Somerset's Crazy Canal Invention
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- čas přidán 12. 07. 2020
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This week saw us walk along part of the Somerset Coal Canal. In particular we took a look at the three methods they used to traverse the Combe Hay section. From Crazy Caissons to Incredible Inclines... plus a whole bunch of lock gates.
Credit as follows:
Music: Epidemicsound.com
Maps: railmaponline.com
Maps: Google.com
Maps: NLS
Pictures:
Colliery: Phil Taylor.
Caisson Lock: Ayack Via Wiki. CC 2.0.
Caisson Lock Black and White: John Billingsley (D. 1811). CC - Public Domain. - Zábava
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As an engineer, I can't even comprehend that first 'sealed caisson' proposal. Only reason I can think of for having a sealed caisson in a tower of water, is to maintain neutral bouyancy and therefore reduce the force required to lift/lower the caisson. If the adjusted correctly, the weight of the caisson (with and without the barge) could have been adjusted by the to be neutrally bouyant (i.e. not rise or sink under it's own weight). As you say, the implications of being sealed in a box under water and then relying of the door/gate seals at the upper/lower entrances to prevent the whole tower of water from escaping in a oner are unthinkable risks. Made Victorian engineers contrived some amazing schemes ... but H&S wasn't exactly first on the list of priorities.
by the way at 5:30, the boats turned through 180 deg. not 360.
The inference is that the caisson initially worked well enough and would have saved much water; it was the leakage and bulging of the badly-built masonry chamber that caused its demise. Nobody - only the boat - would have entered the submarine box: the bargee would have taken the tow horse down the slope to the lower level while the boat was being lowered.
Except that the Somerset Coal Canal pre-dated the reign of Queen Victoria by some forty-two years!
Great video guys. One thing you missed, however was the role of William (Strata) Smith, whose surveys of the local coal mines and his observations made during to the excavation of the Somerset Coal Canal lead to him producing the first comprehensive geological map of the UK (very long story which led, not only to his Principal of Faunal Succession which enabled him to predict which fossils would appear in in similar strata across the country but also a spell in Debtor's Prison, before finally being recognised as the 'Father of English Geology'.) His work on stratification would later prove invaluable to the builders of the technology which superceded the canals - the railways...
Ah yes. We have since heard this. Thank you
William Smith could be the subject of a video on it's own. His house still stands, or both of them. I had a fascinating conversation with the householder of the smaller a few years ago and later did a drawing of the house. There is a book on William Smith by Simon Winchester called The Map that changed the World.
@@tonymaries1652 I was just starting to type exactly what you have just said, Tony! Thanks for saving me the effort.
Yep, that's a terrific book, isn't it?
Highly recommended.
Thank you so much for covering this canal. About 20 years ago I belonged to the Somersetshire coal canal society and one of the first projects I was involved in was photographing the canal. Members were given a disposable camera and an area to photograph. I had a great time taking pictures and had a couple included in the album which the society produced at the finish of the project. I thought your coverage if the canal was brilliant and the graphics of the Caisson were very good indeed, also that interesting stretch from Engine wood to Caisson house was if I remember correctly the subject of much conversation when I belonged to the society also of course where the Caisson was situated. Your video brought back many happy memories for me and I thank you so much for that.
If you look at the shape of Caisson House from above, I think the caisson was housed in there. The Victorians would make it look pleasant and landscape the gardens wouldn't they? Try the 1873-1888 map of the area available on the side by side map/national library of Scotland website. As a canal society did you get the canal bed and infrastructure protected from destruction or development so that it can one day be restored?
You should have taken a closer look at that hairpin to see if the iron bollard is still there. The bollard is used to put the tow rope behind to stop the barge being pulled into the bank when the horse goes around the corner. You can see examples of these bollards at Dundas and they are deeply grooved by the ropes cutting into them over the years.
What lovely country side ,hills paths a great workout
Thanks mike, very picturesque setting indeed.
