English Canals

Dan Jones uncovers the unique stories behind three of Britain’s most iconic canals. The Grand Union Canal from Birmingham to London began its history more than 200 years ago, and challenged the greatest industrial engineering minds of the time. Now it has found new life as a leisure destination for thousands of holidaymakers.

Experimental for the time, this canal rises 500ft above sea level, scales the steep Pennines and turned Liverpool into the busiest port in the world.

Liz McIvor looks at who built the nation's canal network, who funded it, those who worked on it and how they were regenerated following WWII. Liz McIvor tells the story of the early canal builders who struggled with the rugged terrain of England's Pennine hills. Creating a network of canals in this landscape was an uphill challenge - sometimes literally! But connecting the powerhouses of Yorkshire and Lancashire was a great prize at the time of the industrial revolution. What should the engineers do? Should they build over, under or around the hills? Who succeeded and who struggled?