- 9 hours ago
Canal Boat Diaries 2019 Season 7 Episode 1
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Short filmTranscript
00:10my name's Robbie Cumming that's me crossing a wonder of the waterways it's
00:16a sheer drop this is incredible I'm almost speechless it's a good job I've
00:21got a head for heights and this is my old narrowboat the naughty lass for over a
00:27decade I've been exploring Britain's rivers and canals camera in hand filming every bump scrape
00:35and tricky situation and there's been a fair few over the years yeah nothing I could do about just
00:46watch my camera just go straight into the canal this time I've headed west to discover the waterways
00:56of Wales and the Welsh marches I start in the town of Llangollen across the historic Ponta Cthulhty
01:04aqueduct before traveling through Chirk tunnel at Frankton Junction I join the Montgomery Canal
01:12and make my way to journey's end the village of Crickheath in Shropshire it's around 23 miles in
01:21there'll be plenty to see so jump on board for my canal boat diaries
01:49right just about to set off on another epic adventure all the way across the waterways of Britain
01:56and this time I am in a different part of the UK I'm in Wales I normally start my adventures
02:02off in
02:03England and I normally start them by simply pressing the engine on button and just getting cranking but
02:11this time I just need a few supplies and maybe something special for lunch but yeah follow me and
02:19we'll have a little look around it's funny I've been putting off exploring this canal for about 10 years
02:27because I know how popular it can be and it's looking busy already that'll be me later I just know
02:35it
02:41and I'm after some local grub to take on my travels I've heard about Oggies which are like Cornish pasties
02:52and
02:52were once eaten around here by Welsh miners mine is filled with lamb leek and potato
03:01right I've got what I need for my lunch let's get the show on the road or canal yeah get
03:07out
03:22this journey is going to have it all aqueducts tunnels lift bridges locks the lot and I also get to
03:30explore canals I've never been on before which is always a plus considering how long I've been doing
03:35this over 10 years moving around the system I've got a rough plan I've got the route but if it's
03:43actually going to work out the way I planned it to I don't know right my first job is to
03:49reverse out
03:51into the middle of this basin turn around so I'm facing the right way which is that way
04:01I know I might oversell the drama sometimes on this program but we are about to head into part of
04:07the
04:07canal where it's single file so if I don't time this right I will have to reverse back a long
04:13way
04:13against the flow of the water that's not something I want to do so I might actually call in some
04:23help
04:24there's a local chap who's actually got a really interesting take on the construction of this
04:28canal so I'm hoping to get some info from him but also the same time get him to run ahead
04:35and there
04:36see if anything's coming basically when this canal was built in the late 18th century working narrowboats
04:47didn't need to reach the town of Lancochland instead this section was designed as a feeder canal to carry
04:55river water to supply distant locks to keep construction costs down it was built very narrow
05:10this guy Tom he is a local geologist so I can't wait to hear what he's got to say about
05:16this local
05:16area specifically about fossils which I love so yeah once he's done his first job of walking ahead to
05:24find out if any boats are coming and get a chat with him right I think we're all right to
05:31take a small
05:32break here so you can tell me about these rocks why is it so special this area yeah it's incredible
05:38the story you can tell here so obviously we're next to the canal now fresh water running through here
05:42right 420 million years ago we were the bottom of an ocean well right what I really want to know
05:48is
05:49what fossils have you got let's have a look so this is one of my favorites it's a 350 million
05:54year old
05:54brachiopod I found this one not too far from the canal just up the road here it's pretty special
06:00stuff these are the ancient cousins of things like mussels and bivalves that live in the ocean
06:05today do you think the canal engineers who are digging this out do they have any idea about fossils
06:11or what they were finding you know what probably not right because they would have found these
