Hi Jess, Chris, Colette and Shane, just a small token of my appreciation and thanks to you all for always warming my heart with your incredible channel. Thank you all my friends. Love from the South coast of West Sussex. ❤ xx
Friend, We're so glad we could take you a long with us for all of our fun adventures. We appreciate you and love all your support, dear friend! Thank you for your time watching and sharing with us. I'm definitely so happy we can bring you joy! Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
As an old British person, living in Newfoundland and I will probably not get home again…..the sound of the birds and the sky moved me to tears. Thank you for making this video.
I live in Britain and it also brings me to tears because this will all be gone in the not too distant future. Canal fees for boaters have gone through the roof, woke numpties and anti Brits everywhere, along with illegal immigrants...... Britain is totally broken
As a Brit, may I applaud your husbands driving? Impeccable. I've watched a lot of videos on TH-cam of Americans having a bit of trouble driving over here but your hubby takes it all in his stride. Impressive driving skills.
The green and pleasant lands are like nothing else, especially on a warm summer’s day. And, I know it can rain a lot here but even that is beautiful. The sound of the rain hitting the green trees, the smell. Rain brings life, and the UK is just brimming with it. The history is something else. I feel lucky.
Many people don't realise that there are still over 2000 miles of navigable canals in the country. Many built in the 1700s to transport the goods made in the Industrial Revolution.
Wow, thank you for the lovely insight, friend! We're so glad we could take you a long with us for this fun adventures. Thank you for watching and sharing with us. We appreciate your time. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
@@Sam-qh1shno they don’t. I live spitting distance from the canal in the West Midlands and many here don’t know it because they are not interested, the only connection they have with the canal is throwing shopping trolleys and scooters in it!
I cycle around the West Midlands canals you can do 45 miles loops connecting to the different canals or from Birmingham to Stratford or even to Worcester and get the train back after a few beers at the canal side pubs 😂
Beautiful video, immaculate driving 🚗 sir 😊 (I didn't get travel sick, which proves the point 🤗), delightful company, I hope you went into the pub at the locks!!! That was a pretty village,but I hope you got to see others on your travels that have thatched cottages, and more of a centre with a few shops, ancient church, etc Maybe that's more of southern thing. Northerners please put me right on that if need be, I can take it😅 Coming from Dorset, in the southwest, that is the extent of my knowledge re thatched cottages. This is a learning curve for all of us, especially for our 'cousins', (read friends), from across the pond. I hope you have other videos for us to enjoy, literally seeing my homeland through your eyes is a treat, thank you ❤
I grew up in Birmingham which interesting has more canals than Venice.. Back when Britain was the workshop to the world most goods and services traveled on canals to sea port's and then on to the empire
@@DaydreamersBarn My brother in law who sadly past away 18 months ago had a narrowboat and he asked my wife and I if we wanted to have a go with it for a few days. I have to say it was probably the most relaxing and peaceful holiday we have ever had however I would add that we were on part of the Macclesfield canal which didn't have any locks to negotiate or worry about.😎
@@macroman54 sorry for your loss. I'm so glad you all had a lovely relaxing holiday weekend. Thank you so much for your time sharing with us. We appreciate your time and kindness. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
You just brought up a memory for me! My friend was visiting from California and said, " I love the old houses so much, but couldn't live with 100 year old plus plumbing, electrics etc" . When I replied that all plumbing and power etc was regularly updated and modernised in order to comply with standards required, he just shook his head. " Sadly we would just bulldoze it".
Tell him about the programs over here showing the restorations that get done by the grants , public donation and private donation ( probably a tax break but still ) and by people buying them , just Google them ( some £1m + )
Brit here. Nice to see you guys enjoying yourselves. Shane seems to have learnt how to navigate our roundabouts quite well. Hope the weather stays fine and you keep making the videos!
Thank you. We love it here and getting out exploring as much as possible. Unfortunately, Shane is not driving just yet. Chris and I drive here and have really enjoyed the experience. The weather was lovely, but we don't let weather hold us back from enjoying our time here in England/ the UK. Thank you for your time watching and commenting. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
The canal and lock system are marvels of engineering. I am old enough to remember the Shire horses pulling canal boats. They were the HGV's of the day. The microphone was great and you had some nice weather for a change. I took my grandson back to Duxford Air Museum as he wanted to see the American section again. It is not a cheap day out, but it Is highly recommended.
And, here you see England's green and pleasant land. It's life in every field. A people who risked their freedom and gave their law, language, and future to the USA and indeed most of the world. Through a fight born of honour and motivated by freedom at huge British cost. You see it now in it's purity daily. I wish you well on your travels. I wish you to remember these English roads. To pass their lines on. To give wisdom. This is our only hope in a world that is largely blinded by technology. Be safe and wise. From Newcastle.
The (British) elderberries should not be eaten raw as they contain a toxin which causes severe stomach cramps and can kill you. If you cook them then you can eat them but not too many as they will make you run to the loo. Generally they are used to make a mixed fruit hedgerow jam (along with crab apples, hawthorne berries, blackberries and maybe some sloes).
I cannot tell you how nice and refreshing it is to see Amerian tourists getting away from the usual English tourists traps and going out into the real England, seeing real English places and meeting real English people. This is sadly quite rare. Should you ever decide to go to my little country (Ireland) do contact me and I will tell you where to go. You are clearly not run of the mill people. Take care.
I can't tell you how much I love these people. We in Europe tend to be dismissive of American tourists (I saw a blog the other day of a youngish American guy who spent his entire first day on Oxford and Carnaby Street and thought this was England - both places are avoided by the English like the plague). But these three people should make you proud to be American.
As the Water Rat said to the Mole “Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing-absolutely nothing-half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” The one thing we missed when moving from Surrey to Mid-Wales was having a boat on the Thames, from where there is easy access to a number of other rivers and canals.
Have a friend who lives on a canal boat. We spent a week just cruising down to London and back. Great holiday and a great way to see the countryside. You can't be in a rush at 5mph top speed. we're still a green and beautiful country plus the boat people are really friendly.
Thank you for sharing. We definitely are looking to book a holiday on a narrow boat. I'm sure it will be a wonderful memory for our family. We appreciate your time watching and commenting. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
Lovely seeing a spring day in my homeland, from which I'm sadly far removed at the moment. The spiney bush with the cheerful yellow flowers was gorse. It grows all over the place especially on moorlands and rough ground/ wasteland. I think I saw some elderflowers in the hedgerow too, as you passed. These are the flat creamy white flower-heads, something like Queen Anne's Lace, that grow on a shrubby tree and turn into shining black berries in late summer/autumn. Lots of folklore around this tree, and both flowers and fruit have been long utilised to make delicious things like elderflower fritters, non-alcoholic elderflower 'champagne' and cordial, and elderberry wine.
@@DaydreamersBarn I believe the native US version is a different plant altogether from the UK/ European one, and I'm not sure it's edible. But I'm sure you will have checked it all out! 🙂
Foxton was one of the first places that my wife took me to visit, when I moved over to Peterborough. It's hard to imagine now how industrialised it was years ago, with the massive boat lift and inclined plane. Our little dog at the time Freddie, was a little wary of the place, and stayed close! Thanks for the day out, and bringing back great memories.
Bear in mind you are seeing just a tiny slither of this beautiful country. I live on a narrowboat and when i bought her 14 years ago, Foxton locks were the first i encountered on my trip home.... thank god the lock keeper was in attendance to help me through 😊 🇬🇧
Yeah try an agricultural show. great fun lots of animals I'm at the Hertfordshire and the Suffolk shows this year. Plus most owners are happy for you to say hello to the animals
Hi ,really loved watching this video, I'm from Warwickshire England ,and I live on a narrowboat, I love the life ,having a moveable home is brilliant, different veiws when you look out of the window, truly awesome ❤❤❤❤
another great day trip. As I mentioned sometime before I'm ill and housebound now so these wee drives along with you and your family are like wee daytrips for me as well. I used to love driving so seeing the road in front of me and the countryside unfolding around is lovely. And going to such interesting places, great stuff. I look forward to your vids.
As always, we love taking you and everyone else along on the ride. It makes us happy to be able to brighten up your day, even if it is just a little bit. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
Hiya. For the UK's biggest locks, check out the Caledonian Canal in Scotland, joining the East and West coasts via at least 4 Lochs including Loch Ness. Well worth a week's stay in the area to see it all. Stay safe. All the best to you.
A trip on the canals will be one of the most relaxing experiences for you. You will be encapsulated by serenity and wildlife, and most of the time, equally good people. And, you’ll be able to have the odd beer in an old pub on the way through 🇬🇧🇺🇸
We completely agree with you! We are looking forward to this summer on a narrow boat enjoying some good pub beers. We working on planning that. We appreciate your kindness and support. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
@@DaydreamersBarn as a boy, I spent 1 week per year over 5 yrs cruising the canals with my parents. Our boat was a 3 (squeezed in 5) berth all in one room, and a portaloo to do our business. No luxuries. Some of the happiest times of my life. The pub stops on a summer evening were the best, although our parents were quite lenient letting young teenagers have a beer 😂. The middle of the countryside, so quiet, respectful and peaceful. Heaven. I hope it’s the same for you as it was for me. Good luck.
