Description
The DVD starts with the opening of the Visitor Information Centre at Lechlade in spring 2006. The Cotswold Canals Trust’s luxury Thames Launch, Inglesham is shown along the River Thames and approaching the start of the Thames and Severn Canal near the roundhouse. Continuing on foot, whenever access is available the filming follows the route near Kempsford where the route crosses the road and passes through a private garden.
Filming continues near Latton Junction where part of the route has been used for the construction of a new road. The junction with the Wiltshire and Berkshire Canal is covered at the basin before continuing along the Thames and Severn Canal past the Cotswold Water Park.
The route is followed across the countryside as it continues to climb towards the summit level and we briefly follow the Cirencester Branch. We visit Thames Head, the source of the River Thames, before reaching Sapperton Tunnel. After looking briefly inside the tunnel we follow the footpath over the top before descending to the Daneway Portal.
Alongside the River Frome the towpath is followed to Brimscombe Port. Phase 1a of the restoration project is traced from Brimscombe Port to Stroud and the end of the Thames and Severn Canal. We encounter a work party clearing the scrub and tidying the towpath a little to the west of Stroud. Continuing along the Stroudwater Navigation we progress from Stroud to Ocean Basin at the end of the Phase 1a restoration project. We pass the already restored section at Newtown and Blunder Locks and continue to Saul Junction.
The 10th annual Saul Festival of 2006 is featured showing the fun everyone had in the sunshine. Many forms of entertainment kept visitors happy with sales stands of modern and traditional items. Finally we trace the former direct link from Saul Junction to the River Severn.
Charlie Gregg –
Quite an old DVD showing the canal before much of the restoration started, but that makes it more interesting for me.