06:14things though it's quite cool but they wouldn't have the understanding that we do today because
06:18geology is a new science right so they wouldn't know how old these things were and the story they
06:23can tell us right I think I've been lucky so far anyway I'm with your help Tom thank you I'm
06:30gonna
06:30press on ahead and I'll yeah see you around you enjoy fossil hunting thanks Robby see you later bye-bye
06:41well that was great that I've been fascinated by fossils and this is a little boy so it's have a
06:47part of
06:48the canal where you can actually find some I've been told I can't just tunnel into this bit in there
06:52get
06:54fresh ones gonna wait for them to fall down and then it's fair game apparently but yeah absolutely
07:02brilliant now though I'm hoping I'm gonna scrape through this narrow bit without meeting into the boats
07:15with steep sections running along the edge of a valley the Klangoklen canal has a history of leaks and
07:22breaches back in the 1940s disaster struck when the canal collapsed after heavy rainfall sweeping away a
07:33railway track below a locomotive operated by the Great Western Railway literally flew across the gap
07:44and buried itself into the bank sadly the driver was killed and others were injured and it took over a
07:51week to clear the wreckage but just ahead lies a remarkable aqueduct a must-see for a narrowboater
08:02like me the thing I'm about to tackle in a minute is something that I have been looking forward to
08:11for
08:12years it's one of the seven wonders of the waterways there's Anderton boatlift the Cain Hill flight in
08:19devises there's a Bingley five rise but this one well yes I'm just thinking do I do it now or
08:27do I save
08:28it for tomorrow morning well I've done quite well so far avoiding other boats so this might be a really
08:35good time as the Sun's going down maybe we'll say
08:58now thankfully I do like heights I've done bungee jumps before I've done in all me I've never been on
09:08my boat
09:09over an aqueduct that's this high with very little in the way of health and safety on this side check
09:16this out it's a sheer drop
09:26I could see exactly why this is one of the most popular canals in the world it's the views the
09:33valleys
09:33that you're crossing through the unique engineering structures that just blow your mind just looking
09:40at them what can I say about it at the moment I'm just looking down at the River D that's
09:49flowing glistening
09:50underneath I'm almost speechless this is incredible opening after a decade of planning construction and
10:05testing this aqueduct spanning the River D Valley was originally built to transport minerals and materials
10:13from local quarries and mines to fuel Britain's heavy industry I was going to go through another lift bridge
10:23but I'm just going to moor up I haven't had my augie yet I'm hungry and yeah that aqueduct just
10:33about
10:33enough excitement for me today I need to come down
11:06I've got the unique sensation of feeling absolutely exhausted but still wired possibly
11:15from yesterday's exhilarating adventures and also a vent in my roof if I don't cover it up it lets the
11:23sunlight in about half past four in the morning so that's been sort of waking my eyes up I can't
11:30shut them again and yeah I've just been lying here trying to get back to sleep so I'm just gonna
11:36have to get up
11:54gonna be slightly different today it is a Saturday so I've got a lot more activity going
11:59on here I've got the first corner before I tackle a lift bridge I've got another obstacle and that is
12:06these little kayakers possibly on their way to cross over the aqueduct I get asked a lot by other boaters
12:23where you going to next where you headed to well this time thank you cheers I'm headed across the north
12:29west from Wales Manchester area and into Yorkshire again but from these boaters all I'm hearing is
12:36oh no you're not gonna get there because that's broken and this is shut this canal's not got enough water
12:42in
12:43it so yeah you never know last year I wanted to go to Bristol I wanted to go on the
12:47Kennet and Avon canal
12:48but that was sadly closed when I got there so you just never know what's gonna happen I've got a
12:54rough plan
12:54I've got the route but if it's actually gonna work out the way I planned it to I don't know
13:07right that's the lift bridge back in place now it's off on my travels I've got loads to show you
