137. A bygone age: horse-drawn narrowboat on the Welsh canals
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ก.ค. 2018
- #narrowboat #narrowboats #canal #canals #liveaboard #cruisingthecut
On a beautiful sunny day in June I drove to Wales for an experience of the canals as they used to be, with the boat drawn by horse!
The animal in question is called Cracker and he works for Bywater Cruises (www.bywatercruises.com)
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Theme music: "Vespers" by Topher Mohr and Alex Alena, from the TH-cam music library
I thought that cruising the canal in a narrow boat with an engine was as peaceful as it gets , until this video. Now that’s peaceful .
beautiful to see again. Im old enough to remember dad working the canal and the many a time i WAS the horse at the front when his engine died on his yoghurt pot 😂
That’s marvelous. A horse and dog and their human pets out for a stroll.
Absolutely the best video on youtube today period. !!!!
That was beautiful David - proper documentary! I loved those feathery feet - the horse's, not yours. And it seems to me that horse wouldn't be so affectionate to its owner if it was being hard done by...
Just finished watching, this really is TH-cam at its best. Thanks for a quality vlog, which is educational, heat warming, beautifully shot and with great commentary. Well done.
Thank you!
"Your motor sounds a bit strange." "Indeed, it is a little hoarse." Thank you.
Hahaha, excellent
Awww. Glorious draft pony!! He loves his people, he is in great shape, well groomed and shod and doing what he was born to do. Pull something. Although draft ponies are a good comfortable ride as well and are pretty solid mentally as well. Awww. I could have stayed there all day. And the next, and the next 😗😙😗
This reminds me of one of the regional television news reports or Countryfile....................David , I reckon you wouldn't make a half bad TV presenter............................. :)
This was so civilized, I suddenly found myself sitting by a roaring fireplace, sipping a cup of Earl Grey, whilst wearing a velvet smoking jacket. My co-workers are looking at me funny now....
What a quiet organic ride. All the horse need is unleaded grass 😁
Cracker was unled at eating time ;)
Not sure how I missed this one, but so glad I found it! This was delightfully entertaining and educational. Thank you David for all your wonderful work toward providing some of the finest videos on the cut. 👍🏻😍🥰
Definitely my favourite video to date.......’serene’, I think, is the word I’m looking for. Thank you and well done!
I normally prefer your "cruising" vlogs but this one was particularly interesting. I've always wondered what it really looks like, a horse-drawn narrowboat. Thank you!
As you so aptly put it, David, "The most civilised way to travel." A tantalizing glimpse from another era. Well done.
And they say that time machines does not exist! Tsktsk... I like your videos very much, David, the way you manage to get the slow pace in canal boat living transformed into a media where the trend is more like speak-as-fast-as-you-can, no-less-than-12 cuts per minute etc. THIS video, however, beats all your previous videos! Thank you!
Now that is some old school cruising the cut.
I have no idea how I missed this. I grew up on a farm with no tractors etc. But a team of horses. I have been watching narrowboats for about 4 years now and this is fascinating to me. Thank.you ,thank you. And one more. Thank you.
I’ve had horses my entire life in Arizona!!! And that is one happy horse!!! Thank you guys!!!
That was a lovely video,
I did a similar thing in Germany once, it wasn't a canal just a small branch off the Rhine, unfortunately as a passenger I sat for a while in the glorious sun shine drinking the wine as the views rolled past, I would swear in front of Judge Judy that I only had one glass of wine, I just didn't notice that the crew don't let the wine glasses get empty. So by the end of the trip I could hardly walk.
Hahaha
What a lovely animal. Thanks for sharing.
What an absolutely lovely trip, and a beautifully-done film, David. We've been a little bandwidth-poor lately, so we've fallen a bit behind in our video watching. How timely that we saw your wonderful video this evening, as we arrived in Peterborough, Ontario this afternoon, and previewed the canal trip we'll be taking tomorrow. Of course we talked about you at length, imagining we were in the English countryside as we got our first look at the nearby canals and locks of the Trent-Severn Waterway. Our trip will include both traditional locks, and the amazing Peterborough Lift Lock. Can't wait to share. Thanks for whetting for our appetite. For anyone unfamiliar with the Lift Lock, it's one of the tallest hydraulic boat lifts in the world, with a rise of 65'. After seeing it today (after operation was already closed for the evening), we can't wait to experience it tomorrow! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peterborough_Lift_Lock
Oh, I am *very* much looking forward to your video! That sounds great.
