Great Canal Journeys

Travelling from Luxor to Aswan aboard a traditional Nile sailing barge, known as a Dahabiya, Tim and Pru uncover the secrets of this great artery of an ancient civilization.

Travelling from Lake Maggiore to the Navgili Grande Canal, Tim and Pru navigate a route taken by marble-carrying barges for over five centuries.

Beginning on Britain’s first purpose-built canal, the Bridgewater, Tim and Pru embark on a voyage through canal history, as they explore the waterways of North East England.

Tim and Pru embark on their first Latin American Adventure and head for Argentina. The country’s traditional image may be gauchos and the open plains of the pampas but a few miles from Buenos Aires lies a vast labyrinth of canals and rivers, that meander ever deeper into the jungle.

Tim and Pru return to the English canals to navigate the Lancaster Canal. An early masterpiece of the canal age, “The Lanky” as its affectionately known wends its way north past through the City of Lancaster, hugging coast at Morecambe Bay, it once went as far as Kendal on the edge of the Lake District.

Heading three thousand miles from their London home, Tim and Pru arrive at Kingston in Canada, where the Rideau begins. Wending its way through the backwoods of Ontario, the Rideau links rivers and vast lakes to create a waterway that connects Lake Ontario with the city of Ottawa.

Tim and Pru's visit North Vietnam, with their journey beginning among the spectacular limestone islands of Halong Bay.

In their second voyage Tim and Pru explore Vietnam’s Mekong Delta before crossing the border into Cambodia.

Tim and Pru return to the Oxford, the canal where they first fell in love with boating, over forty years ago. Aboard their own boat, they travel north from Banbury, heading for the old canal port of Braunston.

At home, maps and photos spread out before them, Tim and Pru share some memories of their canal journeys overseas.

Over the years Tim and Pru have taken us on glorious canal and river journeys across Britain and the world. Now we look back at their favourite locations: Scotland and the North of England.

This special episode looks back at Tim and Pru's travels in Sweden, where they finally fulfilled their lifetime’s ambition of crossing the country coast to coast by boat.

This special episode looks back at their adventures in a part of the world they hold closest to their hearts.

For Timothy West and Prunella Scales, the canals of the North of England are some of the best examples of the golden age of canals, where industry and man-made waterways went hand in hand.