Thank you for sharing this, It’s a lovely video! But, also thanks for appreciating what our country has to offer. I think our countryside, industrial heritage and cultural heritage is exceptional and it’s truly beautiful to see others enjoying it too. Maybe when you’re back home you can share a video that shows off some of your culture/heritage?
That is the plan and we look forward to doing that, especially when we are able to look back and compare it to our time here. Thanks for watching and commenting. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
The yellow prickly flower you looked at was gorse, its always in flower somewhere, whatever time of year, the old country saying is,if gorse is out of flower,then love is out of season.
Takes me back to a rather unusual pub crawl I did in my youth. A mate of mine borrowed her boyfriend's narrow boat and we spent the weekend going along the Grand Union Canal in West London. Spent a whole afternoon going up Hawell Flight (a couple of professional boatmen joined us halfway up on their way to Birmingham and we saw them again 2 days later on their way back while we were still only on the outskirts of West London!). Just went from pub to pub for a few days. So serene on the water. Thoroughly recommend. So glad you had a bit of sunshine to get the benefit of being outdoors. Another fabulous video, guys.
We did the Foxton locks as a family over 30 years ago. 4 lads mum & sister and dad driving the boat. We got up early one morning and flew the locks in record time we were manning the gates ahead of us as well as the ones we were going through and we got a bit of a crowd by the time we got to end end when they realised we were trying to get through at high rate of speed 😂 one of the best family holidays we ever had it was a 60’ hire boat and after that mum & dad bought a share in other boats and used to go all over the country in their boats. We had flown the nest so their time was their own and it seemed they were always away in the boat. Great memories seeing your video thanks 🙏
The longest lock flight in the UK is the Tardebigge Flight on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal. The flight boasts 30 locks and raises the canal 220 feet. The deepest lock in the UK is Tuel Lane Lock on Rochdale Canal which is over 19 feet.
That would be amazing if we were able to check out Tardebigge Flight on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal. We might have to put that on the list. Thanks for the suggestion. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
Hi, I live in a very small village in South Leicestershire not far from Foxton, nearer to Lutterworth, which you may have noticed on the road signs as you passed. I've visited these locks many times and am still thrilled when I see them working. My most memorable village was with my new wife to be just after she moved in with me. We visited on a cold and frosty afternoon with very few people around and had a simple, hearty, but warming meal at the pub at the bottom of the locks, and the bar staff were dressed in traditional 'boatmen's' clothing, but that was nearly 34 years ago before it was 'improved' and extended to cope with the number of visitors. It was a magical day - and we are still married and in love after 34 years - and I hope that your visit proves to be just as magical. It is lovely to see my local countryside through new eyes, and you brought back many lovely memories for me. Thank you, glad you enjoyed it. Just a minor tip, it's actually pronounced "Lestershu" by the locals.
Thanks for the tip. We will try to remember that for next time. That sounds like you had an amazing memory of the locks. We did as well. Thanks for watching and commenting. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
nice one picking up litter and thanks for liking this place. I'm British and I love North America, I just got back from my umpteenth road trip, this one from/to Atlanta doing a 2.5k mile round trip, getting as far north as Cincinnati. Driving in America, some places the people are considerate and polite, other places you have to be as pushy as the locals or you end up in the wrong lane with nobody helping you out or don't join the road for ages. You found some nice countryside here and on a lovely day. There is a lot like this but no regular tourist would ever know.
We are definitely going to volunteer our time to pick up, and we always pick up any when we see it. We appreciate your time sharing your experience in America. We love and appreciate our time learning and exploring this beautiful country. Thank you for your time watching and commenting. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
Ww don't have trash here. But certain institutions like the Waterways Board I think organise something similar on its canals. In fact, you're going to a canal location today, so you could have a look at the trash situation, while you're there.
Years ago I was on a canal holiday and we went down and up the Foxton locks. As I like the history of the canals, we also spent some time exploring the Foxton inclined plane. You should really take a trip to see the Anderton Boat Lift (Northwich, Cheshire) and have a trip on a canal "bus" down the lift, along the river and back again.
Great video. Was surprised to see my local area recommended in a vid. Made me chuckle when you mentioned 'the green house' just as you drove past the prison!!!
It was so lovely! We enjoyed our time and so glad that you have been there and enjoyed it well. We appreciate your time watching and commenting. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
If you are still interested, there is a major boating event at Crick Marina, near Northampton and Rugby. The Crick Boat Show is on the 25th, 26th, and 27th of May, and you can book tickets and see what's there through the dedicated website. There are even free boat trips over a short distance, and I think they may be bookable in advance. Wonderful to see Chris's aerial shots. That extra dimension adds to the imposing nature of the engineering work undertaken to overcome a natural obstacle. You are picking some great places to visit, which is as interesting to us residents as I am sure it will be to your stateside friends and family. Maybe you could extend your tour of duty for an extra few years😉.
Luv watching your podcasts. Makes me feel proud of my beautiful historic England. Plus how much you and family luv it too. 😊 Can't wait till you go to the West Country.
Back when I was a kid in the 60s a lot of the canals in the UK had fallen into a state of total disrepair as road and rail transport had long overtaken what the canal systems could carry. The restoration works carried out since has been amazing and a lot of it has been done by volunteers. A real success story as a lot of what used to be industrial wasteland and old coal mining areas have been turned back to areas of natural beauty.
I am so thankful that they are starting to be restored back to their former glory! I love and appreciate the work being done. We appreciate your kindness and support. Cheers 🤍 Jess x
The Canals were the business highways of Britain carrying good like coal, ore, and other products before the railways but just could not compete. It was in the late 80' or early 90's there was a great clean up (having lived near a canal growing-up I can tell you they wreaked havoc on the nostrils because of what was dumped in them). Now the leisure and holiday industry, as well as barges (Canal boats) as homes, are the way and canals have become a major leisure activity, Did you know that Birmingham (UK) has more milage of canals than?
I absolutely love the canals! Learning about them and hopefully one day being able to get out on the canals and ride a narrow boat. Oh, it will be a dream come true. Thank you for. Sharing about Birmingham. I'll look into that because that would be a great time exploring birmingham and then going and checking out the canal. Cheers 🤍 Jess x
one of my favourite places, the first time I went up Foxton locks in a boat in 1969, when I was 9. I had the easy job, in the boat, the others were on the gates.
Hello again Guys, what a truly wonderful insight into how locks work and I certainly learnt so much. 😊 tranquillity , scenery and a completely different way of life navigating the canals. Great drone footage gave a wonderful aspect of the height of Foxton Locks too. Once again another stunning vlog Jess wonderfully assisted by Chris and Shane. ☺ I too adore how villages like Foxton never change and will forever remain ageless. The sound was perfect too Jess. Happy Monday my friends. Best wishes for you all. xx ❤
Hello friend, We're so thankful you enjoyed this wonderful day out with us. Chris is learning how to operate the drone with each adventure. We love the canals and how peaceful it is to be out exploring. We're so honored to have you as a friend and Channel Member to share in all of our fun adventures. We hope you have a lovely week ahead. Thank you for your continued support and love! Cheers 🤍 Jess, Chris, Shane & Colette x
This was randomly recommended to me glad I watched I live in this part of England was nice seeing familiar places I drive by and take for granted everyday.
I was visiting family at the weekend just gone and we went for a walk along the river Aire then crossed over to the Leeds-Liverpool canal and walked on to Saltaire to visit Salts Mill. If we had gone a little further along the canal there is a 3 rise lock and shortly after that a 5 rise lock. There was a lot of money to be made from the canals when they were first built, they were the highways of the time and the narrow boats were the heavy goods vehicles of the time. Some were in use commercially until the mid 1900s but modern trucks and trains out-competed them. Maybe if there is a big push towards electric trucks the canals will become very important again.
Who knows what will happen with the electric trucks. If it helps support the canals again that would be great. Thanks for watching and commenting. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
Have you driven through the Derbyshire Dales yet? Just a suggestion, but theres beautiful countryside along the drive through Ashbourne, Brassington, Middleton, Wirksworth, Cromford, Matlock Bath, Matlock, Chatsworth House grounds, (make sure you pass the actual house), Bakewell, Ashford in the Water, a brief walk through Buxton, the historic village of Eyam, the stunning drive through Tideswell, Bradwell, Hope Valley, to a brief stop at the Blue John Cavern caves at Castleton. Turn around back towards Hope Valley, Bamford, Ladybower Reservoir. Then back towards Hathersage, Owler bar, Chesterfield then back towards the M1. As I've mentioned previously, Chatsworth House is definitely worth a visit. Hardwick House, Bolsover castle maybe points of interest to you and they're both near junction 29 of the M1 motorway. Should keep you busy and you'll definitely enjoy the countryside along the drive through numerous small villages.
