Digging Up Britain's Past

The team seeks artefacts from the Bridgewater Canal

Centuries ago, canals were the liquid highways of Britain, transporting raw materials and finished goods all over the country. Their arrival kick-started the Industrial Revolution, which was to turn Britain into a superpower. The very first water superhighway was the Bridgewater Canal, completed in 1761 to carry coal to Manchester from the mines in Worsley. Here, a team of archaeologists from Salford University roots out this industrial past, working with volunteers to excavate the very coal mine that inspired the creation of the canal