Thank you both from an Australian in New Zealand. Not sure how your wondrous channel got recommended, but I'm glad it did; delightful trips and history through the British countryside. Simply wonderful. Thank you.
Thanks Ian. Welcome to the channel.
Love the unraveling of a.mystery. All those locks must have been a nightmare to traverse
Yup akin to Seend I should imagine!
The twenty-two consecutive locks on the flight at Combe Hay were built with large paddles and culverts so that they could be filled and emptied as rapidly as possible. The expression "Lock/Miles" was coined to help calculate how long it would take to traverse a given length of canal, since it took as long to pass through one lock as it did to travel along one mile of ordinary waterway ...... a nominal five minutes. So the maths for Combe Hay is easy enough ... 22 x 5 = 110 minutes to navigate the entire lock flight.
I was lol when you were explaining the weather you had been having. Sounds exactly like we have had here ( Michigan, U.S.) Our temperatures have been crazy. Have had heat index over 105°, temp down to 49° at night. Mother Earth just hasn't been happy.
Thanks for another interesting video.
Thanks for taking me there.
Any time!
I do love the way your videos are presented, obviously lots of preparation work but clear and simple when finished, this was an excellent intro to the subject thanks
Brilliant film! Fascinating historical information. Thanks so much. More please
Fascinating stuff, love what you're doing. Keep exploring.
Truly excellent guys - you really are more interesting than the television
Thanks Robin.
Beautiful part of the canal. If you’d gone on from Midford to Brass Knocker you pass Harry Patch’s grave in Monkton Coombe. There is a section about 400 m long which is still active and joins the Kennet & Avon at the Dundas Aquaduct.
One for the next trip!
GREAT job - I was fascinated. I love canals, your attempt to trace, recreate and understand what happened so long ago is excellent. Brilliant use of map graphics too. Top content!
Hi guys, I do watch all your videos, but this one means a little more to me, as I live on a narrowboat. I also love to explore some of the old routes the canals took, and look at the history of them. BTW I like the rail ones too.
Thanks Trev. We will continue to do both Canals and rails. Much fun.
@@pwhitewick That was a really nice one to watch. I had read about those box casinos, but had no idea where it had been tried out
Cassions. auto spell check lol
Love it . All the canals and railway lines around the whole area are so interesting
That was incredibly interesting. Thank you!
Dave
Brilliant video again thank you. The caisson sounds absolutely terrifying to me.
The Caisson Lock may have sounded absolutely terrifying but - as Jane Austen would doubtless have testified - it actually worked! (For a short time, at least!)
very interesting, thanks for posting. It's great that you are taking time to show so much of our country's history and in a watchable manner.
Glad you enjoyed it
Great vid, fantastic old colliery trip out, well done guys
Damm interesting as always. Iam impressed that how you find all the facts about all the places you and Rebecca show us. Keep on the good work. Looking forward to the next one.
, very interesting again you two, brought back memories of living in the area, years ago, keep it up!
Good one. Very informative. Enjoyed that. Thanks you both.
Wow! Great video, good research and looks like a nice walk
hey paul and rebecca , another great cool video , interesting as always , wow some work went in to building those locks , great stuff well done :)
Excellent presentation as usual. Well done and thanks.
Thanks Colin. Much appreciated
Thanks guys for a fascinating journey. Great footage and as always, thoroughly enjoyable. Peter A :)
i really enjoy your videos Paul and Rebecca.....keep up the good work
Just got my tea in, caught up on your recent videos, time to enjoy. Like a bit of canal history given what they did for moving people and goods around in history.
Loved it...proper Time Team episode.
Thanks Peter. Felt a little like that.
I really like your explanations to this very confusing complex.
Surely the canal boats would only be turned 180 degrees, if they turned 360 degrees they would continue in the original direction
Oh yeah, I should have spotted that as a school friend of mine once said " When the local mob comes out of the bush you turn 360 degrees and run straight into them, oh bloody hell! " Possibly my first example of seeing someone realise their mistake and style it out.
i know. what's with people?