A lot of those canel Bridges have groves worn in them, From when the Horses pulled the boats full of cargo and the ropes dug into the edge of the Bridges. Some tow paths where to small and they walked there Horses around them, While people put there legs on the roof of the Bridges and walked the boats through.
I love watching the canal boats. A couple of years ago we went to Scotland and saw the Falkirk Wheel, that’s really interesting. It lifts the canal boat up on a giant wheel, really worth a look if you are interested.
Hya you lovely lot, only just caught this episode and it was a brilliant video one of your best. I'm so glad you did a canal video I absolutely adore our canals and I am fortunate to have a canal side property on the Cheshire Ring which I've lived in for 40 years it's fabulous sitting in the garden watching all the narrow boats and cruisers go by and you meet some fascinating people many from abroad taking a holiday. Good work with the Lock Jess 👍 . I have 2 friends who live permanently on a narrow boat and they often moor up alongside my garden and come in for a cuppa. Think you should take a holiday on the Canal you'd love it. Lots of love from Cheshire 😘xx
Oh, dear friend, thank you so very much! I'm so glad you truly enjoyed this video. I love putting them all together and sharing with you all. It brings my heart so much joy. I love sharing our fun. I am so blessed to have some of the very best friends here on TH-cam! Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
In England we are not encouraged to pick litter near roads and highways because of potential dangers with traffic. Borough Councils are supposed to deal with that litter. But in urban towns and cities there are many volunteer groups who give up their own time to go litter picking and the Council picks up the full litter bags.
Thank you for visiting and being so kind about England so glad you didn’t just stay in London like so many tourists it’s like a separate country to the rest which is so beautiful.
Oh, we absolutely love it here, and we try not to only do touristy destinations. This country is just so magnificent! Thank you so much for your time watching and being very kind. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
The new mics have made a huge difference on the last 2 vids. Now we can hear you all! This was your best trip so far. Absolutely loved the leafy cloudy drive and the beautiful Foxton Locks and Inclined Plane(which is Listed and in the process of restoration). It looks beautifully kept, set in lovely countryside. Thanks for taking us along.
Thank you so much for letting us know about the microphones. We definitely appreciate your time! We love improving and bringing you all fun videos to enjoy each week. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
I was brought up in East Leicestershire, and we used to visit Foxton Locks regularly. If locks and canals interest you, the UK canal network is still extensive, and often quite beautiful. I live in walking distance from the steepest (as opposed to the largest, which is Foxton) flight of locks in the UK - Bingley Five-Rise Locks. They are on the UK's longest canal (The Leeds-Liverpool), and there is some superb walking along that canal. Skipton to Saltaire (World Heritage Site), via Five Rise Locks, takes some beating.
@@DaydreamersBarn If you guys ever come up this way, let me know? My wife and I would be honoured to shout you a Yorkshire beer, and your superb kids whatever they want!
That was a lovely trip out, Jess. Just a shame that Colette wasn't able to join you. I'd heard of the 'longest flight of lock gates' in the UK, but couldn't remember where they are. Now I know!!! As has been commented by others, there are many miles of canals that are still navigable. If you get the chance, got a bit further west and have a look at the Grand Union canal. It links London with the West Midlands and has some good tow-path to walk along.
Lovely, thank you for the recommendation! We understand that sometimes the kiddos don't want to hang with us, but they love exploring this beautiful country. We appreciate your kindness and support. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
Hi guys, this trip reminds me of a place i used to live called, Marsden which also had canals . At Tunnel End there is a 3 mile stretch of tunnel that goes under the hillside, access by appointment only in case anyone gets into difficulty .
Oh, lovely. So glad it could bring back a memory for you. Thank you for sharing and all the love and support. We appreciate your time. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
I havent been to Foxton Locks but I have been to the longest of Locks at Tardebigge (pronounced Tardy Big). As a kid, me and my mates would cycle from our village to Tardebigge to help the narrowboaters with the Locks. If you ever come across to the Midlands, you could visit the Black Country Living Museum and you could get the opportunity to leg a narrowboat through a tunnel. It is great fun to do but it is hard work and a tad uncomfortable. What amazes me with canals is that they were all dug out by hand. I recently found a TH-cam channel called The Mindful Narrowboat and the lady that lives on the boat writes poetry and draws nature pictures, its very relaxing to warch.
We definitely appreciate your recommendations and time sharing your story with us. I am definitely gonna look up that youtube channel!!! Thank you, friend. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
I agree with you on littering, it's my pet hate, I really get upset when I see our beautiful countryside littered with rubbish,. 😔 Another beautiful day and good drive out. 👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻🇺🇲🤝🏻🇬🇧
@@DaydreamersBarn we organise community litter picking clubs in the UK or you can volenteer at the Canal & river trust who litter pick along the canalside
I think you would love a TH-cam channel called ... The Mindful Narrow Boat ... A lovely lady who lives on the canal observing all the nature , wildlife , insects and birds along her journey throughout the UK . She interprets each episode and the things she has seen into poetry at the end . It's amazingly relaxing whilst getting to see the beauty of the countryside from a different perspective . My favourite canal is the Llangollen canal in North Wales , absolutely stunning .
My part of the country x I love walking along the canal all seasons. Leicestershire -Lester shire. We pick up rubbish called the south Leicester wobbles.
We did Foxton Locks on a canal holiday at High School. We kept getting in trouble for drinking and smoking. That was back in the 80's. On an interesting note you cant crush beer cans and put then down the toilet on a narrow boat. Glad to see your having a good time in the UK. Good vid!
I grew up on the grand union canal in London. I spent my whole childhood helping the locks keeper open and closing the lock! I found it fascinating! It’s nice to hear our country from a different perspective… you take for granted how pretty the uk can be ❤ (it’s pronounced Lincoln-shyer, where my husband grew up!)
@@DaydreamersBarn I'm so pleased you've felt at home here and we've been a welcoming bunch! Keep enjoying, it's nice to see. we do love the UK and have traveled the world and the UK has so much to offer... we live in East Sussex near Brighton, which is also beautiful and my other loves are Dorset (durdle dors and lulworth, finding dinosaur fossils on the Jurassic coastline! And lastly Cornwall is just ye ol worldy england with some of the friendliest people you will ever meet!). I'm yet to visit Scotland and some of the spots in wales but it's on my list of places to visit on home turf! ❤️
in 1893 a canal with locks opened that was wide enoug deep enough which meant big ocean going merchant ships from the irish sea and the river mersey could sail 40 miles inland to manchester to deliver cargo and take cargo anywere in the world the canal was called the manchester ship canal
Atherstone Locks near me has 11 locks, a bit more spread out and space for boats to pass, since it's not as steep gradient. They finished the canal network for it to become almost obsolete with the invention of Steam Train, but they still link up all the major industrial cities.
hi guys nice vid, been a long time since i've been to foxton. by the way not to far from there is crick marina which on the last bank holiday in may has the big boat show u might enjoy
Yes, one of the canal operators' problems was the lack of water in the system. This is why they built "narrow" canals to save water, hence narrow boats to fit these canals.
@@DaydreamersBarnI suppose in theory, for a given volume of water in the side pond, the greater the surface area and the shallower the pond the more water is saved. This is because the water in the lock and the pond must be level before the sluices are opened.
Foxton locks are in LEICESTERSHIRE, which is pronounced "lestasha." A couple of miles down the road from me, in lovely Market Harborough. My neighbour used to make narrow boat hulls.
It's a sobering thought that when these locks were completed in 1810, the technology was already obsolescent. Twenty years later the Liverpool & Manchester Railway would open, and from that day forward the narrow canals were in steady decline for another 100 years as faster and cheaper ways of moving goods were found. Thankfully these former industrial arteries have enjoyed a renaissance in recreational use in recent decades, free from the industrial squalor that once attended many of them.
Foxton is about 40 minutes from where i live. A number of years ago we went as a family to visit the locks. Myself and my husband had a nightmare, our boys were about five and seven, we visited the museum, after a while the youngest got bored so i him took out to sit outside the pub at the bottom of the hill. About 10 minutes later my husband came down the hill without our other son, he thought i had taken both boys with me, i thought our eldest had stayed with his dad. My husband run back up the hill, lucky enough David had the sense to sit and wait for us in the museum after realising we weren't in the building. It gave us both a fright, we had just been reading the history and how the water flows into the overflow ponds , it all run through our minds, it was the worst few minutes of my life. The rest of the day we didn't let go of their hands. When we went they had a trip up the river on a narrowboat, i wonder if they still do that or maybe it was a bit early in the season.
