Fred Dibnah’s Building of Britain: Building the Canals (BBC 4 Thursday 1 June 2023)

Fred Dibnah’s Building of Britain: Building the Canals airs Thursday 1 June 2023 on BBC 4.

Fred Dibnah is close to his hometown of Bolton on his quest to learn how the work of the builders and engineers of the past shaped Britain. It was in Bolton around the middle of the 18th century that the first canals were built and the first civil engineers arrived.

His exploration begins in Lancashire, at Worsley, where he explores the 52 miles of tunnels dug to transport coal from the Duke of Bridgewater’s mines to the canal.

Back in his garden, he demonstrates the techniques that the first generation of canal builders used to create a watertight cut. Using a canal boat, he travels the length of the 127-mile Leeds-Liverpool Canal and explains how the canal was constructed, including the laborious digging of a tunnel to get it under the highest point along the route.

Season 1 Episode 5

Fred Dibnah’s Building of Britain: Building the Canals airs Thursday 1 June 2023 at 7.30pm on BBC 4

Featured Image Credit: BBC 4

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