13:14today
13:19it's a rainy morning in Wales but I'm continuing on my way and it's here the canal engineers cut through
13:27an
13:27ancient man-made earthwork
13:37just about to pass something it was created in the eighth century by an anglo-saxon king called offer
13:44this is offers dyke it's a pathway now but there are many theories of how it was made and what
13:51was made for
13:52was it a border between offers kingdom and the Welsh princes was it a trade barrier or was it just
14:02a
14:03display of power we don't know
14:20it's about to go into the first tunnel on my trip normally very very exciting however I've just
14:27spotted on the sign an ominous warning against spiders as far as I know there aren't too many
14:35venomous spiders in the UK but I have heard some people are too scared to go through this tunnel
14:41because of spiders I'm absolutely fine I can do this it's just the unpredictable nature when they
14:50sort of suddenly drop down in fact the other night in bed I had a big house spider just jump
14:57on my back in the middle of the night it did wake me up oh yeah we haven't seen a
15:01few spiders already
15:04now is it possible to see on my camera tiny little specks
15:10during the golden age of canal building civil engineer Thomas Telford travelled across Britain
15:17over seeing numerous projects like this one but his skills weren't limited to waterways years later he
15:28also surveyed the route of the a5 the London to Hollyhead trunk road which now runs above his canal tunnel
15:37and he's going to be able to see on the other side of the road where I'm going next it's
15:49fairly remote
15:50no shops and certainly nowhere to empty my toilet which is getting a little bit full so what I'm going
15:58to
16:08do they do look incredibly busy I think it's changeover day for their hire boat fleet
16:20when I called in on church marina I was fully aware that their main business especially in summer
16:26seems to be hire boats and sure enough soon as I arrived they were all lined up it was changeover
16:33day
16:33I arrived at the worst possible time
16:40yeah let's do it
16:44now if you've seen this before certainly me doing this job before you'll know that
16:49there is a slight risk of
16:52certain liquids spilling out or exploding all over the place
16:56because of all the suction and everything
16:59yeah I always keep a little safe distance
17:06I must be the only person in the world
17:08filming themselves emptying their toilet and TV
17:18right thanks so much mate that's brilliant thank you
17:22that was like a military operation pit stop
17:27pit stop pump out
17:35it's time to crack on with my journey as I've got two more miles to cover
17:40to get to tonight's mooring
17:44right with the marina behind me now
17:46I've got a couple more sites to show you
17:48I've actually saved the best till last on this one
17:51I've got a tunnel and an aqueduct coming up
17:55which I think you'll like
18:03I've seen some pretty bizarre things on boats over the years
18:07especially on higher boats
18:08I've seen people have barbecues
18:09obviously at the side of the canal
18:11lovely very very nice
18:14but not on top of your boat
18:16whilst you're between two tunnels
18:20I've just seen a boat literally just come out of one
18:22and they're about to go into another
18:25I'm glad I'm not following them
18:26that's all I'm saying
18:38I'm about to enter Chirk Tunnel
18:41one of the first canal tunnels
18:43and possibly the first to include a towpath
18:46so that horses could pull boats through
18:50earlier tunnels were smaller and cheaper to build
18:53but without towpaths
18:55horses had to be led over the top
18:59while crews used a tough method called legging
19:02lying on the boat's roof
19:04and pushing along the walls with their legs
19:08in fact this physically demanding process
19:12is thought to be the origin of the term legging it
19:18right I've just left the tunnel behind me
19:20and immediately I'm onto this aqueduct
19:23running side by side Chirk viaduct
19:25there that was built 15 years afterwards
19:29but I tell you what
19:31as border crossings go
19:33we're going from Wales into England
19:34doesn't get better than this
19:48the train had just gone over the viaduct
19:50it's all happening
19:52lots of people watching me crash into the side
19:57it's hard to say which is more impressive
20:00the landscape where I am on the England-Wales border
20:03or the engineering that's been put in place
20:06to help me traverse it