That sounds like an experience you won't soon forget....for good reason. We are glad it all worked out in the end, smart thinking by the lad. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
Nice video by nice people. I have subscribed. The canals were very important in the industrial development of the country, before they were superseded by the railways. It is possible to follow some of the old canals across the country but the scale is small compared with the US or the Great Lakes of course. I have never been to Foxton but have walked canals and locks in the South. They are also havens for wildlife. After a while one gets to know where the birds nest - a pair of swans will nest in the same location year after year, and maybe the ducks and geese do too.
Oh, thank you for your lovely support. We love the canals and narrow boats. It's such a lovely way of life. Thank you for your work insights comment. Cheers 🤍 Jess x
I hope you enjoyed your stay here in the UK. Lots to see here with a lot of history. A tad bit smaller than the US and provided it doesnt rain it should leave you with wonderful memories. Come back soon.🇬🇧❤️👌
Canals. One very important part of what built Britain and started the Industrial Revolution and kickstarted the modern world we all live in today. Glad you're exploring this history. Happy Sunday.
So funny I clicked to watch this and you are literally a couple of miles from my house ! I can see the White House at the top of the lock from my window!
Reminds me of Hatton Locks, Warwickshire, a 21 lock flight about 5 miles NW of Warwick, so if you ever get over to Warwickshire, they are probably worth checking out if this is the sort of thing you enjoy, within 30 miles of Warwick, famous for its magnificent castle, you have Stratford-upon-Avon, north Cotswolds towns such as stow on the wold, bourton on the water, lower and upper slaughter, broadway, and chipping Camden where my grandmother was from, still have lots of relatives there, her family have lived there for over 400 years, coughton court at Alcester, and if you continue on from Alcester, Worcester is only just over 30 miles from Warwick. It's an area of Central England I love visiting.
Jess, we're thankful that you're living in England right now too. There is a TV series that's just started on Channel 4, it's on every day (Mon to Fri) at 4pm, and it is called "Narrow Escapes," and it follows the lives of various people who have chosen to live their lives on the canals and waterways of Britain on a narrow boat.
We do have dedicated litter pickups, often through the county employment. There are occasionally public community pickups too. There are times that I get pronunciations wrong and I was born here and live here in Essex. I have not operated the locks but have seen many. This quotation seems apt for your tour, "a good time was had by all".
It was so fun. My heart is so full of joy that each day, we explore and experience something new. We love taking you all along with us for our adventures and Vlogs. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
Right so you wanted a comment or a story, this is both! Back in the late 1980's my then girlfriend now wife of at least 25 years. We baught a narrowboat in Nottingham I could see Trent Bridge Cricket Stadium when we took ownership. So long story short we were heading for Oxford, which takes you through Froxton. Anyway we arrive in Froxton I imagine you noticed the pub is at the bottom of the locks which is where we arrived. Its about 12:30 lunchtime and there are 7 boats in front of us. As you said Froxton is 2 sets of 5 staircase locks. That means that it takes on average it takes 45 minutes for every boat, we have 7 in front of us. So at 13:15 or so when we see the boat come out its a simple calculation the lock shuts at 19:00. Maybe we get up tonight or first thing tomorrow. Turns out first thing tomorrow, the pub does good food so thats fine. The thing is when you get to the top of Foxton in a narrowboat its a day and a half before you reach any ability to restock the boat.
Thank you for sharing your story of the locks and Narrowboat! We appreciate your time. We're so glad you were able to watch the video and share with us. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
Bit of a boast!😊 I grew up in Bletchley (now part of Milton Keynes) Grand Union Canal! tearing down the footpath on our bikes “encouraging” each other to fall in🤪 Quieter times going fishing in the “cut” as we called the canal. A regular play ground! My mother (86 now) spent her early years living on a working narrow boat. Very different from the leisure versions you see now😅. One of her Uncles (Bill and his wife Vie) was the last “working” longboat on the grand union. They had a hotel booked for their honeymoon night but did not feel comfortable on dry land, cancelled and went back onto their boat.😂. Only about the first 25 feet of the boat was living space. The priority was to maximise the cargo area. The more you could carry the more money you made. Glad you enjoyed visiting this humble part of English heritage .👍 Check out Narrow Boat Trust on Facebook ..
That is a great story about your families past. Boats and waterways in general are amazing. We love seeing what different countries have done with them. Thanks for watching and commenting. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
It's great that you are getting away from your workplace and seeing the country for yourselves. So many of your countrymen and women don't do that, travel a short distance or go only to the big cities nearby ( OK, London! ). I hope you make plans to visit the English Lake District as it is something quite different to the part of the country you are living in. It's very easy to get to Scotland from here, too - you can see it from here ! If you do come, I suggest you try to avoid the height of the summer holidays as the narrow roads here get very busy indeed. You will be very welcome, whenever you come.
The lake district is something we have on our list that we need to see for sure. It looks beautiful and we want to see for ourselves. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
Hi Jess, Chris, Colette and Shane, just a small token of my appreciation and thanks to you all for always warming my heart with your incredible channel. Thank you all my friends.
Love from the South coast of West Sussex. ❤ xx
Friend,
We're so glad we could take you a long with us for all of our fun adventures. We appreciate you and love all your support, dear friend! Thank you for your time watching and sharing with us. I'm definitely so happy we can bring you joy! Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
As an old British person, living in Newfoundland and I will probably not get home again…..the sound of the birds and the sky moved me to tears. Thank you for making this video.
My friend so glad we could help make your heart happy. I'm glad you could come along with us. We appreciate your time. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
Oh gosh, do try to get home again. I know it is hideously expensive so it may not be possible.
I live in Britain and it also brings me to tears because this will all be gone in the not too distant future. Canal fees for boaters have gone through the roof, woke numpties and anti Brits everywhere, along with illegal immigrants...... Britain is totally broken
Dont ever come back, it will break your heart to see the state of the place, within 50 years there will be nothing British left...
As a Brit, may I applaud your husbands driving? Impeccable. I've watched a lot of videos on TH-cam of Americans having a bit of trouble driving over here but your hubby takes it all in his stride. Impressive driving skills.
Well thank you for that. We have tried our best. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
Agree! The roundabout negotiated with the aplomb of a native Briton. Hats off, gentlemen!😊
The green and pleasant lands are like nothing else, especially on a warm summer’s day. And, I know it can rain a lot here but even that is beautiful. The sound of the rain hitting the green trees, the smell. Rain brings life, and the UK is just brimming with it. The history is something else. I feel lucky.
Indeed, we have enjoyed that and plan on still doing that as the summer progresses. Thanks for watching and commenting. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
Many people don't realise that there are still over 2000 miles of navigable canals in the country. Many built in the 1700s to transport the goods made in the Industrial Revolution.
Wow, thank you for the lovely insight, friend! We're so glad we could take you a long with us for this fun adventures. Thank you for watching and sharing with us. We appreciate your time. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
By many people do you mean Americans?? Because literally everyone in England knows
@@Sam-qh1shno they don’t. I live spitting distance from the canal in the West Midlands and many here don’t know it because they are not interested, the only connection they have with the canal is throwing shopping trolleys and scooters in it!
More canals than Venice
I cycle around the West Midlands canals you can do 45 miles loops connecting to the different canals or from Birmingham to Stratford or even to Worcester and get the train back after a few beers at the canal side pubs 😂
Beautiful video, immaculate driving 🚗 sir 😊 (I didn't get travel sick, which proves the point 🤗), delightful company, I hope you went into the pub at the locks!!!
That was a pretty village,but I hope you got to see others on your travels that have thatched cottages, and more of a centre with a few shops, ancient church, etc Maybe that's more of southern thing. Northerners please put me right on that if need be, I can take it😅 Coming from Dorset, in the southwest, that is the extent of my knowledge re thatched cottages.
This is a learning curve for all of us, especially for our 'cousins', (read friends), from across the pond. I hope you have other videos for us to enjoy, literally seeing my homeland through your eyes is a treat, thank you ❤
Thanks for the kind words. We had a blast and truly enjoyed our time. We did not get a chance to go to the pub. Maybe next time. Cheers, Chris
Great to see American tourists getting out into the country. So much to see. Especially if you stay off the motorways.
Yes indeed! We couldn't agree with you more. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
I grew up in Birmingham which interesting has more canals than Venice.. Back when Britain was the workshop to the world most goods and services traveled on canals to sea port's and then on to the empire
Interesting fact. We did not know that part. Thanks for the commenting. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
A narrowboat holiday is one of the best ways of experiencing England.
We are currently planning it's in the works! I am just tickled to bits that we're working out a plan to make it happen. Cheers 🤍 Jess x
@@DaydreamersBarn My brother in law who sadly past away 18 months ago had a narrowboat and he asked my wife and I if we wanted to have a go with it for a few days. I have to say it was probably the most relaxing and peaceful holiday we have ever had however I would add that we were on part of the Macclesfield canal which didn't have any locks to negotiate or worry about.😎
@@macroman54 sorry for your loss. I'm so glad you all had a lovely relaxing holiday weekend. Thank you so much for your time sharing with us. We appreciate your time and kindness. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
@@DaydreamersBarn Thank you for that and forgot to mention I loved your film. Best wishes to you all.☺
@oorya1780 we appreciate your support! We will keep your family in our thoughts. 🤍 Jess x
You just brought up a memory for me! My friend was visiting from California and said, " I love the old houses so much, but couldn't live with 100 year old plus plumbing, electrics etc" . When I replied that all plumbing and power etc was regularly updated and modernised in order to comply with standards required, he just shook his head. " Sadly we would just bulldoze it".
