Why we LOVE Narrowboating! There's so much history and things to see as we travel through Weedon Bec, climb the Buckby Locks, pass Norton Junction, and head into the centre of the canal universe, Braunston. Colin tells the story of the King's hiding place during Napoleon's conquests, what are Buckby Cans, the history of the Braunston Tunnel, and how Braunston became one of the busiest canal stops of its time.
How did they build canal tunnels in a straight line using just basic hand tools like pick-axes, shovels, and wheelbarrows? Colin uncovers the 18th Century tricks-of-the-trade used to build Blisworth Tunnel on the Grand Union Canal between Stoke Bruerne and Blisworth. You'll be surprised by the methods used over two hundred years ago and just how easy it is to build a three-kilometer canal tunnel in a straight line.
A narrowboat goes out of control and crashes on the Grand Union Canal. The poor boater got caught after passing us and lost control of his boat. We leave Milton Keynes and visit the Wolverton Railway Works where the Royal Train lives. We cross the Wolverton Iron Aqueduct and take a look at the disused locks down to the Great Ouse River before heading to Stoke Bruerne.
Can we perform a narrowboat rescue on the Grand Union Canal? We come across a drifting narrowboat on our way towards Milton Keynes. Colin jumps off to secure the boat. Colin explains how the summit of the Grand Union Canal is supplied with water, how the 'Northern Engines' keep it moving, and we look back at the Great Train Robbery as narrowboat Silver Fox passes 'Train Robber's Bridge'.
Did moving on a canal narrowboat save my mental health? It was meant to, but almost eighteen months after we sold our house and business to move on a canal narrowboat, has it worked? We cruise on the Grand Union Canal from Hemel Hempstead to Berkhamsted where Colin uncovers the history of the Rose's Lime Juice factory, the last man to be executed for highway robbery, a sad tale of the drowned lock-keeper on Christmas Day, and the Bourne End rail disaster that happened alongside the canal.
