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TV series

Great Canal Journeys

Latest episode

S13 E4 · Peak Forest Canal

About Great Canal Journeys

Great Canal Journeys is a documentary TV series that premiered on Channel 4 on March 10, 2014. It has 14 seasons and 42 episodes so far and is still airing new episodes. The latest episode, Season 13 Episode 4 "Peak Forest Canal", aired on September 15, 2021.

To celebrate their golden wedding anniversary, actors Timothy West and Prunella Scales embark on four spectacular canal journeys, sharing a passion that they've enjoyed for decades. To start the series, Tim and Pru revisit the Kennet and Avon Canal in the West Country. Back in 1990, to promote the fully restored canal, Tim and Pru were invited to be the first boat in 42 years to travel the full length of the K&A. Almost a quarter of a century later, they navigate the 21 miles along its most picturesque stretch, starting in Bath and ending in Devizes.

  • Documentary

Last updated

Episodes

42 episodes · 14 seasons

Season 1

2014 · 4 episodes · Last episode: 12 years ago

Great Canal Journeys Season 1 release dates →
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    4. Canal Du Nivernais, France

    Finale

    For the last stage of Tim and Pru's canal odyssey, they head to France's Burgundy region to visit the Canal du Nivernais, which runs through some of the most picturesque scenery in northern France

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    3. The Llangollen Canal

    This third canal journey takes Pru and Tim back to their honeymoon destination, Llangollen, in North Wales

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    2. The Rochdale

    Prunella and Tim travel the Rochdale canal, past once mighty mills, the epic beauty of the Pennines and the longest and highest canal tunnel in Britain

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    1. The Kennet and Avon

    Tim and Pru travel along the 21-mile Kennet and Avon canal, from Bath to Devizes, meeting canal-side characters and wildlife along the way

Season 2

2015 · 4 episodes · Last episode: 11 years ago

Great Canal Journeys Season 2 release dates →
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    4. Forth and Clyde and Union Canals

    Finale

    Timothy and Pru travel through the stunning scenery of some of central Scotland's most glorious countryside, from Edinburgh to Glasgow

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    3. Canal du Midi

    Timothy and Pru explore the most picturesque stretch of the Canal du Midi in the south of France, eating lamb's brain fritters and drinking 200-year-old brandy

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    2. The London Ring canals

    Timothy and Pru explore London's Union and Regent's canals, from Brentford to Limehouse, meeting with friends Andrew Sachs and Sir Ian McKellen

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    1. Oxford Canal

    Timothy and Pru take a journey on the Oxford Canal through the Cherwell Valley, meeting author Philip Pullman and their son Samuel West on the way

Season 3

2015 · 3 episodes · Last episode: 11 years ago

Great Canal Journeys Season 3 release dates →
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    3. Shannon Erne Waterway

    Finale

    Timothy West and Prunella Scales head to Ireland and the Shannon Erne Waterway, where they try some folk singing, Irish dancing, and visit the ruins of Crom Castle

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    2. Birmingham to Braunston

    Timothy West and Prunella Scales travel from Birmingham to Braunston, Northamptonshire, for a festival of canal boats and to unveil a plaque to a late friend and canal campaigner

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    1. London's Lost Route to the Sea

    Timothy and Prunella go in search of London's lost canal route from Teddington, through Surrey and Sussex, and all the way to the sea at Littlehampton

Season 4

2016 · 3 episodes · Last episode: 10 years ago

Great Canal Journeys Season 4 release dates →
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    3. Stratford-upon-Avon

    Finale

    Timothy and Prunella take a trip down the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal, one of Britain's most picturesque waterways, and also pay tribute to William Shakespeare

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    2. Stockholm and the Archipelago

    Tim and Pru follow the ancient route of the Vikings, visiting Stockholm and the nearby islands of its archipelago

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    1. The Göta Canal

    Tim and Pru set forth from Gothenburg on the first half of the Göta Canal, one of the longest and most beautiful waterways in the world, travelling 350 miles, coast to coast across Sweden

Season 5

2016 · 3 episodes · Last episode: 10 years ago

Great Canal Journeys Season 5 release dates →
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    3. Leeds and Liverpool Canal

    Finale

    Tim and Pru take another journey into their pasts, via the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, which celebrates its 200th anniversary in 2016

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    2. Netherlands

    Tim and Pru travel to the Netherlands, exploring the canals from the Windmills of the Kinderdijk to the vibrant city of Amsterdam

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    1. Venice

    Tim and Pru travel to Venice, following the route once taken by Casanova and Byron, escaping the crowds of St Mark's to find tranquillity as well as beauty

Season 6

2016 · 3 episodes · Last episode: 9 years ago

Great Canal Journeys Season 6 release dates →
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    3. The Crinan Canal

    Finale

    Tim and Pru island-hop their way through the Hebrides, visiting Tobermory, Iona, the Isle of Jura, and lastly the magical nine-mile Crinan canal

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    2. The Caledonian

    Tim and Pru cross the Scottish Highlands on a sun-kissed voyage along the spectacular Caledonian Canal, a waterway that links the North Sea with the Atlantic

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    1. Bristol And North Devon

    With Tim playing King Lear in Bristol, he and Prunella Scales tour the city and also some West Country waterways further afield, including Devon. They also take a paddle steamer.

