VIDEOACTIVE

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Our Cheshire Ring DVD was originally produced as a VHS video back in 1991. It was extensively refilmed, updated, new sections added and re-released on DVD in August 2005.

The Cheshire Ring is a remarkable circular canal journey that comprises some 97 miles of cruising. You travel through some of the most exciting and varied landscapes on the canal map, from the Derbyshire Peak District to the Cheshire Plain, and right into the very heart of our largest Northern City. In this video, we’ve actually added on some extra miles as well to take you to some interesting canal places just off the Ring, including Bugworth Basin on the Peak Forest Canal, and Worsley. The volume is ideal for boaters, cyclists and ramblers alike. Also included are some extra canal miles to interesting places just off the ring, including Bugworth Basin on the Peak Forest Canal, and Worsley.

The programme is ideal for boaters, ramblers and cyclists alike. You'll see two of the greatest Victorian engineering achievements on the canals and also a ship making a passage through the locks on the nearby Manchester Ship Canal.

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Running Time: 58-mins (0hr 58min)

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Sit back and enjoy a video journey along some of the most enchanting waterways in the West Midlands. The Coventry Canal is often looked upon simply as a through route between North and South. This video shows it to be a most attractive canal, worthy of a visit as a canal destination in its own right. It’s surprisingly rural and there’s plenty of interest to see, from the fascinating story of hatting in Atherstone, to the heartland of Britain’s Motor Engineering heritage around Coventry. British Waterways, Coventry City Council and volunteer groups have transformed the once weed infested waters and black cinder towpath into a pleasant linear park, with clean cruising waters, exciting modern sculptures and superb information panels. Imaginative lighting, and regular patrols are effective in detering vandals.

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The Four Counties Ring is a 109 mile, 94 lock circular canal route which slices through the counties of West Midlands, Staffordshire, Shropshire and Cheshire. It comprises three separate canals, each with their own unique character and charm. The Shropshire Union Canal visits a scattering of tiny canal-side towns and villages en route from Wolverhampton to Barbridge junction near the Cheshire town of Nantwich. The Middlewich branch then joins to the Trent and Mersey canal, taking us directly into the heart of the Potteries. This direct link to the Industrial Revolution is a fitting reminder of the canal’s origin as a vital trade route for the area. The twists and turns of the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal completes the link in this aquatic ’roundabout’, marking a return to the sweeping meadows of the of the Shroppie.

In addition, the Caldon Canal has been included as an offshoot to the main ring.

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Running Time: 57-mins (0hr 57min)

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The Leicester Section of the Grand Union is a narrow beam canal running from Norton Junction near Watford Gap to Foxton, and then wide beam into Leicester. It takes in the Welford Arm and the Market Harborough Arm where there is a smart new marina. There’s plenty to interest the canal enthusiast with three tunnels and two flights of staircase locks with sideponds. Alongside the Foxton staircase is the museum of the Foxton Inclined Plane Trust, now rebranded as The Boilerhouse. Upart from the conurbations of Leicester & Market Harborough there are few other built up areas on this delightfully tranquil passage through rural England at its best.

At Leicester, it’s all change as the canal joins the River Soar. This delightful, meandering non-tidal river passes through Leicester & Loughborough. You will see attractive river frontages and a profusion of wild flowers and waterfowl. Stay on your guard though, this river is prone to flash-flooding during heavy rainfall.

Beyond Loughborough, the river gets deeper and wider as it winds its way to the confluence with the Trent at Redhill near Nottingham.

This programme was recently entirely rescripted and refilmed in Full HD and is a joy to watch.

