Continental

This DVD features some of the ingenious answers that canal engineers have come up with to make canals go up and down hills, under the general heading of 'Boat Lifts'. You visit lifts in England, France, Belgium, Germany and Scotland.

The oldest, newest and highest are all included.

Running time: 74 mins approx. DVD-R format English PAL.

The Canal du Midi was the first major canal construction in Europe. It was built in the late 1670s. It predates the work of James Brindley by 100 years or so. To obtain a water supply the (then) World's largest dam was built.Today it has the status of a World Heritage site.

Also included in the programme is an example of a water slope on the Canal Lateral a la Garonne at Montech.

Running time: 74 mins approx. DVD-R format. English PAL.

The Canal du Nivernais is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cruising waterways in Europe. The journey take you through Burgundy, the vineyards of Bourgogne and up into the forests of the Morvan, over the summit where it passes through 3 tunnels and then the descent to the Loire through double and triple staircases.

This is a programme which really captures the essence of rural France at it's best.

Running time: 68 mins approx. DVD-R format. English PAL.

The navigable section runs for around 100 miles through Western France, from Angouleme down to Rochefort on the Atlantic seaboard. It is estimated that there are only around 80 boats on the river.

It passes through the Cognac region, and some mainstream distilleries and a very small private one are visited.

Running time: 67 mins approx. DVD-R format. English PAL.

In the 1820s the Canal Lateral was built parallel with the River Loire because of the rivers shifting sandbanks, flash floods and shallowness in summer.It makes 3 spectacular river crossings, two on stone aqueducts and one in steel which is the longest aqueduct in Europe.

Also featured is the wildlife and places and industries along the way, including iron and wine.

Running time: 60 mins approx. DVD-R format. PAL