The Story of British Canals - VHS - 1993 (Canal History Docu)

1993 VHS on the history of canals in Great Britain. It is a bit dated in its style (and incidental music lol) but still an enjoyable little program with some very interesting footage.

[@kokopelli314]

On a gloomy winter morn, this with crumpets and a hot tea is exactly what I needed

[@jayant9578]

This is my favourite thing about Britain. Absolutely love this.

[@obvioustomost]

Will weeks

[@ceeceety2320]

My wife and I truly hope to visit the canals one day. It all seems so beautiful and serene. Have been wondering about the history of them. Now I know a bit more.

[@rogerusa9696]

A wonderful video. When you see those narrow boats on the water it's hard to believe what a major part they played in bringing about the industrial revolution. Elsewhere, in the low countries, they built bigger and wider canals, but in England they had to cut through hills and the cross valleys by building viaducts, so the seven foot system worked best for them, and they did it quickly. It is also worth remembering that the Industrial revolution started in England and changed the economy of the world, thanks to the narrow boat.

[@StuffOffYouStuff]

Thanks so much for uploading this! Love oldschool British documentaries, esp narrated by actors with cosy voices :)

[@jakewhite3163]

They most definitely instill a sense of comfort and reassurance in the world. It makes you feel like there is no wrong, and for 57 minutes you are immersed in 1990s campy/eggy glamour that has aged ten fold, but is so wonderfully vivid and classic.

[@aaronwelfare2138]

I was trying to think where I'd heard his voice 🤔he was the games teacher in Kes 👍

[@mplsmark222]

I also appreciate a well trained voice doing narration. They used to give these jobs to qualified people. Unfortunately, often that is no longer case. I’m also a great admirer of the canal system and the efforts to preserve and even add to it. I don’t know if I would cruise it myself because of the slow pace, but it’s nice to see others living on and enjoying the system.

[@cathydyer3774]

Fantastic video and old films. I really learned a lot. Thank you. Also at about 51 minutes it showed Bratch Lock in Wombourne, South Staffs, where we lived for a few years, 34 years ago. We used to enjoy walking along the canal there.🦆🦆🌻🌺🌳

[@griffca4814]

I love how he said Steering around a cut like it's some hard core war fighting.

[@Oscarsadventures]

This seems nostalgic for some reason.

[@320ifq]

Many of the canals, especially in Birmingham survived alongside the railways because industrial customers often had docks on site, the lack of lorries meant goods were offloaded at stations onto boats for the final few miles of delivery by canal.

[@eleanorchapple8772]

Wonderful documentary! Thank you for this!

[@shrinewitch]

Thanks so much for uploading this!

[@plezurhounds]

Lovely doco, written with interest and narrated by Brian Glover with just the right amount of passion... Thanks for the upload:-)

[@Corkedwolf43771]

"this is rumour control here are the facts"

[@StuffOffYouStuff]

an unmistakable voice! Love him.

[@mathewgreen4099]

Fascinating documentary & Brian Glover’s narration was a perfect addition. Many thanks for posting.

[@yashizuko]

I did not know this even existed, not even a documentary has been made on this topic in italy, so interesting

[@lesleyburton9999]

Loved it all, Brian Glover's voice just right and the music.Would love to have a narrow boat owning friend able to spend retirement exploring , keeping fit and happy.

[@LaszloPanaflex]

That aquaduct from 1805 is amazing! Great post.

[@susancronk8512]

A great documentary. Well narrated and very interesting. Wish we had more canals like this in America where you could crisscross the land this land. Am enjoying watching the narrowboat vlogs, too.

[@sthompson4049]

been wondering the same thing

[@sarahredactedyl8742]

I'm happy to hear you enjoy this mode of transportation. I am actually going to college to become a Civil Engineer - and I intend to change a lot about how we trade and transport (with canals and other things)

[@skimND]

The Erie Canal is pretty extensive for US

[@maureenkidd6629]

@@skimND One lock after another would do my head in.

[@thisisforonecomment]

@@sarahredactedyl8742 hope it’s going well ⛴⛴

[@sarahredactedyl8742]

The music is my favorite part; it's tied with the history of course.

[@RapaciousUT]

Most excellent documentary. Thank you very much!

[@GodOfReality]

This is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for uploading.

[@WildaConnell]

Hi Thank you so much . I have been watching 'The Great Canal Journeys' starting from the beginning. This is a remarkable & full sharing of the rich history of the British canals that helps fill in the blanks for me. This documentary, so thoughtfully put together is the sort of effort that makes KZbin & the internet continue to be so worthwhile.

[@jamesa7506]

A wonderful film! Thanks for sharing this. Well done!

