What Lies Beneath the Cotswolds - The Sapperton Tunnel

[@michaelmiller641]

This comlements paul and Rebecca's video thanks for that

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

No problem, thanks for watching

[@martinmarsola6477]

Just saw you with Paul and Rebecca Whitewick’s video. Good to see you again, Steve. Enjoy the week ahead. 😊

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

And you, thanks for watching

[@shirleylynch7529]

Great video. Just watched Paul and Rebecca and followed their lead to you. Well done. Most enjoyable.

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

Thank you for watching, I’m glad you enjoyed it!

[@tellthetruthandshamethedev2489]

Thankyou all for sharing your bravery so we can all share your venture

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

Thank you for watching

[@chrish5319]

Amazing video. Came here from Paul and Rebecca's and really enjoyed it. Very informative thank you

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

Thank you for watching and popping over, please feel free to stay for more!

[@abandonedrailwaya2470]

Brilliant explore, with some great footage. Thanks for sharing🙂👍Subscribed!

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

Thanks for watching and subscribing!

[@robinhayhurst5943]

New subscriber from the Whitewicks channel here! Looking forward to watching your back catalogue!

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

Thank you for coming over, I hope you enjoy!

[@25mileswest86]

Hi Steve - great team effort on this 'adventure' with Paul and Rebecca.! Watched their video too; fun complementary pieces. Lots of top info as ever - above and below ground.! Sad about the kayak... What a project; this will be ace to follow should it ever get funding/resources to restore the entire length... such an amazing amount of effort from engineers and workers to build this all those years ago.. 😀😍😊💪💪💪

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

I’m hoping one day I’ll be stood there watching workmen go in, probably a tunnel liner although it would be amazing if the restoration is done sympathetic to the heritage

[@apeiron42-j1r]

Fair play to you boss, balsy stuff really. Have done a little on the railways many years ago as a youth (Catesby tunnel, Hook Norton tunnel), but no canals

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

You’d love Paul’s stuff then, he’s done a few railway tunnels. We also both have videos coming this weekend on the Leominster canal tunnels

[@patrickgraham6786]

very useful info - thanks

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

No problem, thanks for watching

[@bikingnutcase0]

You’re a braver man than me wading down there on your own! I’ve been in abandoned railway tunnels, they can be pretty creepy, but underground, by myself, up to my gonads in water…. Nooo Thankyou….. 😂

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

I used to go caving in my thinner days, this was easy, at least I fit in this one 😂😂

[@CARLIN4737]

1 word rats. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO not for me mate.

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

@@CARLIN4737 the rats take one look at my face and run the other way 😂

[@johncunnane1582]

P&R sent me here.

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

Welcome along, I hope you enjoy my content!

[@malcolmrichardson3881]

Amazing, if very hazardous footage. It's width makes you wonder why they didn't put a towpath through it.

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

The boat going up through here were Thames barges at 12ft wide hence the width of the canal at 14.4ft so there wasn’t much room. I guess with restoration it’s something that could be looked at but I doubt the expense would be seen as worthwhile. The original canal would have had to have been a few foot wider for a towpath and the expense almost made them build a narrow tunnel with transshipment basins on each end. The extra cost at the time of construction would have been a no go

[@malcolmrichardson3881]

@@CourtAboveTheCut I hadn't realised Trow's were even wider, at 15.5 ft so could not pass through the tunnel. Accounts also indicate that most were bow-hauled by men, so legging it through a 2 mile tunnel, would not have added an excessive amount of time to that spent negotiating the lock system from Brimscombe to Daneway. Today's powered craft mean there is even less need for a towpath - which as you suggest, would add considerably to the restoration costs.

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

@@malcolmrichardson3881 yes, that’s what Brimscombe port was for, transshipment between the Severn trows and the thames barges as the trows couldn’t fit through the tunnel or the locks beyond Bourne lock. The only call for a tow path is a direct route for runners/bikes etc but then you’d have to put railings, lighting etc and I’m not sure how many people would use it

[@malcolmrichardson3881]

@@CourtAboveTheCut Not sufficient to justify the cost would be my guess. Just getting that tunnel open will be sufficient for most, ! guess. And, in time, why not boat trips through the tunnel, with a pub at each end!

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

@@malcolmrichardson3881 yep, I can’t wait to do it! It’s so many years of away though, phase 2 is first which I the Cotswold gateway site to Inglesham. Although there’s not many locks that way it’s still a fair bit to restore

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

Join youtube.com/@pwhitewick here

[@dandieman7470]

I grew up in Stroud lol "There's c#nts all the way" 😆 🤣 😂

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

I like Stroud, it’s a place that’s grown on me as I’ve got older, I wasn’t a fan when I was younger. I don’t spend much time there though so I couldn’t comment on the people 😂

[@robinhayhurst5943]

I did wonder why you all were wearing shorts. Anyone would think this was your first video in such terrain!

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

As soon as the sun comes out I don’t wear trousers! I love the sun

[@timlodge8267]

You got nerves of steel it looks very sketchy.

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

I love stuff like this, we have a huge cave network near to us from the old bath stone quarries, I used to spend hours searching around down them

[@timlodge8267]

Did men lie on their back and walk the wall to move the badge?

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

Yes they laid planks out on the boat and then led down with their feet on the tunnel. It was called legging there’s a good picture here www.atlasobscura.com/articles/narrowboat-legging

[@timlodge8267]

@@CourtAboveTheCut Thank you looks hard and painful, I no when you visited The Daneway Inn pub at Sapperton , The former name was called The Brick Layers Arms and before all the navies were to go through the tunnel the day before they use to have a lot to drink and got into a lot of fights.

[@timlodge8267]

@@CourtAboveTheCut I think it was during the construction of the tunnel all the navies use to get in the pub.

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

@@timlodge8267 they were notorious for such things!