Secrets of the Thames & Severn Canal - 1 - Lechlade

In this new series, I look at facets and history of this fascinating canal in the South West of England..
Videos mentioned in this video:
Cotswold Canal Update 6 about Inglesham:
• Stroudwater and Thames...
Cotswold Canal Update 10 about the reopening of Inglesham Lock:
• Stroudwater and Thames...
Parkend:
• Dean Forest Railway - ...
#canal #cotswolds #riverthames

[@faithg9766]

Another super series to come. Thanks for bringing the history of these wonderful places to life.

[@westcountrywanderings]

Thank you Faith! I certainly will try to. Hope you have a great Sunday. Paul

[@SouthWestSundays]

That was so interesting Paul and the scenery was beautiful. You give each viewer real value in your videos. Not only do you show, but you tell in such clear detail, the stories and history. Another excellent video.

[@westcountrywanderings]

Thank you Louise! Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for your very kind comments. Yes, the scenery around there is lovely, and that bridge is so photogenic! Paul

[@lawrencerogers576]

Wonderful video. Thanks.

[@westcountrywanderings]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it. Cheers, Paul

[@michaelpilling9659]

Hello Paul - greetings from Poland A marvellous video. You certainly did a lot of research before you made this video. An excellent history lesson on the T&S and River Thames at Lechlade.

[@westcountrywanderings]

Thank you Michael! Glad you enjoyed it. Yes, I really like Lechlade - it is a lovely town. Another one coming soon. Hope you have a great weekend. Take care, Paul

[@dianeparry1260]

Thank you Paul, yes I look forward to following this series. Take care and stay safe 😊😊

[@westcountrywanderings]

Thanks so much Diane! Glad you enjoyed it. Hope to do another one soon. Take care, Paul

[@meichong8278]

2.47k ,,Thank you Paul another mini series to look forward to .... your hard work is appreciated ...

[@westcountrywanderings]

Great to hear from you again Mei! Hope you are keeping well! Thanks for a lovely comment. Take care, Paul

[@jamesweekes6726]

Hi Paul, A wonderful video, thank you. January there looks a bit more manageable than here...minus 16 this week, although next week promises to go above zero again, thank goodness. Take care, looking forward to your next video.

[@westcountrywanderings]

Thank you James! Not only me, but I don't think that my cameras would handle -16! That is cold! Glad it is getting warmer than that. Unfortunately, getting warmer in the UK usually means rain, as has proved to be the case today with torrential rain again, but above average temperature. I prefer cold, dry and sunny conditions, but not quite that cold! Thanks for a lovely comment. Take care, Paul

[@malcolmrichardson3881]

Great video and fascinating to learn that the opening of the T&S stimulated improvements to navigation on the Thames. Reopening the Eastern end of the T&S, when it happens, will be another landmarrk, which might prove equally significant for the upper reaches on the Thames, including the magnificent old town of Lechlade.

[@westcountrywanderings]

Thank you Malcolm. Glad you enjoyed it. Yes, it seems to me that energies would have been better spent connecting Lechlade to the Cotswold Water Park at South Cerney, rather than the other end of The Cotswold Canals - would have been easier (and considerably cheaper!) to achieve, I think. Still, the T&S remains a fascinating and beautiful canal. Take care, Paul

[@frankhobbs7695]

Interesting. I haven't seen the "Old Father Thames" since I was a boy, when in the late 1950's early 1960's I used to stay with an aunt, who lived at Coates, and we used to walk the fields to where he was originally situated and spend many a summer day enjoying ourselves - I'm sure it was sunnier then!

[@westcountrywanderings]

Thank you so much! When I was using a (very old) guide book to the Cotswolds a couple of years ago, I was surprised that Old Father Thames statue wasn't next to the source of the River Thames at Kemble went I went looking for it. I think it was moved because it kept getting vandalised, sadly. Oh, yes, and summers from long ago always seem sunnier in our memories! Cheers, Paul

[@paulturner7837]

Great start to the new series Paul, very informative as usual. Thanks very much, have a great weekend

[@westcountrywanderings]

Thank you Paul! Glad you enjoyed it. Take care, Paul

[@bernardsmith152]

A very informative video Paul , good work . I look forward to seeing the rest of the series.

[@westcountrywanderings]

Thank you Bernard! Glad you enjoyed it. Yes, as you can imagine, there is a lot of research involved in these, so they do take a little time to do, but I do hope to have another one soon. Cheers, Paul

[@janevivian-smith4578]

Lovely area to walk by the river - not bad fish and chips shop in lechlade nice to eat by the river but watch out for the swans and ducks thanks for sharing❤

[@westcountrywanderings]

Thank you Jane. Yes, it is a lovely walk there, but, unfortunately, it was still rather muddy! I walked around the longer way to get to Inglesham to film those bits, and I drove (ugh! I know!) to St. John's Lock. The footpath from where I was at Halfpenny Bridge to St. John's is currently closed (not because of the flooding but the unsafeness of the bridge underpass). Take care, Paul

[@royedwards8713]

Hi Paul nice video and photos 👌

[@westcountrywanderings]

Thank you Roy! Yes, Lechlade is a lovely town - not unlike Bidford on Avon! Take care, Paul

[@suzanne11-11]