[@polygamous1]

What a beautiful Brilliant n relaxing documentary many thanks for uploading just Amazing

[@pastorflaps6819]

That was fantastic stuff thank you for providing it to watch

[@maureenkidd6629]

That was so very interesting and informing. Thank you for this enjoyable video of the history of the waterways.

[@Mr7valentine7]

Highly enjoyed. Thank you!

[@johnferguson4089]

A fascinating docco telling me of something I never knew about, many thanks.

[@sprint955st]

That was brilliant. I already knew most of the main stuff but Brian Glover’s narration was enthusiastic and added excitement. Wish he alive so I could let him know. Cheers.

[@alanwann9318]

Art abe +earn

[@michaelhiggins7365]

Although this is quite dated, it gives a rather thorough and quite interesting education and history of Britain's amazing system of canal's. This is well worth the watch.

[@Chasworth]

Catford rules

[@zamirosorov2399]

Wonderful story! Thank you!

[@cliffcollins2497]

Thank you for a most enjoyable history. Take care!

[@johankotze42]

Thank you for sharing. It adds to the two narrow boat chanels I am following.

[@steveevans4093]

Would like to see the canals but probably won't happen in this life time. Thank you for posting, KZbin . . . the next best thing!

[@lauriestlyon8773]

There are boats to hire for days, weekends or weeks.

[@cliffwoodbury5319]

i don't understand how the narrow canals ever went out of use. The restoration of the canals with a well thought out plan could be a huge boost to logistical transport and touism. I just found out about the narrow/broad boats and the canals they navigate and love watching the videos. With restoration of proper shore facilities there could be many underutilized sections of the economy that could grow. By making the narro/broadboats part of intermodal logistics (linking them better to road and rail hubs/yards) that could make goods cheaper across the islands. By incorperating them more into urban life, like new rail station sit could revive neigboorhoods that were long left derelect. One day i hope to cruise in a narrow boat.

[@MrDorbel]

I hope that you do get to cruise the cut one day Cliff, but they won't ever carry commercial traffic again. Even if the canals were dredged and maintained, a pair of narrow boats leaving London with 50 tons of cargo takes 4 or 5 days to get to Birmingham! That's also assuming that they aren't held up by having to slow down for miles of pleasure boat moorings and wait at the locks while holiday makers dither about! Sorry, it's just a pipe dream.

[@Light-gp9hk]

AMAZING!!! TY SOOOO MUCH...aaah what a bliss! :)

[@CoherentChimp]

Interesting and entertaining documentary. Well worth a watch. Thanks!

[@buckwildproductions7354]

I really enjoyed this! Fascinating!!!

[@janetmcgrorty8701]

Megan I really enjoy your short films. Thank you for sharing.

[@fletcher3913]

I enjoyed this documentary. Thank you.

[@jimsmith3971]

Lovely video. The British canal system is such a valuable resource in many ways.

[@danieldelewis2448]

You know it's going to be a good one when a documentary starts with a quote from Mr.Rat

[@narrowboatingwithmrrollo8949]

Really enjoyed this history. Now the proud owners of the Helen Louise, I hope we do not forget the 'roots' of these amazing, network of canals and working narrowboats. Can't wait (but Covid-19 demands we do) to cruise those ancient; now modernized, English canals.

[@xlenau]

I really loved how whole family lives and work together.

[@nevillemason6791]

It was terrible. They had a squalid existence all living in a very small cramped cabin at the back of the barge. Before the coming of the railways the boatmen's families lived in cottages. When the railways took away a lot of canal trade the boatmen were forced to cut costs. Their families came to live on the barges and help with their operation so no extra man was needed (to guide the horse). The children had no chance of any education because they were never in one place long enough to go to school.

[@lukegreen5341]

0:43 This Music Is So Funky. Thanks Mate. X

[@osvaldocristo]

Great film! Thank you very much to share it!

[@robertmason2747]

Great vid. - as a yank I’ve been following the narrow boat vlogs - such history ! Thanks

[@jean-lucpicard5510]

The narrator is so Yorkshire a bowl of pork pie and mushy peas appeared in my lap, and I now own a whippet.

[@hereandthere4763]

Sounds like Jimmy Savile

[@lonewolfgeoff]

Here and There naaa its that bald actor who was the boss on the prison planet in alien 3 lol

[@KlunkerRider]

That explains the tweed cap that suddenly appeared on my head XD

[@garywhiterow]

The late great Brian Glover.

[@lonewolfgeoff]

W anchor thats him, ta

[@g.bishop35]

Wonderfully narrated and absorbing history of a vital aspect of Britain’s Industrial Revolution.

[@andyrbush]

Superb video factual, informative and entertaining.

[@SecretSquirrelFun]

Brilliant 6:35 ONE YEAR 😳😳 amazing 🤩 10:50 all of that original documentation is wondering isn’t it. ❤

[@NarrowboatNatterings]

Loved this! As a Vlogger though, I'll be avoiding this soundtrack!