Season 7

2017 · 2 episodes · Last episode: 9 years ago

Great Canal Journeys Season 7 release dates →
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    2. Brahmaputra, India

    Finale

    Tim and Pru strike out for the rarely navigated Brahmaputra river in the far north of India, where they meet a community of monks and hitch a ride on an elephant

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    1. Kerala, India

    Tim and Pru explore the extraordinary backwaters of Kerala, with spices, dancing and a visit to a temple

Season 8

2017 · 4 episodes · Last episode: 8 years ago

Great Canal Journeys Season 8 release dates →
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    4. Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal

    Finale

    Tim and Pru visit the famously beautiful Welsh canal with a haunted castle on route

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    3. Rio Douro, Portugal

    Tim and Pru voyage through the dramatic landscape of north-west Portugal, with deep locks, hilltop vineyards and some port in Porto

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    2. Marne–Rhine Canal

    Tim and Pru travel past enchanted forests, fairy-tale castles and picturesque mountains and valleys, on a trip Alsace and Lorraine in France

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    1. Norfolk Broads

    Tim and Pru explore one of Britain's most ancient and picturesque waterways, discovering the area's unique way of life, its ruins, fens, marshes and woodlands

Season 9

2018 · 6 episodes · Last episode: 7 years ago

Great Canal Journeys Season 9 release dates →
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    6. Rideau Canal, Canada

    Finale

    Tim and Pru embark on an epic journey along Canada's Rideau Canal, a world heritage site - from the backwoods of Ontario to the nation's capital

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    5. Lancaster Canal

    Tim and Pru navigate the Lancaster Canal, an early masterpiece of the waterways - travelling up along the coast of Morecambe Bay and visiting Carnforth and Lune Aqueduct

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    4. Argentina

    Tim and Pru take a boat ride in the Argentine jungle. There's gin and tonic with some remote Anglo Argentines, hummingbirds, honey, and a spot of tango.

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    3. Manchester

    Tim and Pru embark on a voyage through canal history, as they explore the waterways of north west England - heading from the suburbs of Manchester to the great canal port at Ellesmere

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    2. North Italy

    Tim and Pru cross Italy's largest lake and travel down Europe's oldest working canal to Milan. Their journey includes spectacular gardens, singing and wine.

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    1. The River Nile

    Tim and Pru explore one of the world's great waterways - the River Nile, travelling from Luxor to Aswan, visiting a Nubian village and dancing by moonlight

Season 10

2019 · 2 episodes · Last episode: 7 years ago

Great Canal Journeys Season 10 release dates →
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    2. Asian Odyssey (Part Two)

    Finale

    Timothy and Pru complete their grand tour of South East Asian waterways on Vietnam's Mekong Delta and the world-famous Cambodian temple of Angkor Wat

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    1. Asian Odyssey (Part One)

    The intrepid 'ancient mariners' go on one last far-flung voyage, to South East Asia, travelling the waterways of Vietnam, from Halong Bay to Ninh Binh, Hoa Lu and Hanoi

Season 11

2020 · 2 episodes · Last episode: 5 years ago

Great Canal Journeys Season 11 release dates →
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    2. London's Waterways (Part 2)

    Finale

    Concluding their tour of London's waterways, Sheila and Gyles journey the Lee Navigation, tackle their first manual lock and some terrifyingly tight turns, and visit the Royal Gunpowder Mills

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    1. London's Waterways (Part 1)

    Brand new boaters Sheila and Gyles embark on their tour of London's waterways, starting on the upper reaches of the River Thames - a paradise of unspoiled nature, royal retreats and river regattas

Season 12

2021 · 2 episodes · Last episode: 5 years ago

Great Canal Journeys Season 12 release dates →
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    2. Staffordshire's Waterways (Part 2)

    Finale

    Concluding their tour of Staffordshire's waterways, Sheila and Gyles take a ride on an old working boat, uncover the history of Stourport and get a taste of the Desi pub in Wolverhampton

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    1. Staffordshire's Waterways (Part 1)

    Sheila and Gyles embark on their tour of Staffordshire's waterways, navigating the Caldon and the Trent and Mersey Canals on a pilgrimage in the Potteries and Stoke-on-Trent

Season 13

2021 · 4 episodes · Last episode: 5 years ago

Great Canal Journeys Season 13 release dates →
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    4. Peak Forest Canal

    Finale

    Sheila and Gyles boat the beautiful Peak Forest Canal to Manchester, where they have a go at dry stone walling and discover the hatting history of Denton.

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    3. Grand Union and Stratford Canal

    Sheila and Gyles journey to Stratford-upon-Avon, where Sheila performed at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Gyles once lived with his family.

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    2. West Lancashire Coastal Plain

    Sheila and Gyles boat from Wigan to Liverpool across the West Lancashire Coastal Plain. In Wigan, Gyles takes on the world pie-eating champion.

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    1. Cambridgeshire Fens

    Sheila Hancock and Gyles Brandreth are back on the barge to explore the Cambridgeshire Fens. They visit the vicarage where a children's classic was written, make a pilgrimage to Ely Cathedral to hear some medieval plainsong and try their hand at a spot of landscape painting, before ending their journey in Cambridge to pay homage to early 20th-century poetry great Rupert Brooke.

Great Canal Journeys Season 14 release dates →

Episodes for this season haven't been announced yet.

Cast & crew

  • Samuel West

    Samuel West

    Self

Great Canal Journeys FAQ

When is the next episode of Great Canal Journeys?

A date for the next episode of Great Canal Journeys hasn't been announced yet. Follow Great Canal Journeys in the Streambay app and you'll be notified as soon as a new episode airs.

When did the latest episode of Great Canal Journeys come out?

The most recent episode of Great Canal Journeys, Season 13 Episode 4 "Peak Forest Canal", aired on September 15, 2021.

How many seasons of Great Canal Journeys are there?

Great Canal Journeys has 14 seasons with 42 episodes in total.

When did Great Canal Journeys first air?

Great Canal Journeys first aired on Channel 4 on March 10, 2014.

How do I get notified when new episodes of Great Canal Journeys are released?

Download the Streambay app, follow Great Canal Journeys, and you'll get a push notification the moment each new episode is released.

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