Good morning/afternoon to you Paul. Presently around 2pm your time. Very enjoyable fact video with lovely background scenery of the river. Facts I wouldn't know regarding the Thames without your tutorial. It was all quite interesting and I thank you. The opening and ending scenes of River Thames and River Coin joining with the willow tree standing majestically over them is stunning. I'd love to have a photo of that in wall hanging size over my sofa. It captures a beautiful scene of nature's magnificence. I'd love to know how many half penny bridges there were once upon a time in the UK. It reminds me of my long weekend trip to Dublin and having my photo taken at the Ha'Penny Bridge aka Liffey. The blue canal boat seen in the background of your video had me curious about it's interior design and layout. I've always had a fondness for canal and houseboats. Whilst living in Kent, I enjoyed watching Escape To The Country and on one episode the couple looking to buy a home was given the option of a newly renovated and refurbished canal boat. It was absolutely spectacular inside and out. Do you perchance have a previous video tour of Lechlade? I'd very much like to see the town itself if possible. It looks rather appealing to me. Once again, another place that I'd never heard of whilst living in England. Your videos are becoming more delightful than taking time to read one of my books! Take good care and here's wishing you a peaceful and relaxing weekend in your little corner. "Mind how you go......" Suzie

[@westcountrywanderings]

Hello Suzie! It is around 1.30am here - first time I have had to reply to comments - all day filming on Friday, and all day editing on Saturday. Now Sunday is here, and I am getting ready to publish another one in a few hours time later this morning. Thanks for your kind words. I haven't (yet!) done a seperate video on Lechlade itself although that is a future possibility. Yes, that blue narrowboat did look rather lovely. I don't know if you have already stumbled on him, but David Johns (ex ITV news journalist) has a wonderful KZbin channel all about narrowboats and narrowboat living called @cruisingthecut - worth checking out if you are interested. He lived on one for sometime, sold it, and now is looking to live on one again. Take care, Paul

[@suzanne11-11]

@@westcountrywanderings It's still morning here Paul but I'm going to wish you a pleasant rest of the afternoon over yonder. I hope you got in a little bit of rest time yesterday after all of the time and energy put into your latest video. I'll take a look later on to see what I've missed. Thank you for the information regarding David Johns and his channel about narrow boats. I'll certainly make sure to look him up on here. I happened upon a video of a couple who live on their boat year-round. They made a lovely Christmas video for their followers at the beginning of their trip up through England. I'm guessing that they'll be making videos of their travels as they go along. At least I hope that they will. It was quite interesting as well as scenic. Have a delightful week ahead Paul and may your travels be fun and safe ones. I'll look forward to watching a video of Lechlade if you should ever decide to put it on your list of places to tour. Mind how you go...... Suzie

[@westcountrywanderings]

@@suzanne11-11 Thank you! Hope you have a great week too!

[@davidberlanny3308]

Hi Paul, What a long history this place has, some of it makes Father Thames look a youngster and he's over 150 years old!! The opening shot of the meeting of the rivers and canal was superb👌👌. It looks quite marshy down there. Its going to be a while before you will be able to get back to sabrina I think. Snowing down our way too but not down to our level. My sister had to abandon her car yesterday on her way to the farm shop near Wadebridge because of the icy and snowy conditions. In yesterday's good weather I took the time out to visit a long forgotten aqueduct in the middle of nowhere, it was built to bring in water to meet the demands of a gold rush some 150 years ago!! Great video, well done, have a great weekend!!

[@westcountrywanderings]

Thank you David! Unfortunately, the weather has got warmer, which, as is usual at this time of year, brought with it torrential rain and high winds. No filming for a few days again! I'd rather have the cold, sunny and dry weather. Sorry to hear about your sister in Wadebridge in Cornwall though - my daughter saw some snow in Cornwall, but it didn't settle for long. Hope she has retreived her car now. I have been watching another Scottish KZbinr's (Steve Marsh) adventures in Spain recently. He got the ferry from Ireland to Santander - really interesting looking city. He then took a 5 and 1/2 hour bus trip to Salamanca - what a beautiful place! The landscape around Northern Spain looked stunning too, but you rarely hear people from the UK going on holiday there - it is always Torremolinos, Benedorm, and Costa del Sol, etc! That aqueduct hunting sounds great David - are there any photos of it on Instagram? Sorry, I rarely get time to go on there. Thanks so much! Take care, Paul

[@davidberlanny3308]

@@westcountrywanderings Sister's fine, thanks for asking!! You're quite right most tourists don't know what they're missing. Northern Spain is beautiful similar in some ways to Cornwall, highly recommended. I haven't been to either Santander or Salamanca, I know Salamanca is famous for it's university and central square. I have taken the ferry from Portsmouth to Bilbao a few times, it's a days drive to get to our neck if the woods. The aqueduct was a great find, practically unknown and yet not too far to get too. It's part of a canal, but not a navigable one, more akin to an acequia (irrigation channel). I have posted some photos and will go back as you always find something else. It would be fun to try to walk the length of it 14kms but there is no towpath and it's mountainous terrain. Something to investigate!! Sun's out today!! All the best!!

[@cathydyer3774]

Great history lesson Paul. Now I will think of cheaper coal arriving in Oxfordshire and salt🧂from Droitwich and cider and cheeses on the barges going to other cities 🙂🧀🍻🦆🦆🙂

[@westcountrywanderings]

Thank you Cathy! Yes, the warehouse at Brimscombe Port near Stroud on the T&S was put on an island to avoid stock being stolen, especially coal! I wonder how secure this one was? Lots of freight going in all directions. Thanks so much! Take care, Paul