[@rolandcrombez936]

Thank you for the post.. Wish I live on England canals before I bloody die...

[@christopherjameslee3341]

Some of my ancestors [Knott] worked the canals from Bardney, Lincs.

[@romzimus893]

Great documentary I learnt a lot from this

[@hughtierney9109]

For any foreigners listening to this: the narration is in Yorkshireguese.

[@roddersfiftynine]

and in Yorkshire they don`t have the letter "H" in their alphabet.

[@altitude1039]

Thanks Rob!

[@gregbolitho9775]

nice 1 m8s, is there a spot that has more photos of the interior crew space of a working narrow boat?

[@ramjam25]

moving into a boat was the best thing I ever did

[@mikestirewalt5193]

WHY?? Was it a choice between a narrowboat and assisted living? Were you at the end of your rope and just wanted to peacefully watch the canal banks go slowly by as you neared the end of life? Really . . . the only challenge to life on a narrowboat is ice in some winter months, if you want to go somewhere. But where to go? You can only go one way . . . or the other way. No navigational skills required. The ancient arts of Prince Henry and James Cook and Francis Drake are something to only read about in those narrow little boats that would completely turn turtle if you tried to go somewhere even as close as Ireland. Narrowboats are on rails of a sort. In the nicest parts of the year, for a few months, it must be pleasant to drift through the green English countryside watching sheep and cows. One thing . . . the horses appear to be remarkably healthy in this video - not at all the poor, beaten beasts portrayed in images of horse-drawn London cabbies and carriages. Magnificent animals in this video. I'm sure this life has its charms but they don't seem all that conspicuous - not when you can buy a boat for the same money, or less, that will strike out on real water and take one somewhere. These boats are not free to go anywhere except one way, or the other. Interesting for historical reasons surely, for a couple months or so. Loved the old photos and history.

[@ramjam25]

@@mikestirewalt5193 I'm on a seaworthy lifeboat and have been on a trip from Limehouse to Calais . It's a good less consumer life style and there's the nature

[@hazchemel]

Thank you, fantastic; and very admirable the way free men and their families made a way of life that meshed with the needs of the time; and the predictable outrage this causes among the very concerned and vocal few.

[@nate8551]

I live by the Coventry canal. Thank you

[@dave1001]

Wow was very interesting to watch as well as learn

[@rogerwilco2]

I don't understand why the UK never upgraded their canals, but stayed at the technical limits of the 1770s with their narrow boats and 7 feet wide locks? We built many canals in the Netherlands in the same era, and upgraded them over time.

[@duncanhart3501]

And we love them! A great pleasure to navigate through your canals and rivers particularly as we have no equivalent here in Australia...(not to mention a lack of water in many states).

[@MrDorbel]

Many canals did of course have 14' wide locks, but the reason that we never moved on to having canals that could take barges of the continental sizes was just the terrain. Not only are the low countries flatter, but they connect to the great rivers of Europe, making canal traffic economic, as it is to this day of course.

[@mattwillis2434]

Thanks for posting. Loved Brian Glover narration, hated (hated) background music.

[@wyllgreenewood1931]

What a lovely video, thank you.

[@urbanrider7981]

My grandparents worked for Fellows Morton and Clayton,my mum was born on the boat,they had the Clay and the Perch.

[@stephenmorse8811]

Absolutely first class, with loads of old black-and-white footage.

[@jimcameron9848]

This was an evolutionary documentary that explains how we arrived at Thomas the Train and Friends.

[@Evie-vs6vb]

well explained!

[@andychumbley2196]

Nothing but fantastic.

[@Richardj410]

Very enjoyable.

[@GeeMak999]

That was wonderful

[@bigimskiweisenheimer8325]

I wonder if anyone ever said " I'm watching this to hear hurdy gurdy music"

[@lonewolfgeoff]

Rob Dunkes sr yep they did lol

[@BoyTrain872]

That's the storyteller and actor brian glover who did the little red tractor stories and doctor who attack of the cybermen.

[@bear_chills]

Was it him who was in the film Kez

[@dutchvanhelsing6671]

Brian Glover...he was grrrrreat ! Man.

[@davidboskett5581]

an excellent video

[@stevek8829]

The sign on the boat at: 28:33, "Drink Delicious Ovaltine." When is that from, 1850? Now I have to buy some Ovaltine. Oh, nice informative video. Thank-you.

[@briggsahoy1]

Very, very, interesting.

[@nickyl9040]

I'm an American kayaker who did not know that these canals existed until yesterday I would love to fly to the UK , rent a kayak and spend a couple of weeks paddling these canals Does GB have an infrastructure that will support those who want to paddle these canals

[@retrorambles517]

Possibly There would be local trusts who would look after certain sections and could possibly do it Google it

[@Krieghandt]

you would probably want a hire boat, and spend your nights there.

