Thank you Michael! Glad you enjoyed it. I was stunned when I found out about this fairly recently and it gave me the idea for this new series. Cheers, Paul
Fascinating film Paul packed with information that I at leased have never read anywhere else. My favorite story concerning local mill owners who were concerned about the Stroudwater canal diminishing their water supply, is that the navies were digging the canal during the day and for a while the mill owners were filling it in at night. Wonderful. Ron
Thank you Ron! Yes, I only recently learnt about this, by chance, while I was researching for another Canal Series video. I did know a little, but not the full story, and as you say, there is virtually nothing in the canal history books about it. It involved a bit of digging to find out more. I didn't know that about the navvies and the mill owners, but it doesn't surprise me! Lovely to hear from you as always Ron. Take care, Paul
Thank you Faith. Yes, he certainly was, and a iron businessman, not an engineer too, which makes it all the more remarkable. Shame that his ingenuity, and that of his business partners, was not rewarded. Thanks so much for watching and commenting! Take care, Paul
An excellent piece on an enterprise that few will have heard of (including me). In those days at the very beginning of the canal age a few men had an idea, got together, found the money and built their dream. Sometimes it worked but often, like here, it failed miserably but left the world with a germ of an idea that transformed the way goods are transported globally. All of this at least 5 years before Brindley and the Duke of Bridgewater's starvationers. More please !!
Thank you Philip. Yes, well before James Brindley & Co. I don't think Kemmett was an engineer - just a trader in iron, which makes this all the more remarkable. I was only made aware of this recently too - it is hardly mentioned in any of the canal history books but is confimed on English Heritage's website. Part Two of this new series should arrive in early December, all being well. Cheers, Paul
Thank you Grant. Yes, I have walked around there many times over the years, and it is only fairly recently that I have learnt the history (by chance, when I was researching something for my Cotswold Canals update series) that I came across it. Thanks so much! Cheers, Paul
I've wandered around that area many a time and often wondered about the history of all the channels and weirs.. Thanks for the information. Look forward to rest of the series.
Thank you Frank! Yes, me too! I only recently learned about this when I was researching something for one of my Cotswold Canal video updates. I found it incredible when I learnt about it. Thanks so much! Cheers, Paul
Hello Paul. Your hard work is greatly appreciated bringing us this fascinating piece of history. Well done. Looking forward to part 2. Thank you so much.👍
Thank you Daryl! Yes, I had to piece this one together from lots of sources as there is very little about it in the canal history books - it was a bit of a detective story. Hopefully, Part Two will arrive earlier in December, all being well. Take care, Paul
Another really fascinating video Paul. There is so much history and so many interesting facts everywhere we look. Thank you for researching and sharing all these facts.
Thank you Louise! Thanks for a lovely comment. Yes, this one took a fair bit of research, as you can imagine. I have walked around there many times, oblivious to its history. Take care, Paul
Thank you Roy! Yes, with the darker days, and muddier conditions underfoot I wanted to do some things closer to home for a bit. This one is quite a find though! Glad you enjoyed it. Take care, Paul
Thank you for a really interesting video about a little-known piece of canal and transportation history. An ingenious solution to a practical problem of using a water source both as a means of transportation and as motive power for mill machinery. Kemmett seems to have been something of a pioneer and its amazing to see the remains of his handiwork, and know that they are protected. I wonder if he considered other means of transporting his goods to the canal, e.g. a tramway.