Tell him about the programs over here showing the restorations that get done by the grants , public donation and private donation ( probably a tax break but still ) and by people buying them , just Google them ( some £1m + )
It is sad when that happens, preserve what we can when we can. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
Brit here. Nice to see you guys enjoying yourselves. Shane seems to have learnt how to navigate our roundabouts quite well. Hope the weather stays fine and you keep making the videos!
Thank you. We love it here and getting out exploring as much as possible. Unfortunately, Shane is not driving just yet. Chris and I drive here and have really enjoyed the experience. The weather was lovely, but we don't let weather hold us back from enjoying our time here in England/ the UK. Thank you for your time watching and commenting. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
The canal and lock system are marvels of engineering. I am old enough to remember the Shire horses pulling canal boats. They were the HGV's of the day. The microphone was great and you had some nice weather for a change. I took my grandson back to Duxford Air Museum as he wanted to see the American section again. It is not a cheap day out, but it Is highly recommended.
Thanks for the info! We appreciate all your time sharing lovely things with us. Thank you, friend! Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
And, here you see England's green and pleasant land. It's life in every field. A people who risked their freedom and gave their law, language, and future to the USA and indeed most of the world. Through a fight born of honour and motivated by freedom at huge British cost. You see it now in it's purity daily. I wish you well on your travels. I wish you to remember these English roads. To pass their lines on. To give wisdom. This is our only hope in a world that is largely blinded by technology. Be safe and wise. From Newcastle.
We do plan on remembering our great time when we are back in the US. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
The (British) elderberries should not be eaten raw as they contain a toxin which causes severe stomach cramps and can kill you. If you cook them then you can eat them but not too many as they will make you run to the loo. Generally they are used to make a mixed fruit hedgerow jam (along with crab apples, hawthorne berries, blackberries and maybe some sloes).
I cannot tell you how nice and refreshing it is to see Amerian tourists getting away from the usual English tourists traps and going out into the real England, seeing real English places and meeting real English people. This is sadly quite rare. Should you ever decide to go to my little country (Ireland) do contact me and I will tell you where to go. You are clearly not run of the mill people. Take care.
I can't tell you how much I love these people. We in Europe tend to be dismissive of American tourists (I saw a blog the other day of a youngish American guy who spent his entire first day on Oxford and Carnaby Street and thought this was England - both places are avoided by the English like the plague). But these three people should make you proud to be American.
Thanks for commenting. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
As the Water Rat said to the Mole
“Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing-absolutely nothing-half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.”
The one thing we missed when moving from Surrey to Mid-Wales was having a boat on the Thames, from where there is easy access to a number of other rivers and canals.
We can only imagine how much it was to miss that. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
Lovely. Memories of the 70s. So pleased that you had a go at opening and closing the Lock, Jess. Thank you Jess, Shane & Chris
It was a highlight for sure. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
Have a friend who lives on a canal boat. We spent a week just cruising down to London and back. Great holiday and a great way to see the countryside. You can't be in a rush at 5mph top speed. we're still a green and beautiful country plus the boat people are really friendly.
Thank you for sharing. We definitely are looking to book a holiday on a narrow boat. I'm sure it will be a wonderful memory for our family. We appreciate your time watching and commenting. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
Lovely seeing a spring day in my homeland, from which I'm sadly far removed at the moment.
The spiney bush with the cheerful yellow flowers was gorse. It grows all over the place especially on moorlands and rough ground/ wasteland.
I think I saw some elderflowers in the hedgerow too, as you passed. These are the flat creamy white flower-heads, something like Queen Anne's Lace, that grow on a shrubby tree and turn into shining black berries in late summer/autumn. Lots of folklore around this tree, and both flowers and fruit have been long utilised to make delicious things like elderflower fritters, non-alcoholic elderflower 'champagne' and cordial, and elderberry wine.
We love the elderberry. The plan is to grow them on our property back in the US. Thanks for the input, comment, and watching. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
@@DaydreamersBarn I believe the native US version is a different plant altogether from the UK/ European one, and I'm not sure it's edible. But I'm sure you will have checked it all out! 🙂
My mother used to make wine from elderberries, but there was a risk of the bottles exploding after a while.
Watching this on a sunny Sunday morning with the doors to the garden open, birds singing and a full English in front of me. Perfect start to the day.
Bloody sun has disappeared though.
Tomorrow looks good here in Cornwall so it’s off to the beach.
Me too but with a full ☘☘☘☘
@@annfrancoole34 will make a point to try the Full Irish Breakfast.
That sounds like a wonderful start to the day for sure. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
Foxton was one of the first places that my wife took me to visit, when I moved over to Peterborough. It's hard to imagine now how industrialised it was years ago, with the massive boat lift and inclined plane. Our little dog at the time Freddie, was a little wary of the place, and stayed close! Thanks for the day out, and bringing back great memories.
Glad we could bring back a good memory for you. It is one that will last with us for a while. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
Bear in mind you are seeing just a tiny slither of this beautiful country. I live on a narrowboat and when i bought her 14 years ago, Foxton locks were the first i encountered on my trip home.... thank god the lock keeper was in attendance to help me through 😊 🇬🇧
💯 understand, and we can't wait to see as much as we can. Thank you. I appreciate your time commenting and watching. Cheers 🤍 Jess x
You should try an agriculture show this summer, you'll love them . Great vid .
We are looking into it. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
Yeah try an agricultural show. great fun lots of animals I'm at the Hertfordshire and the Suffolk shows this year. Plus most owners are happy for you to say hello to the animals
Hi ,really loved watching this video, I'm from Warwickshire England ,and I live on a narrowboat, I love the life ,having a moveable home is brilliant, different veiws when you look out of the window, truly awesome ❤❤❤❤
We couldn't agree more. We loved the experience too. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
another great day trip. As I mentioned sometime before I'm ill and housebound now so these wee drives along with you and your family are like wee daytrips for me as well. I used to love driving so seeing the road in front of me and the countryside unfolding around is lovely. And going to such interesting places, great stuff. I look forward to your vids.
As always, we love taking you and everyone else along on the ride. It makes us happy to be able to brighten up your day, even if it is just a little bit. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
Hiya. For the UK's biggest locks, check out the Caledonian Canal in Scotland, joining the East and West coasts via at least 4 Lochs including Loch Ness. Well worth a week's stay in the area to see it all. Stay safe. All the best to you.
That would be a sight to see for sure. We might try and see them. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
Thank you for appreciating our country ,
It is our pleasure. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
A trip on the canals will be one of the most relaxing experiences for you. You will be encapsulated by serenity and wildlife, and most of the time, equally good people. And, you’ll be able to have the odd beer in an old pub on the way through 🇬🇧🇺🇸
Absolutely agree with you, it's a totally different world to all the hustle and bustle.
We completely agree with you! We are looking forward to this summer on a narrow boat enjoying some good pub beers. We working on planning that. We appreciate your kindness and support. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
@@DaydreamersBarn as a boy, I spent 1 week per year over 5 yrs cruising the canals with my parents. Our boat was a 3 (squeezed in 5) berth all in one room, and a portaloo to do our business. No luxuries. Some of the happiest times of my life. The pub stops on a summer evening were the best, although our parents were quite lenient letting young teenagers have a beer 😂. The middle of the countryside, so quiet, respectful and peaceful. Heaven. I hope it’s the same for you as it was for me. Good luck.
You can hire canal boats to live/holiday on for a week or two @@DaydreamersBarn
Thank you for sharing this, It’s a lovely video! But, also thanks for appreciating what our country has to offer. I think our countryside, industrial heritage and cultural heritage is exceptional and it’s truly beautiful to see others enjoying it too. Maybe when you’re back home you can share a video that shows off some of your culture/heritage?
That is the plan and we look forward to doing that, especially when we are able to look back and compare it to our time here. Thanks for watching and commenting. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
The yellow prickly flower you looked at was gorse, its always in flower somewhere, whatever time of year, the old country saying is,if gorse is out of flower,then love is out of season.
Interesting saying. Thanks for the info. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
Hi family, what a lovely area , you've made me appreciate what absolute beauty there is here . Thankyou for taking us along it's appreciated 😊.❤
It is our pleasure. We are glad you enjoyed it. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
Takes me back to a rather unusual pub crawl I did in my youth. A mate of mine borrowed her boyfriend's narrow boat and we spent the weekend going along the Grand Union Canal in West London. Spent a whole afternoon going up Hawell Flight (a couple of professional boatmen joined us halfway up on their way to Birmingham and we saw them again 2 days later on their way back while we were still only on the outskirts of West London!). Just went from pub to pub for a few days. So serene on the water. Thoroughly recommend. So glad you had a bit of sunshine to get the benefit of being outdoors. Another fabulous video, guys.