Another wonderful video David! The music is perfectly matched to such a peaceful and calming mode of transport. Thanks!
Loved this one! The Monty at 9 mph, the sound of the water, and Cracker! Wales really is a beautiful sight to behold. (Imagine a whirlpool being created … !) Love the swans! Thank you so much , David!
Sorry David, your battery changing videos are great, but stories like this are "OVER THE TOP"
We know your camera work is splendid, you editing is excellent, but it's the little stories that take us there.
*THANK YOU DAVID* 👍
The clip, clop of hooves, gentle slosh of water, whisper of grass, civilised and magical ride… Oh yes indeed! Just watched three times in a row and will bookmark for future viewing/s. Though I love all of your episodes, this one is extra special.
David. Thanks so much for this video. Grew up in Upstate NY, Erie Canal practically ran through our back yard, back in the day goods and passengers were moved from Albany thru to Buffalo in the same way, only with mules. “Low bridge everybody down, Low bridge we’re coming to a town. You’ll always know your neighbor you’ll always know your pal if you ever navigated the Erie Canal”.
Nice to see the old ways done in some small way. Thank you David
Really beautiful section of canal, his handlers are very thoughtful . Best wishes for further canal restoration .
On a miserable Monday having finished work, this episode went down better than any g and t. A beautiful sunny day and so relaxing, a smashing episode!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I really enjoyed that David. Cruising along with just the sound of nature and the clipclop of the horses hoofs would have been amazing. Seeing that part of the Montgomery canal was cool. Awesome how much effort has gone into the restoration by the locals.
Thanks for sharing.
Another charming video.
I am pleased to see some part of this national heritage preserved into modern days, if only for tour groups.
Wonderful vlog as always, David! Here in Maryland, we have a canal running 185 miles from Washington D.C. along the Potomac River to Cumberland, Md. the barges were wider than your narrowboat, I believe, & the whole enterprise was for carrying coal from Western Md to D.C. Families lived aboard and they used mule teams to pull the barges. Each barge had 2 teams; one pair rode while the other worked. They took great pride in caring for the animals, but most of them tore out tendons when they had to start the heavy loads from a dead stop in still water. Once moving, there was a slight currant going downstream. The canal and railroad began construction on the same day. Naturally, the railroad won, and canal operated in the black for only 3 years.
Today, the canal is a National Park but only 20-30 miles are kept watered. The entire towpath is maintained and many hikers & bikers camp along it. But it’s a pretty tiny system compared to your UK canals!
Marylander here! Wouldn’t it be incredible if more of the C&O were watered and it could be used by boaters? We need to learn from the UK on how this can be done.
Just catching up with your wonderful vlogs and got to this one. How absolutely wonderful to see a real working horse, working, as they love and need to do. I definitely want to go on one of those trips
Bloody hell David, this is marvelous. Your editing skills here are really superb. I could be watching something that the BBC spent thousands on. Well done.
Lightbulb moment, " the tow path".
I never imagined someone not knowing that, but that's probably because I've lived in Pennsylvania all my life, which is crisscrossed by old canalworks, which was the cutting edge of goods commerce. (comparably to the previous necessity of horse and wagon) Of course, they were all abandoned once steam and internal combustion power allowed for trains, then trucks to move goods even more efficiently. But yeah, horses have always pulled canal boats during their era, and motorized canal boats never had an opportunity to become a thing here.
Another interesting tidbit, while on the subject of Pennsylvania canal commerce. It is because of that era, that to this day, nearly every mile of rivers and streams in Pennsylvania is public domain, which was established to allow for the movement of goods back then.
OMG I can relate to "lightbulb moment". When my husband and I first started watching from our home in Colorado (where many people don't know what a canal is) we saw many people walking on the path and thought it was a TOE path. When we realized our error we got a good laugh.
Imagine in a future of flying cars and levitation belts someone saying “oh I get it SIDE walk “
That was an amazing trip. Thanks for taking us along.
WHAT A LOVELY WAY TO TRAVEL. I LOVE BOATS AND I LOVE HORSES AND I HAVE OWNED BOTH AND THEY WERE SOME OF MY FONDEST MEMORIES. THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS WITH US.