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Running Time: 57-mins (0hr 57min)

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This completely new programme covers the old Grand Junction Canal, from its terminus at Paddington right through to Braunston where it meets the Oxford Canal. Uniquely among England’s Waterways, this canal has two summits, one in the Chilterns just North of London and the other in Northamptonshire where it squeezes through the Watford Gap. The programme looks at the complex water supply situation that this created. The Grand Junction Canal was arguably the most important of all our waterways, linking London to the coalfields and industries of the Midlands. When it was opened, it cut 60 miles off the journey time. Although never very far away from urban centres – many of which grew to importance because of the canal – this delightful wide beam waterway takes us through pleasant rolling countryside and through the pretty towns and villages of the Shires. Even within the M25 ring, much of it remains essentially rural in character. The wide and deep waters make for excellent cruising. Whether you’re new to the Grand Union Canal, or a seasoned veteran, you’re sure to learn much of interest from this thoroughly researched and attractively filmed video …. from VideoActive

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Running Time: 75-mins (1hr 15min)

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The Grand Union Canal was created early in the 1930s by the amalgamation of several existing canals. The section from London the Braunston was already wide beam. In the 1930s, the narrow beam section from Braunston to Birmingham was widened & deepened to create a broad guage canal capable of taking 70 tonne barges. However, because of onward deliveries on to the narrow Birmingham Canal Navigation, paired narrow boats became the normal operating mode.

Today’s legacy is an attractive and heavily used leisure canal. This programme covers the journey from one of the hubs of the canal network at Braunstion, through pleasant open countryside before passing through Royal Leamington Spa & skirting around Warwick. It ends up in the heart of Britain’s second city in Birmingham.

The penultimate few miles are little changed from when the commercial carriers abandoned the network in the 1960s. Then right at the end, we emerge onto the world stage in one of the most ambitious and successful urban regeneration schemes of modern times – Gas Street Basin and the water heart of modern Birmingham.

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Running Time: 65-mins (1hr 5min) approx.

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The complex Great Ouse river system, including the River Cam, is the result of a centuries-old three-way battle between millers, the need to drain the fens, and navigators, with the non land-owning navigators usually losing out. What we have inherited is a unique cruising ground extending over hundreds of miles through some of the most sparsely populated countryside in England. Much of it is below sea level, providing the novel experience of locking down on to it from the tidal river. It provides an opportunity to observe a wonderful variety of wildlife. But it also passes through some interesting and beautiful towns and villages, with a unique character born of their isolation and a background of Danelaw.

This programme helps you to understand the complexity of the system. It captures that feeling of isolation and shows you plenty of wildlife. It examines man’s historic battle to drain the fens with a close up look at some massive pumping machinery, and it explores those fascinating towns and villages. It’s another great production from the Videoactive team.

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Running Time: 75-mins (1hr 15min) approx.

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Explore the Eastern Section of this fascinating canal. Let us take you on a tour of historic locations as we climb through the beautiful counties of Royal Berkshire and rural Wiltshire.The Kennet & Avon canal was re-opened after one of the most ambitious canal restoration schemes ever attempted. It is a monument to the outstanding engineering skills of John Rennie & John Hoare who created for posterity a commercial artery combined with architectural splendour.Now, around 200 years after its original opening, the waterway thrives once again, its future now secured.

This volume begins at Reading and makes its way up the river Kennet through medieval Newbury, to Hungerford. It then climbs up the Kennet & Avon canal towards the summit in the beautiful Savernake forest. At Crofton, we visit the amazing steam pumping engine which has been replenishing the summit level since the canal was opened in Napoleonic times.

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Running Time: 57-mins (0hr 57min)

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This second part of the Kennet & Avon Canal video details the Western section of the navigation, concluding the 86 miles through 106 locks. We continue the journey from the summit through Wiltshire and into the County of Avon, the rich arable countryside providing marvellous backdrops throughout the navigation’s course. See the tremendous Caen Hill flight in Devizes which became the focal point for the official re-opening of the canal by HM The Queen, who, in 1990 navigated through lock 43 at the summit.

The flight with its straight 16 locks and a further 13 near the town is an impressive feature and one that shouldn’t be missed by any enthusiast. Afterwards, enjoy the tranquil descent of the Avon valley and the marvellous Georgian city of Bath; experience the impressive AvonCliffe Aqueduct with its neoclassical design. But the journey doesn’t stop there as we continue along the unpredictable section of the tidal river and into Bristol itself to record the once-thriving docks. The two volumes that make up the entire Kennet & Avon canal form a comprehensive archive, providing a unique insight into this endearing waterway.