If you look at the map you will see that the boats are travelling almost back the way they came so 350 is a good approximation!
@@janegibson6678 do you mean 150?
↪️⤴️⤵️🔃➰➿〽️⁉️✔️🙄😋👍
So much history and interesting video thank you from NZ
Thank you for a most enjoyable video. This was a favourite walk of mine when I lived in Combe Down in the 80s. Hope you didn't miss the footpath through a culvert under the railway embankment at Combe Hay!
I think we did!!
Great Vlog loving your work
I love that your videos are consistent, all as clear as mud and full of waffle.
Nail on the head.
I've just subscribed, I love watching you both. Keep having fun and keeping us all entertained. Stay safe and well
Thank you. Very kind.
That caisson system reminds me of the shuttle from Calais to Folkestone. The crossing through the Eurotunnel only takes about 40 minutes, but I always find it a disquieting experience. The view at 03:25 is stunning.
Thank you. I grew up around this area and explored with canal. I learned thinks today I didn't know.
Thanks Elliot.
Great historical videos keep up the good work👍👍👍👍👍
Great video Paul and Rebecca, great info and very interesting, couldn't think of anything more worse than being in a caisson in the dark and in water🙄👍👌
Fascinating , as always .
Thank you! Cheers!
Brilliant Video again Paul,love the canal pieces,makes me think of my school project (many,many,moons ago) on the Industrial revolution. As for your dislike of lifts ,I an m the same.Had a panic attack last year visiting Tokyo,my hotel room was on the 23rd floor.
Absolutely nuts! 😃 Brilliant video.
Thanks Peter.
An interesting story which you told really well, thank you.
Thanks Alfred.
This is what CZcams is all about :) Well done Whitewicks , one of the best vids you've done so far
Thank you.
That was so enjoyable. Canals are beautiful. Culvert was lovely. Countryside is totally gorgeous. Thanks so much for taking me along just loved it. Take care
Thanks Linda. More to come from here I feel.
Look forward to it
The countryside of north Somerset is, indeed, attractive and the 1952 Ealing Comedy entitled "The Titfield Thunderbolt" shows it to good effect in glorious Technicolour .... including, if you look carefully, the jet-black spoil heap of Camerton Colliery towering over the Cam Valley like a smaller version of Mount Fujiama!
really enjoyed that video, thanks guys
Thanks Andrew
Great video, thanks. The caisson idea was madness.
Yup, complete madness.
Very interesting video, the Caissons idea is truly bonkers!
Love your videos, my kinda folk, keep it up.
Great video guys😎
All the best 🙂🍻🥂👍🏻
That was fascinating! I really enjoyed this one! I love the idea of those caissons. I've never seen anything quite like it before. I thought the Hay Incline at Ironbridge was mad enough but a barge lowered into the ground and then into a tunnel sounds like something you'd find at Alton Towers!
Another excellent video, enjoyed it. I have been to the flight twice and the first time I missed the hairpin bend completely and went off up the hill to the north and just could not figure out where the canal had gone. On retracing my steps I found the turn and the route. As I headed back towards the old railway I turned and took a path towards Caisson (as in CASE ON) House and found the best parts which sadly you missed out. Lock 9 still has the very decaying remains of the bottom gates as does lock 10, shame you didn't manage to visit them.
Also the photo of railway workers you included at 4.18 when talking about health and safety is not British, I suspect it is American in origin. The type of track being constructed is the giveaway, flat bottom rail being fastened directly to wooden sleepers was not the British way, we used bullhead rail held in chairs with keys.
Jules that's exactly what we did. We carried on up the hill and wondered when we would get to the basin.
Great engineering find guys.🚣♂️⚒
Thanks Mike. A very enjoyable explore this one.
Really enjoyed this vblog on the coal canal. Cheers 😊😊😊👍👍👍
Thanks Lee.
Wow, super interesting engineering!