" I hopped aboard to get the passengers perspective..."
translation: "i couldn't be bothered to walk anymore so ..."
During the canalboat era in America, mules did most of the pulling, and children as young as 6 rode postillion. The mules were so accustomed to this work that at the end of a typical six-hour hitch they simply would refuse to go any further.
Beautiful, so pleased the horse is loved and cared for, Was certainly lovely when the other horses came running over to watch.
I have now watched all of your regular vlogs (sorry but I am not into your slow tv) and was checking to see if you posted a new one yet. I was amazed to see that this vlog in particular has one of the lowest number of views. I liked this one very much because it gave an idea what it was like back when horses were used on the canal.
I can certainly see the ranking in such a team; you'd start out as the guy behind the horse, get promoted to being in front of the horse, eventually work your way up to the pole person in front and finally, hopefully, retire as a rudder operator.
Wonderful trip. What a happy and well cared for and loved horse too. This would barely keep him fit and is far from cruel. I did love the four spectators at the end - like a bunch of kids running to see a steam train!
David, I'm sure you tire of hearing this but you're an incredibly talented videographer. Thank you for sharing your talent with us on a subject of such interest to we few gongoozlers. Yours is no small effort. Great story of a beautiful pony!
I'll never tire of hearing that ;-) !! Haha, thank you.
Wonderful episode. You forgot to introduce Cracker's friend, the dog, who seemed to follow him along the journey.
my new favorite episode! Very well done, David. you exercised your aesthetic muscles for this vlog.
Thank you, I did try hard on this one :-)
David: Just fantastic as this really puts the entire canal system in proper perspective. Love the bit of horse interaction. good chuckle. Thanks
You were lucky to catch the horses responding !
Yes! I was so pleased when that happened!
Enjoyed most how they treated the horse with love and respect.
Video was awesome, informative, entertaining, amusing and relaxing. Since purchasing an iPad and “discovering” TH-cam my TV has remained firmly off. Thank you.
Possibly the most beautiful canal video ever David! Thank You soooo much!
No wonder overgrowing foliage is such a problem for modern canal areas! The one horsepower boat tower also mows and trims.
Being a horse lover as well as a narrowboat lover I found this vlog particularly charming! Thanks for sharing all these wonderful adventures 👍🏻
The first and only canal boat my wife and I ever saw being used was a horse drawn tour boat on a canal in New Hope, PA here in the states. Do wish we had more of them.
Very interesting,l am in my 80s now ,in the late 40s early 50s I lived in Paddington London close to the Grand Union/Regents Canal.and there were a few horses still working then .Also when the boats came to the long tunnel under Edgware Road the horse was taken off and the barge men legged it by lying on their backs on the roof and virtually walking along the top of the tunnel.l have watched most of your blogs ,all very good ,thank you Bill
That's fascinating that horses were still working the canals so relatively recently. Of course men would have had to 'leg' the boats through tunnels back in the day too, while the horses would have walked over the hill and met them on the other side. It must have been brutal work legging a fully laden boat through some of those long tunnels.
@@EmptyGlass99 My mum and I legged a boat through a section of The Black Country Living Museum in the earky 1980s.
The entire world needs more old school like this more often.
I remember seeing working barges pulled by horses as recently (!) as the early 1960s on the River Lea in East London.
That Jack Russell needs a harness too
Loved the horses coming to see.
I’ve watched most of your videos, but still a few to catch up. I have to say this is one of the most delightful you’ve ever made- and you have lots of great ones. Have just sent off the link to several non-canal friends who are horse enthusiasts, and I’ll be saving it to watch again.
Thank you so much!
Agreed
A super mini-documentary. Excellent, thanks.
I started out watching one or two of your vlogs and soon found myself working my way through them all from start to finish. Even though I'm only just over half way, I thoroughly enjoy watching your vlogs and I find them all wonderfully entertaining, informative and quite charming. I love England and so far your vlogs and a few steam enthusiasts are helping to stave off my cravings to return. Thank you David for giving us an insight into your world and all the marvelous pleasures of narrow boating. From Brisbane Australia, Cheers.
Thank you!
@@CruisingTheCut Descriptive, interesting, somewhat researched, spoken clearly and noticeably at a good - I said good, not fast !, pace.
You'll be glad winter's just about at an end !