Thank you Malcolm. I was very surprised when I found this out - even more surprised that there is little on it, although it is on the English Heritage website as such. I would imagine that he would have extended his idea if this canal was successful - sadly it wasn't and he ran out of money - as did the other investors. Thanks so much for watching and commenting. Take care, Paul
Thank you! That's very kind of you. I do try to make them as interesting as I can without resorting to gimmicks. I have done two more in this series now and I hope to make more in the new year. Thanks again! Paul
Yes, that's right Cathy! John Kemmett was ahead of James Brindley by some 12 years or so. Shame he couldn't copyright his idea. John and the three other men lost a lot of money from their investment into this canal, but it sowed a seed of an idea... Thank you! Paul
Thank you so much for uploading this little gem of research. It doesn’t appear that anyone else has delved into the history here( if they have it’s not generally known about).Nobody seems to know about Kemmett and his radical ideas- of cranes & containers. I was amazed to find out that some of the original construction was still in situ. The wood & the bolts- surely the Canals & River Trust should be actively taking steps to preserve this unique site? Do they even know that it’s there? This is a significant find - but the whole piece of research is so important in the history of the canal network. Thanks again Paul, wonderful to watch!5
Yes, a few of the canal historians (like David Viney) and English Heritage are aware of it, but it isn't an open navigable canal, so it is beyond Canal & River Trust's remit. It would be nice to see a blue plaque (at least) there at Bond's Mill to recognise its huge significance. I think this the first TH-cam video about it though, and there is nothing on Wikipedia. Thanks so much Diana, and glad that you found it interesting to watch. Cheers, Paul
That was so interesting, like many others I had no idea that this concept was 1st thought of and indeed partially created here in our doorstep, I’ve never even heard of the canal until just now… fantastic secret of the Stroudwater and I am certainly looking forward to the next episode, great 1st part Paul, thanks so much for this… take care 👍🏻
Thank you Lee! Yes, a lot of the Stroudwater Canal history books only vaguely mention it, and only one or two give you more solid information about it. I had been vaguely aware of it for a while, but, to be honest, I could not get my head around what happened, how it worked and what remains today, because it is somewhat confusing. It is only recently that I pieced together what happened here. Thanks so much! Cheers, Paul
This was very interesting. I've noticed that the river Frome was also diverted into two for Stanley mill at Ryeford which is about a mile or so east of Bonds mill. I guess in that particular case that it was done more to control the water flow only ☺
Thank you! Yes, there is no evidence of straightening of the River Frome south and east of The Ocean in Stonehouse, so Bonds Mill looks like the most easterly of Kemmett's mill diverts. I think that there was to serve the needs of the mill and of the adjacent mill pond - now sadly drained, and pending house building on it! Still no restoration has taken place there (Stanley Mill) either since I did my video from there a couple of years ago, which is a shame as it is an outstanding piece of industrial archaeology. Cheers, Paul
Mornin' Paul, What an interesting story, the question that is in my mind is why didnt he build a lock in his bypass? It did make me think, as Cathy has already mentioned, about the starvationer boats used on the Wet Earth colliery near Manchester, there are a couple of good videos about this on Martin Zero's channel. Really well researched and presented. Loved the use of the old maps. Look forward to seeing the next episode. Have a great week!!
Thank you David! I guess the reason for that is the tight space as the bypass went through a 90 deg turn, so awkward to build a lock in that location. That's why when they built the Stroudwater Canal in 1774, 20 years after Kemmett's, they built an entirely new channel above the mills and the river on an embankment. I guess Kemmett was trying to avoid all of the costs of that. It was a neat solution, but sadly not profitable at that time and he ran out of money, unfortunately. Yes, I have read about those boats in Michael Handford's excellent canal history book - amazing! Thank you for your kind words and for watching. Take care, Paul
I can imagine, I really don't know how you do it. It's very impressive and all done on your own. Thank you for making the effort it really is greatly appreciated.
Great as always paul, I’m researching the kemmett and Cambridge canal for a future video and stumbled on these! I didn’t know a huge amount on it until filming a video on the old Stroudwater, as I was editing the video I found out more and more, what a fascinating subject
Hi Stephen! Yes, information on both Kemmett's Canal and the Cambridge Canal is really hard to come by. Especially with the latter, because it was a leisure canal, and not (largerly) for freight , Richard Owen Cambridge tends to get ignored by the canal historians. However, I have recently learned that the Cambridge Canal did carry some freight - landscaping bricks and aggregate that he used when landscaping his gardens, and possibly for a house in Framilode. The irony is, is that canals are nearly all about the leisure and not the freight these days, so I think Richard Owen Cambridge was a pioneer, and well ahead of his time. There is a seperate video in this series all about the Cambridge Canal, in case you haven't already watched it. The chap who runs the Rail (and Canal) Maps Online (Chris Lowe) has now added the Cambridge Canal to his online database folllowing that video. Cheers! Paul
Thank you Shaun! Yes, I think he would have made a fortune, although it was to be at least another hundred years before the idea started to take off. Cheers! Paul
That was a fascinating story, thankyou Paul, another superb video from you!
Thank you Michael!
Glad you enjoyed it.
I was stunned when I found out about this fairly recently and it gave me the idea for this new series.
Cheers,
Paul
Fascinating film Paul packed with information that I at leased have never read anywhere else.
My favorite story concerning local mill owners who were concerned about the Stroudwater canal diminishing their water supply, is that the navies were digging the canal during the day and for a while the mill owners were filling it in at night. Wonderful. Ron
Thank you Ron!
Yes, I only recently learnt about this, by chance, while I was researching for another Canal Series video. I did know a little, but not the full story, and as you say, there is virtually nothing in the canal history books about it. It involved a bit of digging to find out more.