Oh, very interesting. Thank you for sharing. We appreciate your time. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
We did the Foxton locks as a family over 30 years ago. 4 lads mum & sister and dad driving the boat. We got up early one morning and flew the locks in record time we were manning the gates ahead of us as well as the ones we were going through and we got a bit of a crowd by the time we got to end end when they realised we were trying to get through at high rate of speed 😂 one of the best family holidays we ever had it was a 60’ hire boat and after that mum & dad bought a share in other boats and used to go all over the country in their boats. We had flown the nest so their time was their own and it seemed they were always away in the boat. Great memories seeing your video thanks 🙏
Glad we were able to bring back a great memory for you all. Cheers, Chris
The longest lock flight in the UK is the Tardebigge Flight on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal. The flight boasts 30 locks and raises the canal 220 feet. The deepest lock in the UK is Tuel Lane Lock on Rochdale Canal which is over 19 feet.
That would be amazing if we were able to check out Tardebigge Flight on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal. We might have to put that on the list. Thanks for the suggestion. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
Hi, I live in a very small village in South Leicestershire not far from Foxton, nearer to Lutterworth, which you may have noticed on the road signs as you passed. I've visited these locks many times and am still thrilled when I see them working. My most memorable village was with my new wife to be just after she moved in with me. We visited on a cold and frosty afternoon with very few people around and had a simple, hearty, but warming meal at the pub at the bottom of the locks, and the bar staff were dressed in traditional 'boatmen's' clothing, but that was nearly 34 years ago before it was 'improved' and extended to cope with the number of visitors. It was a magical day - and we are still married and in love after 34 years - and I hope that your visit proves to be just as magical. It is lovely to see my local countryside through new eyes, and you brought back many lovely memories for me. Thank you, glad you enjoyed it. Just a minor tip, it's actually pronounced "Lestershu" by the locals.
Thanks for the tip. We will try to remember that for next time. That sounds like you had an amazing memory of the locks. We did as well. Thanks for watching and commenting. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
I think you meant "Lestersher" not Lestershoo
nice one picking up litter and thanks for liking this place. I'm British and I love North America, I just got back from my umpteenth road trip, this one from/to Atlanta doing a 2.5k mile round trip, getting as far north as Cincinnati. Driving in America, some places the people are considerate and polite, other places you have to be as pushy as the locals or you end up in the wrong lane with nobody helping you out or don't join the road for ages. You found some nice countryside here and on a lovely day. There is a lot like this but no regular tourist would ever know.
We are definitely going to volunteer our time to pick up, and we always pick up any when we see it. We appreciate your time sharing your experience in America. We love and appreciate our time learning and exploring this beautiful country. Thank you for your time watching and commenting. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
Ww don't have trash here.
But certain institutions like the Waterways Board I think organise something similar on its canals.
In fact, you're going to a canal location today, so you could have a look at the trash situation, while you're there.
Thank you for the recommendation. We appreciate your time watching and commenting. Cheers 🤍 Jess x
It's a staircase of locks. It's enjoyable watching the narrow boats going up and down from one level to another.
It absolutely is enjoyable. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
Beautiful video love the Narrowboats we live near Rodley cannal in Leeds where lots of Narrowboats dock and have lunch in the cannal side pub ❤
Narrowboats are something we have come to love here. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
Years ago I was on a canal holiday and we went down and up the Foxton locks. As I like the history of the canals, we also spent some time exploring the Foxton inclined plane. You should really take a trip to see the Anderton Boat Lift (Northwich, Cheshire) and have a trip on a canal "bus" down the lift, along the river and back again.
Thank you for the lovely recommendation! We appreciate your lovely comments. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
Great video. Was surprised to see my local area recommended in a vid. Made me chuckle when you mentioned 'the green house' just as you drove past the prison!!!
Thanks for the comment. Cheers, Chris
I’ve been there. Quite an eye opener to canal life
It was so lovely! We enjoyed our time and so glad that you have been there and enjoyed it well. We appreciate your time watching and commenting. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
If you are still interested, there is a major boating event at Crick Marina, near Northampton and Rugby. The Crick Boat Show is on the 25th, 26th, and 27th of May, and you can book tickets and see what's there through the dedicated website. There are even free boat trips over a short distance, and I think they may be bookable in advance. Wonderful to see Chris's aerial shots. That extra dimension adds to the imposing nature of the engineering work undertaken to overcome a natural obstacle. You are picking some great places to visit, which is as interesting to us residents as I am sure it will be to your stateside friends and family. Maybe you could extend your tour of duty for an extra few years😉.
That sounds like a really good event. We are glad you enjoy the places and the aerial shots. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
Luv watching your podcasts. Makes me feel proud of my beautiful historic England. Plus how much you and family luv it too. 😊
Can't wait till you go to the West Country.
We can't wait either. It is something we have been looking forward to for a while. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
Back when I was a kid in the 60s a lot of the canals in the UK had fallen into a state of total disrepair as road and rail transport had long overtaken what the canal systems could carry. The restoration works carried out since has been amazing and a lot of it has been done by volunteers. A real success story as a lot of what used to be industrial wasteland and old coal mining areas have been turned back to areas of natural beauty.
I am so thankful that they are starting to be restored back to their former glory! I love and appreciate the work being done. We appreciate your kindness and support. Cheers 🤍 Jess x
Hi guys, I'm from a little village near Cambridge and so glad your enjoying England. Love and respect to you all 👍👍
Awesome! Thank you for your support. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
Those lock gates (paddles) are a very clever design, they are only attached at one point, there are no hinges, they just float on the water.
Indeed they do. We truly enjoyed seeing them in action. Thanks for watching and commenting. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
The Canals were the business highways of Britain carrying good like coal, ore, and other products before the railways but just could not compete. It was in the late 80' or early 90's there was a great clean up (having lived near a canal growing-up I can tell you they wreaked havoc on the nostrils because of what was dumped in them). Now the leisure and holiday industry, as well as barges (Canal boats) as homes, are the way and canals have become a major leisure activity, Did you know that Birmingham (UK) has more milage of canals than?
I absolutely love the canals! Learning about them and hopefully one day being able to get out on the canals and ride a narrow boat. Oh, it will be a dream come true. Thank you for.
Sharing about Birmingham. I'll look into that because that would be a great time exploring birmingham and then going and checking out the canal. Cheers 🤍 Jess x
It looked like a great day out. Thanks for sharing it with us.
It was indeed. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
one of my favourite places, the first time I went up Foxton locks in a boat in 1969, when I was 9. I had the easy job, in the boat, the others were on the gates.
We can see why it is one of your favorite places. It was a great trip and must have been amazing going up or down the locks. Cheers, Chris
Hello again Guys, what a truly wonderful insight into how locks work and I certainly learnt so much. 😊 tranquillity , scenery and a completely different way of life navigating the canals. Great drone footage gave a wonderful aspect of the height of Foxton Locks too. Once again another stunning vlog Jess wonderfully assisted by Chris and Shane. ☺ I too adore how villages like Foxton never change and will forever remain ageless. The sound was perfect too Jess. Happy Monday my friends. Best wishes for you all. xx ❤
Hello friend,
We're so thankful you enjoyed this wonderful day out with us. Chris is learning how to operate the drone with each adventure. We love the canals and how peaceful it is to be out exploring. We're so honored to have you as a friend and Channel Member to share in all of our fun adventures. We hope you have a lovely week ahead. Thank you for your continued support and love! Cheers 🤍 Jess, Chris, Shane & Colette x
This was randomly recommended to me glad I watched I live in this part of England was nice seeing familiar places I drive by and take for granted everyday.
Glad you enjoyed it. We really enjoyed the area you call home. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
I was visiting family at the weekend just gone and we went for a walk along the river Aire then crossed over to the Leeds-Liverpool canal and walked on to Saltaire to visit Salts Mill. If we had gone a little further along the canal there is a 3 rise lock and shortly after that a 5 rise lock. There was a lot of money to be made from the canals when they were first built, they were the highways of the time and the narrow boats were the heavy goods vehicles of the time. Some were in use commercially until the mid 1900s but modern trucks and trains out-competed them. Maybe if there is a big push towards electric trucks the canals will become very important again.
Who knows what will happen with the electric trucks. If it helps support the canals again that would be great. Thanks for watching and commenting. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
if you like canals try the anderton boat lift in northwich cheshire or the falkirk wheel in scotland
Those sound like some good places to check out. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
Really enjoyed that. An interesting (and lovely place) and you had a nice spring day for it. Look forward to the next one.