This is very weird! I saw your video about the Cam Valley railway to Camerton. Last week I started reading a book called "The Map that Changed the World" by Simon Winchester. Within a few pages, what should crop up, but the Cam Valley! I was just about to find your video and make this comment, but then this new video crops up! The point is, that the book is about William Smith, who is the father of Geology, and he was the engineer of the Somerset Coal Canal. He was previously involved in the Somerset coal mines, and then used the the canal to further develop his geological theory. The map he published in 1815 is pretty much the same as those in use today! In it, you get a potted history of the canal and the railway, but it also tells you about the story and site of the boat lift. Apparently, it is marked by a large elm tree! The book is fascinating, and I think you would find it very interesting. Incidentally, there is a boatlift on the Forth-Clyde canal in Scotland - the Falkirk Wheel - which connects to the Union Canal.
It's so amazing that we have all of this 'hidden' history in Britain that is ripe to explore. I wish I could go on adventures like you guys.
RSBritain what's stopping you? You just need a day off and a pair of sturdy shoes.
You'd enjoy tracing the course of the old canal in Portsmouth. You can see remains of it everywhere if you're looking for them, (and part of the later railway was built in it). Plus the final sea lock is still there, even though the canal was disused over 150 years ago.
Never knew Portsmouth had one!
Brilliant video, what a very interesting area, and such invention to solve a major problem.
I really enjoy your stuff. I've followed you for quite a while now as Nigel J Lloyd and now have my own channel as I discussed with you Paul.
One of the best!
Thanks for another great video. I love visiting the locks up the hill at Combe Hay. it is a shame you didn't finish at the Dundas Aqueduct where the canal joins the main Kennet and Avon canal. The architectureof the aqueduct is amazing, and it is a lovely place to see the canal boats and trains.
Cheers, yup sadly by the time we reached Midford, having filmed the two videos here in one day we were pretty much out of energy.
We filmed there a couple of weeks ago. Ripped my trousers jumping a fence 🤣🤣
Found the area confusing too!
Then went and looked at Two tunnel path (sustrans). It's got music. Amazing!!
Great video
Loved it 👍
Your really very good at this 👍🏻
Thank you! Cheers!
Really interesting.
Interesting stuff !
The canal to the pumping house would be primarily a feeder canal to feed the water from the pumping station into the level of the canal.
Thats what we assumed, but how is it possible some pumping houses didn't need there own canal level?
@@pwhitewick Some use culverts.
@@532bluepeter1 ah I see. Thank you.
@@pwhitewick It seems the section of dead end canal leading to the pumping house and was a feeder back to the main canal above the locks. As water was scarce, and they weren't allowed to divert the river into the canal due to mills downstream with water rights, the water was raised from the river by the pumping station and allowed to flow back along the feeder into the main canal above all the locks to provide the water necessary to run all 23 locks. Below the locks the water was allowed to flow back into the river to ensure water supply for the mills further down stream. It is explained in this video: czcams.com/video/nPBfM2NTyu4/video.html
very interesting thank you...!
Did you meet the grumpy horse that hangs around the canal bridge at Midford?!
Also the pub at Midford is excellent.
That caisson lift thing looked well scary!
Too right.
It may have been scary but it actually worked! For a short time, at least!
Thanks guys very interesting video. Whilst railways would be my main interest there is something fascinating about canal architecture as well. Can’t really comprehend the lift system that you described. Like you said Paul, that would be my nightmare as well! Not really a surprise that it was not a success. Looking forward to the next one.
Thanks Roger. Our thoughts entirely regarding Canals. Rails are our first love but there is something that draws us in to these for sure.