Thanks muchly for sharing. When my family and their whole village of 26 other families came from Germany to US in 1843, they took the Erie Canal across New York state to Buffalo where they settled. Taking that trip is on my Bucket List. Love to Crackers. Gloria🐂
I really liked this one. I had read about the horses pulling the canal boats, and the historian in me quickened to see the horse in action, pulling the packet boat. Loved it. Thank You!.
Some people hate to see horses working, feeling it is somehow cruel for them to do so. However, I find it more cruel to see these magnificent animals left idle. They are bred to work! If they do not work, then they are allowed to diminish, and eventually fade away. Many breeds are now gone forever because they no longer have work to perform. If you like horses, you should expect for them to work, as it is this work that keeps them in our lives. The cost to have them otherwise is too great to be just pets for most.
The terrain is so flat in places around Ellesmere that the bridges are massive bumps to drive over - for a few seconds all you see through the windscreen is sky. I got semi-stuck on one at Pool Quay in my van because some slimey pooping cows had been driven over it and I couldn't get any traction with my tyres. :D
🐴 What a beautiful horse & a magical bit of history. Thanks Dave 🐴
Wow how neat. It looked like a great ride. No engine noise would be so wonderful. Love the horse. But I've always loved horses. Great video David.
Thanks for a cool history lesson,
Chris from Missouri
This is one of your best video's... Perfect Day.. Perfect scenery.. Perfect pace.. Beautiful horse.. Top Work..
I have to admit, I miss seeing your boating vlogs pop up from time to time, so seeing one like this and the last one has made me happy. Im also fond of horses, so that was a plus! Ta!
How could anyone click the thumbs down on that one? Lovely!
I have a regular army of haters who downlike most videos ;-)
Proves that they have no taste.
One of the best videos from this entire channel. Thank-you. How serene and peaceful.
What a great piece of vlogging! Throughly enjoyed this.
Wow, I wish a lot of school kids could see and experience this. Horsepower isn't that far behind us, I was a little kid during WW2 growing up in NYC and our local milkman, iceman, junk dealers, knife sharpener, and others still depended on horses to get about. Now I live in Pennsylvania and my Amish neighbors still use horses for their wagons but for their farms as well, just watched a farmer plowing his field with a FIVE horse team, almost as fast as a tractor but no diesel bill. Point is horses can do the work and working a horse this way is not cruel or inhuman, actually our milkman told me that the horse was unhappy on Sundays as he had nothing to do but was raring to go on Monday mornings.
Lovely vlog and very interesting too. Have always wondered about the welfare of the narrowboat horses so this was interesting to see. Looks like Cracker has it good though, plenty of love from handler, well-looked after and shelter at night which I assume the original horses didn't have and maybe not all of them were so well looked after. Nice to see the doggie enjoying the walk though, he has it particularly good. 👍🏻😊
I remember crystal clear waters of the canal (Leeds to Liverpool, and Rufford branch) when I was younger, perhaps if all the boats were pulled by horse we'd all see the beauty of life in the waters once again. They look like mud these days with all the engines picking up the mud and spoiling the clarity.
I think all you vloggers who get together should do your Summer get together on this one. You would all appreciate it, a variation on a theme. Where is Jasmin when you need her :) As always an interesting and picturesque catch up.
If I were a rich man… I would donate money to all the wonderful volunteer work being done to restore canals. I'd also slip Dave a few dollars, but alas, I am a very poor man, living on a permanent disability pension. I have told and will continue to tell everyone I know about this fantastic channel! OH! Thanks (yet again) for the wonderful video!
Cheers Robert
How ever did I miss this episode? David, that was sublime. Thank you!
This is one of my favourites ;-)
A stunning vid David, no other word for it. T'was like being transported back a hundred years. Who knows, with the advent of electric motors, maybe we will all get a feeling of the peace and tranquillity of yesteryear......delightful, well done.
Ahoi David, ein sehr schöner Bericht und ein besonderes Erlbniss für die Mitreisenden. Danke und Gruß Leo
Ahoy David, a very nice report and a special treat for the fellow passengers. Thanks and greetings Leo
This has to be in the top 5 best vids you have ever made...Well done. You must really enjoy producing these extraordinary video's.
Thank you.
And I thought they were bicycle paths now we know amazing
The hint's in the name: 'tow path'.
What a nice little film David. It really conveyed the peacefulness of the canal, cut off from the relative mayhem of all the rental boats on the main network. Please keep this up, I really enjoyed it.