It was a nice day for sure. The next one will be out soon. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
Have you driven through the Derbyshire Dales yet? Just a suggestion, but theres beautiful countryside along the drive through Ashbourne, Brassington, Middleton, Wirksworth, Cromford, Matlock Bath, Matlock, Chatsworth House grounds, (make sure you pass the actual house), Bakewell, Ashford in the Water, a brief walk through Buxton, the historic village of Eyam, the stunning drive through Tideswell, Bradwell, Hope Valley, to a brief stop at the Blue John Cavern caves at Castleton. Turn around back towards Hope Valley, Bamford, Ladybower Reservoir. Then back towards Hathersage, Owler bar, Chesterfield then back towards the M1.
As I've mentioned previously, Chatsworth House is definitely worth a visit. Hardwick House, Bolsover castle maybe points of interest to you and they're both near junction 29 of the M1 motorway. Should keep you busy and you'll definitely enjoy the countryside along the drive through numerous small villages.
That sounds like a great idea. We will have to look into that. Thank you for the suggestion, watching and commenting. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
Visited these a couple of years ago, and had a lovely day including a lovely lunch at the pub, well worth a visit.
It was a lovely day out. Thank you for sharing your lovely story. Cheers 🤍 Jess x
A lot of those canel Bridges have groves worn in them, From when the Horses pulled the boats full of cargo and the ropes dug into the edge of the Bridges. Some tow paths where to small and they walked there Horses around them, While people put there legs on the roof of the Bridges and walked the boats through.
Wow, thank you for sharing that interesting information. We appreciate your time watching and commenting. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
I love watching the canal boats. A couple of years ago we went to Scotland and saw the Falkirk Wheel, that’s really interesting. It lifts the canal boat up on a giant wheel, really worth a look if you are interested.
If we make it to that area, we would love to see that. Thanks for the tip. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
That was really good that! The music is super cool!
Thanks for the kindness. Cheers 🤍 Jess x
Hya you lovely lot, only just caught this episode and it was a brilliant video one of your best. I'm so glad you did a canal video I absolutely adore our canals and I am fortunate to have a canal side property on the Cheshire Ring which I've lived in for 40 years it's fabulous sitting in the garden watching all the narrow boats and cruisers go by and you meet some fascinating people many from abroad taking a holiday. Good work with the Lock Jess 👍 . I have 2 friends who live permanently on a narrow boat and they often moor up alongside my garden and come in for a cuppa. Think you should take a holiday on the Canal you'd love it. Lots of love from Cheshire 😘xx
Oh, dear friend, thank you so very much! I'm so glad you truly enjoyed this video. I love putting them all together and sharing with you all. It brings my heart so much joy. I love sharing our fun. I am so blessed to have some of the very best friends here on TH-cam! Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
In England we are not encouraged to pick litter near roads and highways because of potential dangers with traffic. Borough Councils are supposed to deal with that litter. But in urban towns and cities there are many volunteer groups who give up their own time to go litter picking and the Council picks up the full litter bags.
Oh, interesting. We appreciate your time watching and sharing with us. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
Wonderful! Your children are so fortunate to see something different from their homeland. Nice drone footage!
Indeed they are. Thanks for the comment. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
Thank you for visiting and being so kind about England so glad you didn’t just stay in London like so many tourists it’s like a separate country to the rest which is so beautiful.
Oh, we absolutely love it here, and we try not to only do touristy destinations. This country is just so magnificent! Thank you so much for your time watching and being very kind. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
Chris is a very good driver, he gets the balance between defence & attack just right!
I do agree with you, my friend! Thank you for your comment. Cheers 🤍 Jess x
The new mics have made a huge difference on the last 2 vids. Now we can hear you all! This was your best trip so far. Absolutely loved the leafy cloudy drive and the beautiful Foxton Locks and Inclined Plane(which is Listed and in the process of restoration). It looks beautifully kept, set in lovely countryside. Thanks for taking us along.
Thank you so much for letting us know about the microphones. We definitely appreciate your time! We love improving and bringing you all fun videos to enjoy each week. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
I have been through Foxton locks on a 70ft long narrow boat i hired for two weeks with five friends we had a fantastic holiday
That sounds like a blast. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
I was brought up in East Leicestershire, and we used to visit Foxton Locks regularly. If locks and canals interest you, the UK canal network is still extensive, and often quite beautiful. I live in walking distance from the steepest (as opposed to the largest, which is Foxton) flight of locks in the UK - Bingley Five-Rise Locks. They are on the UK's longest canal (The Leeds-Liverpool), and there is some superb walking along that canal. Skipton to Saltaire (World Heritage Site), via Five Rise Locks, takes some beating.
Those sound like they are pretty interesting and a good place to visit. Thanks for the suggestion and commenting. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
@@DaydreamersBarn If you guys ever come up this way, let me know? My wife and I would be honoured to shout you a Yorkshire beer, and your superb kids whatever they want!
That was a lovely trip out, Jess. Just a shame that Colette wasn't able to join you. I'd heard of the 'longest flight of lock gates' in the UK, but couldn't remember where they are. Now I know!!! As has been commented by others, there are many miles of canals that are still navigable. If you get the chance, got a bit further west and have a look at the Grand Union canal. It links London with the West Midlands and has some good tow-path to walk along.
Lovely, thank you for the recommendation! We understand that sometimes the kiddos don't want to hang with us, but they love exploring this beautiful country. We appreciate your kindness and support. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
Hi guys, this trip reminds me of a place i used to live called, Marsden which also had canals . At Tunnel End there is a 3 mile stretch of tunnel that goes under the hillside, access by appointment only in case anyone gets into difficulty .
Oh, lovely. So glad it could bring back a memory for you. Thank you for sharing and all the love and support. We appreciate your time. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
I havent been to Foxton Locks but I have been to the longest of Locks at Tardebigge (pronounced Tardy Big). As a kid, me and my mates would cycle from our village to Tardebigge to help the narrowboaters with the Locks.
If you ever come across to the Midlands, you could visit the Black Country Living Museum and you could get the opportunity to leg a narrowboat through a tunnel. It is great fun to do but it is hard work and a tad uncomfortable.
What amazes me with canals is that they were all dug out by hand.
I recently found a TH-cam channel called The Mindful Narrowboat and the lady that lives on the boat writes poetry and draws nature pictures, its very relaxing to warch.
We definitely appreciate your recommendations and time sharing your story with us. I am definitely gonna look up that youtube channel!!! Thank you, friend. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
I agree with you on littering, it's my pet hate, I really get upset when I see our beautiful countryside littered with rubbish,. 😔
Another beautiful day and good drive out. 👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻🇺🇲🤝🏻🇬🇧
Enjoy and embrace the beauty, yet there are some that don't care. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
@@DaydreamersBarn we organise community litter picking clubs in the UK or you can volenteer at the Canal & river trust who litter pick along the canalside
I think you would love a TH-cam channel called ...
The Mindful Narrow Boat ... A lovely lady who lives on the canal observing all the nature , wildlife , insects and birds along her journey throughout the UK . She interprets each episode and the things she has seen into poetry at the end . It's amazingly relaxing whilst getting to see the beauty of the countryside from a different perspective . My favourite canal is the Llangollen canal in North Wales , absolutely stunning .
I do enjoy her channel. I really appreciate your recommendation and kind! Cheers 🤍 Jess x
My part of the country x I love walking along the canal all seasons. Leicestershire -Lester shire. We pick up rubbish called the south Leicester wobbles.
Thank you, friend. I'm now looking into places to volunteer our time to help pick up. Cheers 🤍 Jess x
At 26:46 I see you got Blackcurrant ice-cream not as the notice mis-spelt 'Blackcurrent'.
Oh yes, it was so yummy! Thanks for the comment and time watching. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
We did Foxton Locks on a canal holiday at High School. We kept getting in trouble for drinking and smoking. That was back in the 80's. On an interesting note you cant crush beer cans and put then down the toilet on a narrow boat. Glad to see your having a good time in the UK. Good vid!
Oh, very interesting. Thank you for taking the time to watch and share your experiences with us. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
I grew up on the grand union canal in London. I spent my whole childhood helping the locks keeper open and closing the lock! I found it fascinating! It’s nice to hear our country from a different perspective… you take for granted how pretty the uk can be ❤ (it’s pronounced Lincoln-shyer, where my husband grew up!)
We do enjoy it as well. Thanks for commenting. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
@@DaydreamersBarn I'm so pleased you've felt at home here and we've been a welcoming bunch! Keep enjoying, it's nice to see. we do love the UK and have traveled the world and the UK has so much to offer... we live in East Sussex near Brighton, which is also beautiful and my other loves are Dorset (durdle dors and lulworth, finding dinosaur fossils on the Jurassic coastline! And lastly Cornwall is just ye ol worldy england with some of the friendliest people you will ever meet!). I'm yet to visit Scotland and some of the spots in wales but it's on my list of places to visit on home turf! ❤️
in 1893 a canal with locks opened that was wide enoug deep enough which meant big ocean going merchant ships from the irish sea and the river mersey could sail 40 miles inland to manchester to deliver cargo and take cargo anywere in the world the canal was called the manchester ship canal
It's wonderful. We appreciate your time watching and sharing with us. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
Atherstone Locks near me has 11 locks, a bit more spread out and space for boats to pass, since it's not as steep gradient. They finished the canal network for it to become almost obsolete with the invention of Steam Train, but they still link up all the major industrial cities.