I didn't know that about the navvies and the mill owners, but it doesn't surprise me!
Lovely to hear from you as always Ron.
Take care,
Paul
John Kemmett was certainly a genius & a real problem solver. Thank you for all the maps & drawings & for your clear enthusiasm for the subject.
Thank you Faith.
Yes, he certainly was, and a iron businessman, not an engineer too, which makes it all the more remarkable. Shame that his ingenuity, and that of his business partners, was not rewarded.
Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
Take care,
Paul
Very informative and interesting - thanks
Thank you!
Glad you found it interesting.
Cheers,
Paul
An excellent piece on an enterprise that few will have heard of (including me). In those days at the very beginning of the canal age a few men had an idea, got together, found the money and built their dream. Sometimes it worked but often, like here, it failed miserably but left the world with a germ of an idea that transformed the way goods are transported globally. All of this at least 5 years before Brindley and the Duke of Bridgewater's starvationers. More please !!
Thank you Philip.
Yes, well before James Brindley & Co. I don't think Kemmett was an engineer - just a trader in iron, which makes this all the more remarkable.
I was only made aware of this recently too - it is hardly mentioned in any of the canal history books but is confimed on English Heritage's website.
Part Two of this new series should arrive in early December, all being well.
Cheers,
Paul
Wow. Thanks Paul. Fascinating. I have walked around Eastington and Bonds Mill and did not know this secret history.
Thank you Grant.
Yes, I have walked around there many times over the years, and it is only fairly recently that I have learnt the history (by chance, when I was researching something for my Cotswold Canals update series) that I came across it.
Thanks so much!
Cheers,
Paul
I've wandered around that area many a time and often wondered about the history of all the channels and weirs.. Thanks for the information. Look forward to rest of the series.
Thank you Frank!
Yes, me too! I only recently learned about this when I was researching something for one of my Cotswold Canal video updates.
I found it incredible when I learnt about it.
Thanks so much!
Cheers,
Paul
Hello Paul. Your hard work is greatly appreciated bringing us this fascinating piece of history. Well done. Looking forward to part 2. Thank you so much.👍
Thank you Daryl!
Yes, I had to piece this one together from lots of sources as there is very little about it in the canal history books - it was a bit of a detective story.
Hopefully, Part Two will arrive earlier in December, all being well.
Take care,
Paul
Another really fascinating video Paul. There is so much history and so many interesting facts everywhere we look. Thank you for researching and sharing all these facts.
Thank you Louise!
Thanks for a lovely comment.
Yes, this one took a fair bit of research, as you can imagine. I have walked around there many times, oblivious to its history.
Take care,
Paul
Hi Paul another nice canal video 👌
Thank you Roy!
Yes, with the darker days, and muddier conditions underfoot I wanted to do some things closer to home for a bit.
This one is quite a find though!
Glad you enjoyed it.
Take care,
Paul
Thank you for a really interesting video about a little-known piece of canal and transportation history. An ingenious solution to a practical problem of using a water source both as a means of transportation and as motive power for mill machinery. Kemmett seems to have been something of a pioneer and its amazing to see the remains of his handiwork, and know that they are protected. I wonder if he considered other means of transporting his goods to the canal, e.g. a tramway.
Thank you Malcolm.
I was very surprised when I found this out - even more surprised that there is little on it, although it is on the English Heritage website as such.
I would imagine that he would have extended his idea if this canal was successful - sadly it wasn't and he ran out of money - as did the other investors.
Thanks so much for watching and commenting.
Take care,
Paul
Hi Paul , I didn't like history when I was at school , but I find your videos and presentation enthralling . Well done .
Thank you! That's very kind of you.
I do try to make them as interesting as I can without resorting to gimmicks.
I have done two more in this series now and I hope to make more in the new year.
Thanks again!
Paul
Thank you Paul. Apparently James Brindley designed the Starvationer box boat for wooden boxes filled with coal .... in 1766.
Yes, that's right Cathy! John Kemmett was ahead of James Brindley by some 12 years or so.
Shame he couldn't copyright his idea. John and the three other men lost a lot of money from their investment into this canal, but it sowed a seed of an idea...
Thank you!
Paul
Thank you so much for uploading this little gem of research. It doesn’t appear that anyone else has delved into the history here( if they have it’s not generally known about).Nobody seems to know about Kemmett and his radical ideas- of cranes & containers.
