Lectures by Mike Clarke

The following are some of the lectures currently available:

1 The Duke of Bridgewater: Father of Canals? How important was the Bridgewater Canal in influencing the growth of Britain's canals?

2 The History of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. Starting with an historical overview of canal building, the second part of the lecture concentrates on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.

3 People of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. Stories about people involved with building and operating the canal.

4 Water supply to the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. How does a canal obtain its water and how is it used?

5 The Douglas Navigation. Running from the Ribble Estuary to Wigan, this little-known river navigation was in operation from 1740-1780.

6 Canal Heritage: What is it? How are canals built, and what survives today from their 200+ years of development to explain the details of their operation.

7 Canals of Europe - A Historical Overview. A tour around some of the historically important canals across Europe, telling the story of canal building and operation.

8 Wind and Water Mills in Eastern Europe. Some interesting and unusual mills in Romania, Poland, Serbia and Slovakia.

9 Aspects of Transport in Eastern Europe. Railways and waterways in the former Communist countries.

10 The Solovki Monastery in Northern Russia. Three visits to work on this World Heritage Site give a glimpse into Russian history and the life outside of Moscow and St Petersburg.

11 A French Interlude Around the Loire. An industrial historian's holiday, visiting both tourist and more unusual sites around the lower Loire Valley.

12 Old Industries of Romania. A trip around museums, villages and factories in Romania, looking at working life in a former Communist country.

Lectures are tailored to the audience and, although some of the subjects can be a little technical, the illustrations are used for drawing out a wide variety of stories suitable for most listeners. The talk on the history of the Leeds & Liverpol Canal can include additional illustrations for particular locations along the canal if requested.

The lectures are illustrated using a digital projector, and all equipment can be provided, though it is preferable for a screen to be available at the location of the lecture.

The lectures are 45 minutes to 1 hour long and questions are welcomed. The cost per lecture is £50 inc. VAT for up to 15 miles around Barnoldswick, plus £5 for every 15 miles above this distance.

Download a leaflet here, or contact the address below for a full quote:

Fax: 0870 134 5609

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