How to navigate canal tunnels safely
As the canal builders became more confident and experienced, they faced geographical obstructions such as hills that would have taken many, many locks to overcome. Instead, they used dynamite and
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Vlog 272: Going Underground
Opened originally in 1811, the Standedge (pronounced “Stannedge”, apparently) canal tunnel is a legendary boating experience at 5km (3.5m) long and hundreds of feet underground. I was lucky enough to join narrowboaters on a Pennine Cruise organised by the Huddersfield Canal Society as they went through this amazing tunnel.
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Vlog 258: Bridge over Tunneled Waters
In October last year, I produced a video documenting the restoration efforts of the Cotswold Canals Trust. One of the major projects they were facing was the need for a tunnel / bridge to let their canal go under a railway line at Stonehouse near Stroud. That was done over Christmas so I popped back for a quick update.
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Vlog 196: Macc the Nice
Having explored the furthest, murkiest depths of the Caldon canal, I turned around, came back the way I’d come and continued up the Trent & Mersey canal, through Harecastle tunnel and then took a sharp left onto the Macclesfield canal. Spoiler alert: it’s utterly lovely.
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Vlog 195: Taking a Leek
Having stopped overnight at the end of the Froghall arm, I turned the narrowboat and headed back the way I’d come, up to the junction where the Caldon canal had split into two. One very sharp left turn later and I was going down the Leek branch through heavily wooded sections and a very narrow tunnel indeed, emerging at the navigable end of that part of the canal.
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Vlog 194: Going to the Frogs
Having stocked up with provisions at Endon I carried on down the Caldon canal, stopping briefly to empty the loo and top up the boat’s water tank then going to Denford where the canal splits into two branches. I took the Froghall branch which soon after runs underneath the Leek branch. It gets very dense, there are deep locks, a heritage railway and I bumped into Aussie Boater as well as going past a historic mill.
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Vlog 160: They’re Multiplying
In this episode, my mystery Crew member and I continue our winter jaunt along the North Oxford canal from just outside Rugby, through Newbold and up to just past Brinklow.
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Vlog 155: The End is Nigh
After several weeks, at last I embarked on the final leg of my autumn 2018 cruise along the Grand Union canal, the return stretch taking me from Blisworth, through Gayton, Weedon, Norton Junction and ultimately to Braunston.
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Vlog 154: The Ghost of Blisworth Past
After several days at Yardley Gobion, during which time I had the boatyard opposite look at – and hopefully fix – the diesel leak, I carried on with my return journey up the Grand Union canal, going back through Gayton, up the Stoke Bruerne locks and up through Blisworth tunnel (no signs of any ghosts this time round).
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Vlog 142: The Ghost of Blisworth Tunnel
In this video I take my narrowboat on the Grand Union canal from near Gayton Junction to Stoke Bruerne, via Blisworth – and Blisworth tunnel – all 3,075 yards of it. Weirdly, as I went through, there was a bit of an unsettling ghostly apparition…
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