Lovely 💕 ride. How wonderful to travel that way. No rush. 👍 Hopefully they will find the funds to renovate that stretch.
Magnificent weather. Wales in Summer!
Beautiful video. Thank you.
Priceless. This is a great episode: a peek into the past, partnership between human and animal, and a glance at community volunteerism building exceptional “social capital.” It’s also just plain beautiful cinematography. Bravo! David.
Oh my gosh, how wonderful is that!!!! Just beautiful
Thought I’d say hello from across the pond. I’ve started with number 1 an am up to number 35. Just wanted to say hi an let you know I love your videos. You are doing this correctly in my humble mind, an I look forward to the next number. Witch is hard to find tine to tine. I see you started in 2016 keep going please. Wife an I love yours” style”.
Gosh David, What a great Vlogumentary. You have excelled yourself... Again! 🏆 Loving the creativity of your shots... 🎥 And the fact that you got them without - apparently - being bitten, getting wet, trodden on, kicked, or dropping vital equipment into the water. Well done! As a young teenager I occasionally got to ride a similar Welsh Cob, or have it pull a trap which we rode in. 🐴 We forget how muscular and powerful they really are. I look forward to watching this again with Himself when he gets back. Keep up the good work. Thank you.👍
The peace and quiet! Narrowboating is an all but completely ecological way of moving through nature, were it not for the continuous thudding sound of the diesel engine. This towing horse makes the narrowboat experience completely eco-friendly, with only the sounds of nature and water remaining. A few moments without the (otherwise pleasant) background music would have conveyed that impression even more (there is of course 4:36-4:40, granted). Anyway: again a great vlog.
Unfortunately there was quite a bit of road noise and chatter pickup from the passengers in many of the clips, so having had the benefit of viewing it both with and without music, I felt a gentle (and suitably lowered) music track would complement the video and I stand by that decision. I'm not a fan of over-music'd vlogs but sometimes it fits and this was such an occasion,
And very well done!
Fair enough. It was just a suggestion. No doubt a lot of thought and work goes into the editing of each of the vlogs (like the few moments in 'vintage' sepia!) : that's why they are top notch and a pleasure to watch.
Glad to see Craker is pulling well beneath his weight. No trips to the 'horsepital' for him!
Wonderful - I thoroughly enjoyed watching this. Lovely calm and strong horse, kind and gentle horse-keeper. Thank you!
What a great video, thank you!... CC always interesting.
I've finally caught up on your entire channel from the beginning. I've really enjoyed the last several vlogs with the old school engines and this one that gave me a glimpse into life on the canal when they opened. What a brilliant line of videos for your winter mooring. Your channel just keeps getting better. Many thanks for the hours of fun! :)
Thank you! Glad you liked them.
Enjoyed a trip on the Shropshire Union Canal by "horse-power" some years ago. Particularly, when two horses approached each other from opposite directions, I was fascinated to watch one horse put its head down whilst the other raised its head so that the tow ropes could pass without tangling. Very clever! The horses knew exactly what they were doing - anyone would think that they had done it before...
Cool, I was just about to ask how on-coming traffic was handled. I guess care must be taken so that the ropes don't snag a chimney or something else sticking up from the roof of the boat? :-)
@@zapfanzapfan Back in the horse-drawn day, they'd be working boats - no luxuries like heating and chimneys !
What a wonderful documentary taking us to the previous level instead of the next. Quite shocking to learn about the canal restoring options, because bridge was too low, the canal had to be lowered and two locks added on either side. I always like your witty descriptions, you are a very entertaining raconteur (I borrowed that word from Raconteur, Troubadour by Gentle Giant).
This video made me dive into Dutch boating history, it's there but not as impressive as the British. Narrowboat-like vessels were pulled by horses or men, for cargo or travel. Most boats had a vertical pole at the bow to keep the towline free from obstacles. Some canal boats had a small sail, and when there was no wind a 'snikjong' had to pull the boat.
Beautifully filmed and produced. So enjoyable and informative.
This is a wonderful reflection on history and ways of life completely foreign to most modern experience. It recalls for me one of my grandfathers doing his garden and haying with two huge horses when I was but a wee lad. I didn't come to learn a thing from him about working horses though except what I observed at a distance. Thanks, David, (much belated for sure) for this professional treasure.