[@stevewebb7318]

Nicky L they have Kayaker clubs so you would be welcome

[@blokerama]

Yes. The company I worked for arranged for a group of us to canoe all the way from Birmingham to London Docks - about 180 miles. I'll never forget going through tunnels with water dripping through and gingerly paddling along aqueducts, afraid of falling over the side 50 or 80 feet ! A great time, so unbelievably quiet and leisurely and relaxing. No special permit is required, I believe . .

[@kiwitrainguy]

This reminds me of what I heard about when my Grandfather was a lad in the 1890s. As children they used to go swimming in the canal (in Surrey) to cool off in the Summer. The girls kept their knickers on and the boys went in "starkers". Am told that their Mother would've had a Blue Fit if she'd found out what they had been doing. Also Thomas Telford: Was he the one who stayed in bed on the day that his canal-on-a-bridge, aka aqueduct, opened because he was afraid that it would be a gigantic failure?

[@anthonyxuereb792]

Thoroughly enjoyed this, it's very detailed. Have Roman aqueducts survived in Britain?

[@jeffolsen4983]

Thanks!

[@andrewclack4881]

what a great video.

[@ronaldheit196]

This Yank definitely enjoyed this bit of English history I'd never heard about. Much more entertaining than some horribly trashy "unreality" tv show. I'd love to own a brightly painted narrow boat to live on and cruise Florida's St. John's river. The only river in America that flows northward. I've done a houseboat cruise on it but a narrow boat would be far more suitable.

[@BernardSamson-hf6fc]

I still think that to save the environment, heavy non-perishable goods should still be moved via canals. This still happens in Europe.

[@MrDorbel]

It happens in some parts of Europe because the canals take barges that carry several hundred tons. Even when the English canals were maintained and dredged to a standard that permitted commercial traffic, the maximum load of a narrow boat was about 25 tons. I am afraid that the days when a canal boat took four or five days to travel from London to Birmingham with that sort of load are long gone!

[@nickknott6521]

🇬🇧🇬🇧🤔Great stuff 😀 teaching us how history is made 🧐👍👍✅🌹🇬🇧🇬🇧

[@robtyman4281]

Great video, but my god the music is dire! ....you can tell this video is from the 90's hence the awful 'daytime TV style' music. An archive classic though. Much has changed since then.

[@xtemplarx]

That music, though...

[@jabbertwardy]

Interesting to see the entry to the Harecastle Tunnel before the fatality several years ago, and the unrestored Anderton lift discussed in the past tense.

[@Claudia_K.]

What happened?

[@jabbertwardy]

@@Claudia_K. Sadly, a man was knocked unconscious by the low ceiling, fell off the back of his narrowboat and drowned. CRT now strictly controls and monitors passage through the tunnel.

[@Claudia_K.]

@@jabbertwardy Oh no. I’m sad to hear that. Thanks for answering.

[@fishyphill5099]

bloody love canals

[@lewisspear91]

does anybody know what those works were at 13:16 ? lovely brick chimneys

[@lukegreen5341]

Brain Glover Also Appears In The 1974 BBC Prison Comedy Television Series Porridge The Original Series With Ronnie Barker And Fulton Mackey From The 1968 BBC Wartime Comedy Series Dad's Army The Original Series In 1968. Thanks Mate. X

[@lukegreen5341]

Oh Yeah Right. Thanks Wonderful Life Mate. X

[@BigBadLoneWolf]

@@lukegreen5341 and he played the PE Teacher in Kes

[@roddersfiftynine]

@@BigBadLoneWolf Brian as "Bobby Charlton" "you moved, the penalty will be taken again".

[@annteve]

Would be lovely if someone did an update now 30 years later.

[@davids6533]

Episode 187 CruisingTheCut channel Digging Deep

[@royperkins3851]

Canals built the industry, the industry built the world, the world eventually outgrewe the canals! Irony it's success led to it's replacement! Now the purpose is for the pleasure boaters and the narrow boat house boaters! These are the times no commercial value just holiday makers and water born caravaners!

[@tipperzack]

Hardwork leads to good times.

[@royquatermass7593]

Classic documentary

[@narrowboatmoonshine]

would love to share this on our page if possible

[@jongadsby1623]

wonderful !!! When Britain was great!!!!

[@manib6594]

Britain is now great as well

[@lennoxpeters7792]

What a classic 🤙

[@bobm2331]

Can someone explain how horses "passed" going in opposite directions on the same tow path? Thanks much. Except for lifting the tow rope over another boat I just can't seem to figure it out.

[@richardjellis9186]

Brian Glover...best BRITISH documentary narrator.

[@justintai8725]

Awesome