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Running Time: 57-mins (0hr 57min) , Colour
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The Lancaster Canal has been isolated from the rest of the canal system ever since it was opened in the 19th Century. Nearly 200 years later, in 2002, the Millennium Ribble Link was opened, finally connecting the Lancaster, or “Black & White” as it’s known, to the rest of the canal system. This video takes you on an exciting boating adventure from Tarleton on the Rufford Branch of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, out into the tidal waters of the R. Douglas and R. Ribble, and through the Ribble Link. It then explores the Lancaster Canal itself, visiting Britain’s newest city, Preston, the ancient market town of Garstang, the coastal port of Glasson Dock, the beautiful City of Lancaster, the seaside fishing villages around Morecambe Bay and the railway town of Carnforth. North of Carnforth, it takes you through stunning and majestic scenery, with views on a grand scale of the Pennines, the Lakeland hills and Morecambe Bay. On the way, it discovers a working steam beam engine, fitted to a dinghy. Finally, it visits the Northern Reaches, and includes details of the now firm plans to re-open that uniquely beautiful section into Kendal.

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At 127 miles long from end to end, the widebeamed Leeds and Liverpool Canal was the longest single canal ever opened in Britain. This thoroughly researched video, filmed to broadcast standards, covers the Eastern section from Leeds up to the summit tunnel at Foulridge. The canal places a whole string of Yorkshire manufacturing towns firmly on the waterways map; Leeds, Shipley, Bingley, Saltaire, Keighley & Skipton. It follows Airedale and thrusts up onto the Pennines via the spectacular 2-rise, 3-rise and 5-rise of locks at Bingley. This is a heavy duty canal, not for the faint hearted. The locks are deep, wide and slow to operate, while many of the numerous swing bridges are now quite heavy with road traffic. But the rewards for cruising it are tremendous, for it's an exhilarating journey along the edge of the sheep-mown grassy slopes of the Pennines through magnificent upland scenery.

The programme shows this canal as a complete contrast to any other on the system. It presents a fascinating and unique view of the industrial towns of the North and gives an insight into the characters who help to make this waterway so special.

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Running Time: 57-mins (0hr 57min)

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In part 2 of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal we cover the Western section from the summit tunnel at Foulridge right down into Liverpool itself. The programme includes the Leigh branch and the Rufford branch. The mainly industrial character of this Western section is completely different from the vast open spaces on the other side of the tunnel. We descend through the cotton towns of Nelson and Burnley to cross the latter at rooftop level on a spectacular straight embankment. The Blackburn waterfront has been greatly improved in recent years. Formerly derelict warehouses with overhanging loading canopies are now restored and serve as pubs and a visitor centre. The video is quite the best way to enjoy the notorious Wigan flight of 23 locks. Today, there is organised help available through British Waterways. Wigan Pier is a major tourist attraction where history has been brought alive. The Pier itself is a Music Hall joke that has been brilliantly exploited and still leaves people wondering where it is. The last 35 miles into Liverpool are remarkably scenic, skirting past Aintree racecourse on the way. It's all here in this beautifully produced video for you to enjoy.

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Running Time: 57-mins (0hr 57min)

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The Rivers Lee & Stort together form a navigational cul-de-sac, from Limehouse Basin to Hertford on the River Lee, and to Bishops Stortford on the River Stort. They can only be reached from the rest of the waterways network by boating through London. This has the strange effect of making the Lee and Stort a “weekenders” cruiseway. During the week, it’s almost deserted. This was exemplified by our journey. Leaving Limehouse one gloriously sunny Monday morning and travelling North through one of the most densely populated and heavily industrialised places in Europe … we hardly saw a soul. Almost immediately, we found ourselves in a green landscape. Now we understood what Robert Aikman meant when he wrote of waterways extending green fingers into our cities. Once beyond the M25, these rivers become very beautiful and compare favourably with the finest in Britain. The Lea Valley was the first area of Britain to be declared a National Park in 1966. The authority has achieved a remarkable success in improving the water quality, in providing safe long term habitats for wildlife and have done so while making it accessible for everybody.

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Running Time: 57-mins (0hr 57min)

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