20:09the aqueducts particularly
20:12but also the tunnels
20:14just allows the canal to meander through these valleys
20:17it's just mind-blowing if you really think about it
20:21it's just mind-blowing if you really think about it
20:47a good spot there for me
20:50on Chirkbank
20:52right on the border of England and Wales
20:55it also happens to be next to a pub
21:10quite an impressive sounding storm that's kicking off today
21:14I think I will probably be spending most of it inside
21:18and maybe peeking out the window to have a look
21:20but yeah it's just started raining
21:22so today is going to be a rain day
21:26but I've got a few jobs to get on with
21:28so I won't be bored
21:34now when I first bought my boat
21:36it did come with a load of old brass plaques
21:39and I thought
21:41that is sad
21:42I just couldn't envisage myself
21:45ever being interested in showing how many canals I've been on
21:50fast forward 10 years and I've become a collector
21:54and if I see an old one specifically
21:56especially one that I've been along
21:58I will nab that
22:00they seem to be really rare nowadays
22:02the old style ones
22:03you can buy them new
22:05but they do cost a fair bit
22:07so it is quite an expensive hobby
22:11quite an old one that
22:12it's got a price tag on the back that says £5.5p
22:18I'll be at least double that now
22:21it's an antique
22:28I've got one side that's all canals
22:34and then
22:34just started a new panel
22:37that's just going to be things like lock flights
22:40and other notable engineering feats
22:43that I pass through along the way
22:45yeah looking good
23:06the weather's looking a little bit better today
23:08and I have got to move because tomorrow I am booked in on a certain flight of locks
23:14that's where I've got to be there at a certain time as well
23:18but yeah that looks much better
23:23perfect weather for moving the boat
23:32I'm travelling along the Clangochland Canal
23:35a 46 mile waterway
23:37that winds its way between Wales and England
23:41now a UNESCO World Heritage Site
23:44it's one of the most popular canals
23:46for both boaters and tourists
23:50in fact
23:51it's busier now
23:52than it ever was when it carried cargo
23:58today's journey
23:59is about 7 miles
24:01and a couple of locks
24:02so not too many in the way of...
24:05you're telling me to go that way
24:07I'll go that way
24:09I think there's going to be a crash here
24:14no we're professionals
24:15we've avoided it
24:19look at that
24:21we've been doing this a while haven't we
24:22we know what we're doing
24:27oh we have had a bit of a crash
24:29sorry about that
24:30that's because you were reversing that
24:35yeah there are a few obstacles
24:37on this canal
24:40this is a slightly low bridge
24:44we've got a slightly narrow canal
24:47and some slightly unpredictable boats
24:50that I keep coming across
24:58I do wonder how much longer can the naughty lass keep cranking it round the system
25:05and in terms of the hull
25:07it was quite interesting 10 years ago
25:09I had it over plated as part of the buying process
25:12and they said oh you've got another 20 years at least on that
25:16when they were putting the extra layer of steel on the bottom
25:19so yeah I've got another 10 years from now
25:22before any serious problems in that regard
25:27right I'm just approaching my first lock
25:30of this trip I've been on the canal four days
25:33and this is the first one
25:35always exciting for me because
25:37I just love going through the locks
25:39but we're also approaching a lock house
25:42a really quite remote one
25:56back in the 18th century
25:58there were a lot of jobs associated with the canal
26:00whether you were a maintenance person
26:03or a wharf manager
26:05or a lot keeper
26:07and although the job didn't really pay that much
26:10the main perk which would be a massive one today
26:14is that you've got your own house
26:17didn't own it
26:17but you're allowed to live in it
26:20you might have noticed that the lock was already open for me
26:23and that's down to you isn't it?
26:24yeah
26:24what's your name?
26:25Arwell
26:26Arwell I think you're the first Welsh person I've spoken to on this trip
26:29well I'm surprised because there's plenty of us bobbing up and down
26:31and we're in England on this part here
26:35so are you heading home?
26:37yes we picked up the boat the other day
26:39headed down to Ellesmere and now we're heading back into North Wales
26:42nice and that's where you live?
