The Somerset Coal Canal, and the mildly terrifying world-first caisson lock 

The Southern Arm of the Canal was quite extensively built with sections of it still visible from Wellow westward including Aquaduct at Stoney Littleton. Further section can be seen at Single Hill, Shoscombe and a little further on past Paglinch Farm. If travelling westwards to Radstock from Shoscombe Vale the Canal can be seen on the RH side of Sustrans 24, next to S & D Track direction. At Single Hill there is a Swivel Bridge footings. I have lived 50+ years at the Railway Cottages, part of the Shoscombe and Single Hill Halt. Cottages were built on Canal Base with Tow Path now our Driveway. Our Garden has a quarry at the rear with stone from it creating pillar stones for the subsequent Tramway. It's an interesting area!

Great video. Thanks for putting it together! I'd love to watch something about the Bristol coalfields if you ever decide to make that one. Also feel free to keep posting these to /r/bristol if you'd like to. Even ones like this that stray a little out of the area.

Oh man when you search an obscure subject on RU-vid and find this its liable to make your day!

As a former resident of Red House Farm (now Wick House) Radford (between Paulton and Camerton) I found this a wonderfully informative video. However, I must take issue with one thing; the area is not part of the Cotswolds, it is part of the Mendip Hills.

Thanks for the video, the Whitewicks on their channel had mentioned the caisson locks your explanation made clear how the system should have worked.

That was brilliant, love the dour voice description suits you perfectly, lots of info, little chat too, the use of map graphics are fine and much used by others, I may borrow your style for a 1798 waggonway in Shropshire with an incline that had been overlooked until i found it.

The youtube suggestion algorithm brought me here and I thoroughly enjoyed this video. Hopefully more people get suggested this way.

The C and O canal running from Cumberland, Maryland to Georgetown, Washington D.C. had caisson locks like these as well

Fascinating. I read about the caisson lock in the book about the GWR Camerton Branch railway. I couldn't quite believe they thought they could make it work with the technology they had at the time. Well done for not mentioning the Titfield Thunderbolt, too. Hope you get around to making a video about the Bristol coalfield.

Great video. Cheers for the subtitles. If you ever need B-roll or footage from Bath or nearby areas, I'd be happy to help you out.

Whilst I can see your point that it doesn't go anywhere, I think you might be surprised at the ability of canal fans to get the job done. Paul and Rebecca Whitewick also did a video on this subject.

Thanks from Arizona USA 🇺🇸

Very interesting.👍

Loving your channel! I'd love to know more about the coal industry in Temple Cloud and Clutton. Clutton especially as there is a giant derelict tower on the old railway line footpath and I'm really interested to find out what it was for or what it even is! Keep up the good work.

Sorry to be picky but while much of the canal is within the Cotswold AONB for planning purposes it is definitely not in the Cotswolds in a geographical or geological sense. The Cotswolds stops along the northern edge of Bath roughly on the Lansdown (no additional e please) scarp.

Fascinating. Thank you for producing this and sharing. Could you tell me the source of the geological/ topological map you show around 7:35?

Why show a cart from transwhatever when there is a somerset one in Radstock museum

why didn't he just build a system were a tower was split in two and as one side went down the other side went up and when the ship got to the bottom the door closed and the ship left to the lower water level. And then the next ship just used the other side that was dried but was now full. I wish they had a video on Caisson Locks online.

🤘🤘🤘🤘

Good but maybe complete it with footage you didn't take because of the weather.

do they still use these, i hope not