Lovely, thank you for the recommendation! We appreciate your kindness and time sharing friend. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
The sound is great very clear and a great video through the countryside again.
Awesome. Glad to hear it. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
I used to go to school in market harborough went to the locks most holidays
How lovely. Thank you so much for sharing. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
I went to Foxton locks once with a group of handicapped people, one of which was a tall guy with tourettes.
We hope ya'll enjoyed it as much as we did. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
hi guys nice vid, been a long time since i've been to foxton. by the way not to far from there is crick marina which on the last bank holiday in may has the big boat show u might enjoy
That sounds like a great show to check out. Thanks for the heads up. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
The way that side ponds save water has always fascinated me.
Yes, one of the canal operators' problems was the lack of water in the system. This is why they built "narrow" canals to save water, hence narrow boats to fit these canals.
We can see why after seeing it first hand. Thanks for the comment. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
@@DaydreamersBarnI suppose in theory, for a given volume of water in the side pond, the greater the surface area and the shallower the pond the more water is saved. This is because the water in the lock and the pond must be level before the sluices are opened.
Foxton locks are in LEICESTERSHIRE, which is pronounced "lestasha." A couple of miles down the road from me, in lovely Market Harborough. My neighbour used to make narrow boat hulls.
Fabulous, thank you so much for the wonderful insight. Cheers 🤍 Jess x
It's a sobering thought that when these locks were completed in 1810, the technology was already obsolescent. Twenty years later the Liverpool & Manchester Railway would open, and from that day forward the narrow canals were in steady decline for another 100 years as faster and cheaper ways of moving goods were found. Thankfully these former industrial arteries have enjoyed a renaissance in recreational use in recent decades, free from the industrial squalor that once attended many of them.
Technology changes, but history can speak for itself as long as people are there to understand it. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
Foxton is about 40 minutes from where i live. A number of years ago we went as a family to visit the locks. Myself and my husband had a nightmare, our boys were about five and seven, we visited the museum, after a while the youngest got bored so i him took out to sit outside the pub at the bottom of the hill. About 10 minutes later my husband came down the hill without our other son, he thought i had taken both boys with me, i thought our eldest had stayed with his dad. My husband run back up the hill, lucky enough David had the sense to sit and wait for us in the museum after realising we weren't in the building. It gave us both a fright, we had just been reading the history and how the water flows into the overflow ponds , it all run through our minds, it was the worst few minutes of my life. The rest of the day we didn't let go of their hands.
When we went they had a trip up the river on a narrowboat, i wonder if they still do that or maybe it was a bit early in the season.
That sounds like an experience you won't soon forget....for good reason. We are glad it all worked out in the end, smart thinking by the lad. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
Nice video by nice people. I have subscribed. The canals were very important in the industrial development of the country, before they were superseded by the railways. It is possible to follow some of the old canals across the country but the scale is small compared with the US or the Great Lakes of course. I have never been to Foxton but have walked canals and locks in the South. They are also havens for wildlife. After a while one gets to know where the birds nest - a pair of swans will nest in the same location year after year, and maybe the ducks and geese do too.
Oh, thank you for your lovely support. We love the canals and narrow boats. It's such a lovely way of life. Thank you for your work insights comment. Cheers 🤍 Jess x
I hope you enjoyed your stay here in the UK. Lots to see here with a lot of history. A tad bit smaller than the US and provided it doesnt rain it should leave you with wonderful memories. Come back soon.🇬🇧❤️👌
We have enjoyed it so far. We have been for a while and still have a little bit more time here. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
Canals. One very important part of what built Britain and started the Industrial Revolution and kickstarted the modern world we all live in today. Glad you're exploring this history. Happy Sunday.
It's wonderful. We appreciate your time watching and sharing with us. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
So funny I clicked to watch this and you are literally a couple of miles from my house ! I can see the White House at the top of the lock from my window!
How fabulous! That's awesome thank you for watching, and we hope you enjoyed the video. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
Good to see American tourists visiting our beautiful countryside.Too many videos of tourists in London, Chester, York etc.
The big cities we will do once and a while, but we prefer the countryside generally. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
nice to see tourists visiting the real uk and not just london well done
I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for your comment. Cheers 🤍 Jess x
Reminds me of Hatton Locks, Warwickshire, a 21 lock flight about 5 miles NW of Warwick, so if you ever get over to Warwickshire, they are probably worth checking out if this is the sort of thing you enjoy, within 30 miles of Warwick, famous for its magnificent castle, you have Stratford-upon-Avon, north Cotswolds towns such as stow on the wold, bourton on the water, lower and upper slaughter, broadway, and chipping Camden where my grandmother was from, still have lots of relatives there, her family have lived there for over 400 years, coughton court at Alcester, and if you continue on from Alcester, Worcester is only just over 30 miles from Warwick. It's an area of Central England I love visiting.
That sounds like a wonderful place to visit. Thanks for the suggestion, watching and commenting. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
Jess, we're thankful that you're living in England right now too. There is a TV series that's just started on Channel 4, it's on every day (Mon to Fri) at 4pm, and it is called "Narrow Escapes," and it follows the lives of various people who have chosen to live their lives on the canals and waterways of Britain on a narrow boat.
That sounds like a series worth watching. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
We do have dedicated litter pickups, often through the county employment. There are occasionally public community pickups too. There are times that I get pronunciations wrong and I was born here and live here in Essex. I have not operated the locks but have seen many. This quotation seems apt for your tour, "a good time was had by all".
I appreciate all of your insight. We definitely appreciate you making us feel loved and welcome here. Thank you, friend. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
Great video. I'm really pleased you got a chance to help on the locks. Life is so much slower on the canals
It was so fun. My heart is so full of joy that each day, we explore and experience something new. We love taking you all along with us for our adventures and Vlogs. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
Right so you wanted a comment or a story, this is both!
Back in the late 1980's my then girlfriend now wife of at least 25 years.
We baught a narrowboat in Nottingham I could see Trent Bridge Cricket Stadium when we took ownership.
So long story short we were heading for Oxford, which takes you through Froxton.
Anyway we arrive in Froxton I imagine you noticed the pub is at the bottom of the locks which is where we arrived.
Its about 12:30 lunchtime and there are 7 boats in front of us. As you said Froxton is 2 sets of 5 staircase locks.
That means that it takes on average it takes 45 minutes for every boat, we have 7 in front of us.
So at 13:15 or so when we see the boat come out its a simple calculation the lock shuts at 19:00.
Maybe we get up tonight or first thing tomorrow. Turns out first thing tomorrow, the pub does good food so thats fine.
The thing is when you get to the top of Foxton in a narrowboat its a day and a half before you reach any ability to restock the boat.
Thank you for sharing your story of the locks and Narrowboat! We appreciate your time. We're so glad you were able to watch the video and share with us. Cheers 🤍 Jess & family x
Bit of a boast!😊 I grew up in Bletchley (now part of Milton Keynes) Grand Union Canal! tearing down the footpath on our bikes “encouraging” each other to fall in🤪 Quieter times going fishing in the “cut” as we called the canal. A regular play ground!
My mother (86 now) spent her early years living on a working narrow boat. Very different from the leisure versions you see now😅. One of her Uncles (Bill and his wife Vie) was the last “working” longboat on the grand union. They had a hotel booked for their honeymoon night but did not feel comfortable on dry land, cancelled and went back onto their boat.😂. Only about the first 25 feet of the boat was living space. The priority was to maximise the cargo area. The more you could carry the more money you made. Glad you enjoyed visiting this humble part of English heritage .👍 Check out Narrow Boat Trust on Facebook ..
That is a great story about your families past. Boats and waterways in general are amazing. We love seeing what different countries have done with them. Thanks for watching and commenting. Cheers, Chris and Jess.
@@DaydreamersBarn 🙏🙏 Thankyou taking the time to reply
Great video 🎉 hubs, and I are big fans of canal walks ❤
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Also, it's so lovely to walk the canals. Cheers 🤍 Jess x
It's great that you are getting away from your workplace and seeing the country for yourselves. So many of your countrymen and women don't do that, travel a short distance or go only to the big cities nearby ( OK, London! ). I hope you make plans to visit the English Lake District as it is something quite different to the part of the country you are living in. It's very easy to get to Scotland from here, too - you can see it from here ! If you do come, I suggest you try to avoid the height of the summer holidays as the narrow roads here get very busy indeed. You will be very welcome, whenever you come.
The lake district is something we have on our list that we need to see for sure. It looks beautiful and we want to see for ourselves. Cheers, Chris and Jess.