen (former Ellesmere) Canal, two at Trevor Basin and one at Chirk Bank. It is possible that there were once one or two more along the line of the canal. It is also of great significance because of its claimed design by Thomas Telford, a pioneering engineer of global importance.

The account above is partly based on the Cadw Listed Buildings description, Stephen R. Hughes, 26.03.2007).
A detailed survey of the bridge was carried out by RCAHMW in 2007.

Louise Barker, RCAHMW, 17th Decmeber 2007