Have a look at Nantwich where I live the old Mill the Silt beds and the canal sure you could make a video. Love to join you on the walk. Even the old signal box the we photographed when it was moved
This is a terrific video and needed a lot of research to unearth so much information in one walk. I knew about the caissons and the third attempt to bridge the gap between the two levels, which resulted in the canal going up the narrow side valley, round the hairpin bend and back down the other side. I wasn't sure where the upper caisson house was and your research fills the gap in my knowledge. If I remember rightly both caissons were actually built and the transport proved unworkable as the engineering of the day was not up to the task. Even a century later it would have been a major challenge to the highly skilled and innovative engineers who built the Anderton boat lift in Cheshire and the inclined plane at Foxton in Leicestershire. There is a much more modern solution to the same problem at Montech in France, where the canal boat is transported up the slope in a kind of moveable lock propelled by two railway locomotives, each running up a track either side of the the lock. The Montech water slope was built and opened in the 1970s!
well thats a bloody interesting vlog
I loved your latest video. Thank you so much. We walked up the locks some years ago so it brought back memories but missed the bits at the top that you found. It’s much more overgrown now. Fascinating. There is a very good book by Kenneth Clew - The Somerset Coal Canal and Railway in case you haven’t discovered it. At Camerton I think the canal went between some cottages and the Batch (coal heap). Was that Dunkerton aqueduct you showed?
Thanks Marilyn. Yup wrong time of year to be looking for this type of thing! Yes the Aqueduct was the Dunkerton one.
Absolutely fascinating video Paul,you must make a revisit at some time.👍
Thanks, Kim. Very much intend on doing so. Perhaps sooner than yo might imagine!
Very interesting 🤔, lovely day for it too 😎🧱👍🏼
Cheers gents, yup it was quite changable to be fair!
All shown on the 1873-1888 map again. You would think that after all of the hard work put in by Tim West/Prunella Scales to get the Kennet & Avon restored in the 70's/80's that some folks would be keen to get this back in use from Dundass junction. They keep building more boats etc., but eventually where are they all going to go? Nice work on your behalf, thanks.
Cheers Paul and Rebecca brilliant video I’m ashamed to say I’ve only just completed watching after giving you the tip! super busy at work catching up after furlough! Anyway as others have said better than telly keep em coming. North Cornwall Line soon? 😀
Was gonna mention this one to you, enjoyed the film, I believe part of the canal was built on to create the camerton branch where they film tit field thunderbolt, your other video.
This was certainly way to short for my taste; what a lovely visual journey and some great historical insights. Canals are way more romantic these days - if other canal channels are anything to go by. I was excited to push the 'watch' button, simply because there was 'crazy', 'canal' and your names in the recommendations. I really hope you go back, cause it looks like there's a lovely lot of research and walking to be done. Take care, arms in the air, you folks, and stay safe!
((hugs)) from Australia.
Great film showing this very old abandoned canal. The canal was built around 1800 & closed in 1902, & sold to various railway companies. The GWR line that ran from Limpley Stoke to Hallatrow used a lot of the old canal bed for its track. Check out the old railway tunnel at Combe Hay on the Wellow road cross roads, the arches in the tunnel (for workers on the line) have the original stonework canal lining to the back of the arch to save brickwork & how much deeper the railway had to be built from the base of the canal to the trackbed of the railway (about 800mm). The northern portal of this tunnel seems to show partly brick & mainly stone, was the stone part of the original canal portal, who knows? but it does look possible?. The Somerset coal canal starts at the Dundas Aqueduct (and is the only section restored with boats on it) & then splits into a northern section (which your film is partly on) & a Southern section which ran from the restored Aqueduct (shown on your film) at Midford up the Wellow valley to Radstock, some of this was used again for building the trackbed of the Somerset & Dorset Joint railway. Wellow still has a canal tunnel/ portal that runs under the road & church to the valley beyond but maybe in a private garden? If you have not already done the 2 tunnels walk from Bath (Green Park station) to Wellow I do recommend it.
Victorian engineers had some wild imaginations putting a barge in a sealed caisson elevator that's mad
I think that you mean Georgian civil engineers. The Somerset Coal Canal was constructed during the 1790's under the direction of William Smith, later known as the "Father of English Geology".
There used to be a brick railway bridge over that lot (my uncle was the highways engineer when they blew it up!).
Nothing wrong with the pronunciation of caisson. The French just make the ‘o’ sound longer: caissooon sort of.