26:44yeah
26:45well I've got to tell you
26:46I had a bit of trouble pronouncing the aqueduct at the end
26:50come on you can do it
26:51say it
26:52fron cysyllte
26:55fron cysyllte
26:57fron cysyllte
26:57that's pretty good to be fair
27:00you've got your sh in quite well
27:02I need a bit more practice
27:05that's alright
27:06that's pretty good as well yeah
27:07but yeah the other one like
27:08yeah I need work on
27:10I'm going to leave you to get back to your hire boat
27:12it's just me doing the lock so if you want to help me
27:14yeah I'll give you a hand now yeah no problem at all
27:16that'll be brilliant
27:17let's see if we can get it through without sinking your boat
27:19loving this shirt by the way
27:21thank you
27:21that's what you said
27:26it's not just the pronunciation of the aqueduct at the start of my journey that confused me
27:32it's the name itself
27:37while Arwell and some locals call it vron cysyllte
27:41it's more generally known as pod cysyllte
27:45as the name you use sometimes depends on which side of the valley you're from
27:55all right Arwell
27:56cheers for that mate
27:58nice to have a bit of help
28:01help not just with the lock but with my pronunciation
28:06I'll get it one day
28:13from here at New Martin Locks I've got about 11 miles to go
28:18at Frankton Junction I'll leave the Llangollen Canal and join the Montgomery
28:23and make my way to Crickheath
28:36right I'm just pulling in now because I'm well over halfway on the journey I've got to do today
28:42before my lock booking tomorrow morning
28:45and I thought I just might get my guitar out and just
28:48just basically have a break
28:59I love my music playing my guitar is one of the things that I do when I've got a little
29:03bit of spare time
29:05yeah if I'm on a journey on the boat and I'm just going to stop for a little while
29:11especially if it's hot I want to get in the shade and just sit there for a bit and
29:15if I'm inspired I'll pick up my guitar and play all my little tunes
29:24since my engine has cooled after working hard
29:26I figured I'd give the naughty lass a quick drink
29:29top her up with oil before I carry on
29:45right I'm on my way again now
29:46that was just nice to have a little stop
29:48and relax and play a little guitar
29:52but I do have to make Frankton Junction for the Montgomery Canal by tomorrow morning
29:58so let's crank it
30:01I'm on my way again
30:01I'm on my way again
30:01I'm on my way again
30:09I'm on my way again
30:10Nestled beside the canal
30:12stands a closed country pub
30:14once called the Jack Mitten Inn
30:18it was named after a Shropshire squire
30:20known locally as Mad Jack
30:26he lived a pretty extravagant lifestyle
30:29he actually fritted away a fortune of what would be in today's money about 8 million pounds
30:35apparently he
30:37loved gambling
30:38and he loved pets
30:40he had lots of dogs
30:41some of which he would feed steak and champagne
30:43and he had a horse called Baronet
30:46who just wandered around his manor apparently
30:50so yeah
30:52pretty rock and roll
30:59right I'm actually coming to the point at which I need to moor up now
31:03ready for the locks I've got to go through
31:06tomorrow at 9am in the morning
31:07sounds very strict doesn't it
31:09well they only let
31:12apparently 12 boats through these locks everyday
31:16so I have had to book ahead
31:18and it is just around the corner
31:21so I'm going to moor in the shade here
31:24and just spend the night
31:27getting ready for tomorrow
31:44just looking in my fridge to see what I'm going to have for dinner tonight
31:47lamb steaks
31:49and broccoli
31:51I did go shopping over the border into Wales
31:54just yesterday
31:57I managed to get some local produce
32:00I got some Welsh cheeses
32:02I got some Welsh butter
32:04and I picked up some Welsh beer as well
32:06so sorted
32:28sorted
32:30right here we go I'm on a brand new canal for me
32:32the Montgomery
32:34I'm about to go down for some locks
32:37some lock keepers waiting
32:39I'm thinking this is going to be a slightly different vibe
32:42to the Klangoklen
32:44because they only allow 12 boats
32:46to go through these locks per day
32:48so it should be a lot quieter is what I'm thinking
33:00I just got off my boat here at the staircase locks
33:03just right at the top
33:04hello good morning Rob
33:05good morning
33:07what's your name?