I was amazed to find out that some of the original construction was still in situ. The wood & the bolts- surely the Canals & River Trust should be actively taking steps to preserve this unique site? Do they even know that it’s there? This is a significant find - but the whole piece of research is so important in the history of the canal network.
Thanks again Paul, wonderful to watch!5
Yes, a few of the canal historians (like David Viney) and English Heritage are aware of it, but it isn't an open navigable canal, so it is beyond Canal & River Trust's remit. It would be nice to see a blue plaque (at least) there at Bond's Mill to recognise its huge significance.
I think this the first TH-cam video about it though, and there is nothing on Wikipedia.
Thanks so much Diana, and glad that you found it interesting to watch.
Cheers,
Paul
That was so interesting, like many others I had no idea that this concept was 1st thought of and indeed partially created here in our doorstep, I’ve never even heard of the canal until just now… fantastic secret of the Stroudwater and I am certainly looking forward to the next episode, great 1st part Paul, thanks so much for this… take care 👍🏻
Thank you Lee!
Yes, a lot of the Stroudwater Canal history books only vaguely mention it, and only one or two give you more solid information about it.
I had been vaguely aware of it for a while, but, to be honest, I could not get my head around what happened, how it worked and what remains today, because it is somewhat confusing.
It is only recently that I pieced together what happened here.
Thanks so much!
Cheers,
Paul
This was very interesting. I've noticed that the river Frome was also diverted into two for Stanley mill at Ryeford which is about a mile or so east of Bonds mill. I guess in that particular case that it was done more to control the water flow only ☺
Thank you!
Yes, there is no evidence of straightening of the River Frome south and east of The Ocean in Stonehouse, so Bonds Mill looks like the most easterly of Kemmett's mill diverts.
I think that there was to serve the needs of the mill and of the adjacent mill pond - now sadly drained, and pending house building on it! Still no restoration has taken place there (Stanley Mill) either since I did my video from there a couple of years ago, which is a shame as it is an outstanding piece of industrial archaeology.
Cheers,
Paul
Mornin' Paul, What an interesting story, the question that is in my mind is why didnt he build a lock in his bypass?
It did make me think, as Cathy has already mentioned, about the starvationer boats used on the Wet Earth colliery near Manchester, there are a couple of good videos about this on Martin Zero's channel.
Really well researched and presented. Loved the use of the old maps. Look forward to seeing the next episode.
Have a great week!!
Thank you David!
I guess the reason for that is the tight space as the bypass went through a 90 deg turn, so awkward to build a lock in that location.
That's why when they built the Stroudwater Canal in 1774, 20 years after Kemmett's, they built an entirely new channel above the mills and the river on an embankment. I guess Kemmett was trying to avoid all of the costs of that. It was a neat solution, but sadly not profitable at that time and he ran out of money, unfortunately.
Yes, I have read about those boats in Michael Handford's excellent canal history book - amazing!
Thank you for your kind words and for watching.
Take care,
Paul
@@westcountrywanderings I'm going to watch again there were so many details I want to see again!! Love these kinds of stories....
@@davidberlanny3308 Thank you David - yes, you can imagine how long it took me to learn the lines from my script for this one. Cheers! Paul
I can imagine, I really don't know how you do it. It's very impressive and all done on your own.
Thank you for making the effort it really is greatly appreciated.
@@davidberlanny3308 thank you David. Yes, I can't really do it with anyone else (not this type of video) - I work best on my own.
Great as always paul, I’m researching the kemmett and Cambridge canal for a future video and stumbled on these! I didn’t know a huge amount on it until filming a video on the old Stroudwater, as I was editing the video I found out more and more, what a fascinating subject
Hi Stephen!
Yes, information on both Kemmett's Canal and the Cambridge Canal is really hard to come by.
Especially with the latter, because it was a leisure canal, and not (largerly) for freight , Richard Owen Cambridge tends to get ignored by the canal historians. However, I have recently learned that the Cambridge Canal did carry some freight - landscaping bricks and aggregate that he used when landscaping his gardens, and possibly for a house in Framilode.
The irony is, is that canals are nearly all about the leisure and not the freight these days, so I think Richard Owen Cambridge was a pioneer, and well ahead of his time.
There is a seperate video in this series all about the Cambridge Canal, in case you haven't already watched it.
The chap who runs the Rail (and Canal) Maps Online (Chris Lowe) has now added the Cambridge Canal to his online database folllowing that video.
Cheers!
Paul
If only there had been a patent for portable containerization back then. Lol
Thank you Shaun!
Yes, I think he would have made a fortune, although it was to be at least another hundred years before the idea started to take off.
Cheers!
Paul