Nice exploration once again, Thanks to you I am now watching narrowboat vlogs. 🤔
Watching right now! CZcams said 42 seconds ago! Eager you see!!!!!!!!!!! Keep Safe!
Haha... thanks Sheila, hope you enjoyed it.
That diagram at 6:50 is terrifying, especially with the water above and below. It being watertight is one thing, but such a height of water also makes for a lot of pressure at the bottom. If the seal fails on the box, you'd be in serious trouble if you're at the top, let alone if you're at the bottom. Not to mention the pressure on the seal at the lower docking point of the caisson... and then building caisson after caisson. Wow.
Absolutely on all counts. I can't begin to imagine how this got past the drawing board.
Good video and music too 🚶🏼🚶🏼♀️
Another interesting video.Help, 2:01 & 15:16: still struggling with your aquaducts? Very nice 'fernery' you've discovereed!
You may want to have a look at the North Walsham/Dilham canal. It's the only locked canal in Norfolk. They are working on it after many decades of neglect.
Paul and Rebecca just keep making more and more interesting videos! I'm glad that the idea of lowering a box in a caisson wasn't built! But that canal had so many locks it would have taken more then a day for one boat to traverse, which means a lot of boats would have been waiting their turn, even at wide points. While time isn't important for non-perishable goods like coal, labor costs alone would have made this canal one to avoid. I have no doubt that some enterprising lad made a canal boat load of money selling beer and food to the waiting boaters!
I think two were actually built and a handful of people died using them!
@@pwhitewick Really? They actually built and used it? Good Grief!
The men and women who worked their narrowboats up the flight of fourteen consecutive locks at Combe Hay would have obtained liquid and solid refreshments from the adjacent Wheatsheaf Inn which remains an excellent hostelry to this day.
I think you like a railway/canal puzzle like me! That sharp bend (whatever the angle!) does suggest reuse from a different alignment.
The reason many inclines were superseded was the cost of transshipment rather than any safety issues. (There is a local example (for me) of inclined tramways next to the High Peak Canal) There is the early 1925 Cromford and High Peak Railway built with inclines between level sections like a canal. (Not far from the Monsal Trail you did.) Caissons were a strange beast and rarely successful, so I am glad the Anderton Boat Lift is back in action.
But then there is the wonderful combination - inclined caissons. Examples in France and Belgium, but there was the short-lived Foxton Incline in England. Midlands somewhere if I remember right. Short-lived, but I think there was an effort to restore it. Can someone update me/us on that?
Sorry for long post!
The caisson idea is just so scary...!
Ooooh yes.
That caisson would be amazing if it worked, and didn't leak and had a sufficient oxygen supply for the duration of the drop or rise. But why have water simultaneously above and below when it could be a very deep lock.
This, perhaps answers itself as without an even higher reservoir, there was only so much water available to get up a hill and only so much space to keep it either end the bottom otherwise the top end would be dry ( if there wasn't a higher feeder )and the locals at the bottom at either end in any case would be a dabbling their feet in the water for miles around if it got used a lot.
This implies that it had to be a sealed sealed system- maybe with pipes and pumps and a steam engine to work the caisson but the water looks like it displaced itself by the movement of the the caisson alone, probably around the long sides, where no watertight seal was required
Although the patent for the caisson has two hand cranked gear systems, I wonder how much effort it took to move. The Falkirk Wheel is so finely balanced that it only needs a fairly basic motor of only a few horsepower to turn it- it might even be in low double figures. A friend's wife was a civil engineer and has been inside it, too. She'd probably know all about the caisson too, it's the sort of thing her and her late husband were well into, but that's all years ago- water under the bridge :)
"and if all the people die using the casson, they would be already buried so efficient that way" surmised the engineers
Saw a reference to those caisson-lifts recently in Wikipedia, & was astounded that they actually built a full-size system from the patents before deciding that it was obviously unworkable!
A pneumatic-railway was another hair-brained scheme that also relied on leather-seals that proved woefully leaky!
Yup, some crazy ideas. I think they actually did go ahead with the Caisson for a few years!