33:08I'm Chris the lock keeper here
33:09Chris thanks for getting me through here
33:11why is it only 12 boats per day?
33:13well it's simply about capacity really
33:16we have to manage it because of water levels
33:18the canal can't really deal with more than 12 boats in a day
33:21it's about this balance between man and nature
33:23but more importantly
33:25go on
33:26which I can see
33:26you can see a glint in my eye
33:28I know this boat
33:29from about 40 years ago
33:30probably more than that
33:31there's a guy called John South
33:33who's a good pal of mine
33:34who's still a pal of mine
33:35he's in his early 90s
33:36and he came to me when I was down at Wixell Marina
33:39and this is now 1972-73
33:41he said Chris I want to get into building boats
33:43there's obviously a market to be had there
33:45so we looked at them
33:46we went up and down the country
33:48all over looking at designs of boats
33:50and I came up with a design for a bow and a stern and stuff
33:52and John started to build boats
33:54and I'm 100% certain
33:55this is one of those very early boats
33:57so Chris essentially you designed
34:00the Naughty Lass my boat
34:01which was known as Northern Star
34:03yes I designed the bow shape and the stern
34:06so you know well done
34:07I'm glad you're keeping it going
34:08whatever you did to design it
34:10I'm really glad of the style and everything
34:13because every time I do look at the little lines
34:15the way that the weld sort of curves over and everything
34:19it's just quality
34:20and Chris I'm absolutely thrilled to meet you
34:22as the designer of my boat
34:24this is just so random
34:26let's just get you down the locks
34:27yeah let's do it
34:28it's nice to have the old boat going through the old locks
34:29and let's put it all back together again
34:32fantastic
34:32ok
34:43I wasn't expecting my chat with the lock keeper
34:45to go the way it did
34:47he had a part in the building of my boat
34:50he helped design it
34:52with John South
34:53who is the name I've got on the plaque
34:56but he was saying
34:57the way that they built it
34:58was based on traditional techniques
35:01and I've always believed
35:02that the boat was built
35:03on the River Severn somewhere
35:05but to hear it was actually built in Shrewsbury
35:08that is a completely new one on me
35:10so
35:11yeah
35:12invaluable talking to Chris there
35:15cheers guys
35:15thanks
35:30I'm just taking a turning off the canal now
35:32so I can use the facilities here
35:35it's few and far between on this canal
35:39this arm of the canal looks very short
35:41it's only about 150 yards long
35:44it used to go halfway to Shrewsbury
35:46but yeah this is all that's left of it
35:48and you know me I can't resist
35:51I can see an arm of the canal unexplored
35:55I've got to go down there
36:02the western branch of the Montgomery Canal
36:05was abandoned back in the 1920s
36:08after a breach which was deemed too costly to repair
36:13today little remains of this historic waterway
36:17I think that's pretty cool
36:19and if I had time I would love to explore that on foot
36:23but I've got to get my rubbish away
36:25carry on the journey
36:33right so obviously this is a dead end
36:34the only way out is the reverse
36:49at this point in my canal boat career
36:52I think I must have done about 80% of the connected canals
36:57in England and in Wales now
36:58and it's getting rarer and rarer
37:01that feeling of exploring a different waterway
37:04that I haven't been on before
37:05so I'm definitely going to cherish this
37:08this little journey
37:09however far I might get along it
37:20Originally constructed to transport limestone, timber and slate
37:25narrowboats on the Montgomery also carried passengers
37:29and this building was once a bustling passenger terminal
37:37and it seems today
37:39it's still a busy spot
37:45I'm getting stuck here
37:46I'm just going to have to wait for this boat to pass me
37:49are you stuck yourselves?
37:52we're a ripe pair
37:53we're both stuck on this narrow shallow canal
37:57but there is a little
38:00problem here
38:00I might have to reverse all the way back
38:02they're not going to be able to pass me there either
38:06this is a situation
38:07right, I need to work this out
38:09well I can go backwards
38:11at least
38:14hey
38:15that's it, they're away
38:18got to stick to the middle on this canal
38:20that's the advice I've been given
38:25pretty soon
38:26pretty soon I'll be mooring up anyway
38:27for tonight
38:29it's close to a pub
38:31so that's the best news I've heard all day
38:39closed on Mondays and Tuesdays
38:42oh
38:44there is another one
38:45I've got another option
38:47but
38:48it's a shame
38:48because that one was just basically
38:51two minutes from where I moored
38:53I've got about
38:54a mile to walk now
39:24it's the last day of my little trip here
39:27I will reach the end of the Montgomery Canal today
39:29or at least the end of what is currently navigable
39:33and I'm going to hopefully find out more later on
39:36see what state the restoration is in
39:39but also I'll have to turn around at the end
39:43and then come all the way back again
39:44ready for the next
39:46part of my adventure
39:51right, first lock of the day for me
39:53and this time I get to do it myself
39:55which I'm very happy about
40:07the Montgomery Canal is a dead end
40:11it once ran for about 35 miles
40:16but today my journey ends at Crickheath Basin in Shropshire
40:23I'm exploring about 8 navigable miles
40:26however restoration work continues
40:29on the sections that have been lost
40:44my final obstacle I think on this little journey
40:46is this lift bridge ahead of me
40:49but there's a guy wearing a high-vis standing next to it
40:51so I don't know if that's a good or bad sign yet
40:54let's find out
40:57hello
40:57Robbie, nice to meet you
40:59oh, are you expecting me?
41:00well yeah, I'm Tom
41:01the restoration project manager for the Shropshune and Canal Society
41:05word was out you were coming down the Monte
41:07oh blimey
41:08do you know what, I'm just glad that you're not here to tell me this bridge is closed
41:11or are you?
41:13no, no, no, the bridge is still working fine
41:15I'm out today, we've got a work party next week
41:18so I'm doing some prep work for that
41:21Tom, am I right in thinking that I've just got one mile to go now
41:24and that's the end of my journey?
41:25that's right
41:26another mile, that'll get you to Crick Heath where you can turn the boat around
41:29beyond that, that's where the volunteers are working to restore the channel
41:33got you, so there is work to be done and a longer journey the next time I come hopefully
41:38oh definitely, yeah
41:39right, okay, cool
41:42over the years, Tom and local volunteers have restored
41:47about two miles of the Montgomery Canal in Shropshire
41:51and their work continues
41:53I've just spied that this lift bridge is going to give me a little bit of a problem
41:57because I can't operate it on that side and get my boat in
42:00would you be able to do the honours?
42:02yeah, yeah, yeah, no problem
42:04give me your windlass
42:05there we are, there's the windlass
42:06I'll see you in a bit, brilliant
42:17I'll tell you what, Tom turned up at the best time here
42:21I just don't know how I would get through this bridge without him
42:23it would be a bit trippy
42:35good job
42:35good job Robbie
42:36good job
42:36have a great trip
42:37thank you
42:38cheers
42:49right, this is it for me
42:50I have to turn around at the end of this canal the plans are to extend it but for me
42:56this is it
42:58it's been an incredible journey so much has happened in such a short space of time 23 miles
43:0610 locks and we've had amazing aqueducts tunnels I've even met the guy that helped design my boat
43:16that was really unexpected but here I am I've explored yet another canal that was new to me
43:23and I've got a mooring right here ready for the next journey
43:51you
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