Original subtitles

Narrator: A sprawling european forest

That hides A destructive force.

This is clearly part Of something very, very big

And very, very dangerous.

*

Narrator: In the pacific northwest,

Pioneers and pilgrims

That led An industrial revolution...

Less than a year after this Incredible technological

Breakthrough, Disaster struck.

Breakthrough, Disaster struck.

*

Narrator: ...And a south african Ghost town gripped by fever.

Something went wrong And really rather fast.

*

Narrator: decaying relics,

Ruins of lost worlds,

Forged through years of toil

Now haunted by the past,

Now haunted by the past,

Their secrets waiting To be revealed.

*

-- captions by vitac -- Www.Vitac.Com

Captions paid for by Discovery communications

*

Narrator: in a remote corner Of northwest poland,

100 miles From the german border,

Dense woodland conceals A complex of ominous structures.

*

*

Here we are in europe, In the middle of rural poland

Surrounded by These beautiful pine trees.

Suddenly, tucked away, Something catches your eye.

Man's been here before,

And actually he's made Quite an effort

To disguise what he's done.

Nusbacher: You're not just in a wood.

You're inside a very old

You're inside a very old

And very well-protected Facility

That's all around you.

In a way, it sort of feels Like you've stumbled

On some kind of dystopian Hobbit town.

You get all these doorways Covered with soil,

Leading to something That's hidden in the ground.

Narrator: Whatever this place was,

It's been removed From local maps of the area.

Is its clandestine nature A clue to its function?

Is its clandestine nature A clue to its function?

Somebody built something Very, very strong

And then put a lot of earth Over it to protect it

From something very, Very dangerous.

You also have some kind Of ventilation system

Because you can see these grates For air intakes or exhaust.

*

Narrator: who was behind this Shadowy construction,

And what mysteries Are concealed inside?

*

*

From its earliest days, This eerie, covert site

Has been shrouded in mystery.

Polish archaeologist Grzegorz kiarszyt

Has spent years Trying to unravel its secrets.

Declassified documents reveal Construction began in 1966,

A time when east and west

Were locked in a tense Military standoff.

The threat of all-out war Simmered ominously.

*

The soviet union was Intensely paranoid

Throughout the cold war.

They were very worried About some kind of an attack

From europe.

Narrator: to counter The perceived threat,

The soviets maintained A presence

The soviets maintained A presence

In all of the puppet communist States over which they presided.

The idea that the soviets Would have a communications base

In poland Is very straightforward.

It's a great cover.

Narrator: this is the podborsko Cold war bunker,

Part of a secretive Network of vast,

Underground Military installations.

If called into action, its real Purpose posed mortal danger

To all mankind.

To all mankind.

When you see the size Of the door,

You imagine the space inside Must be pretty large.

*

Narrator: it's only by venturing Deeper that the true nature

Of the subterranean complex Is revealed.

Of the subterranean complex Is revealed.

Looking at the bits left Behind --

And that's all We've got to go on --

Clearly, there was something

Very, very sensitive Being stored here.

There's barriers.

There's atmospherically Sealed areas

So that nothing can get in,

But more importantly, Nothing can get out,

And this leads you to believe

That there was Radioactive material here.

So I assess it as likely That these facilities

Were built to store rm24

Or rm28 tactical Nuclear weapons,

Or rm28 tactical Nuclear weapons,

Ready to be dropped From soviet fighter bombers

Onto nato forces Fighting in europe.

Narrator: during the late 1960s, The ussr realized if attacked,

It wouldn't be able to get Its nuclear arsenal

To poland quick enough.

In response, it hatched a plan To house atomic warheads

At strategic locations Throughout its satellite states.

They didn't want the allies To know where it was,

They didn't want the allies To know where it was,

Or even the polish people To know where it was.

It might leak out, so they built These carefully hidden,

Highly secretive Underground bunkers.

Narrator: at sites like this,

500 kiloton Warheads were stored,

30 times more powerful Than the bombs

That destroyed hiroshima And nagasaki.

The soviets didn't say that they Had nuclear weapons in poland.

They told the outside world That they didn't.

The soviets gave a false answer

The soviets gave a false answer

For operational reasons.

Narrator: for over two decades,

The polish people Were kept in the dark

Over the destructive forces Stockpiled on their soil.

Clues inside suggest The deadly payload

Had the potential to blow At any moment.

Industrial equipment, Pressure gauges and sensors

Are crucial signs that specific Environmental conditions

Had to be maintained.

State-of-the-art nuclear weapons Are sensitive things,

And when things go wrong, They go catastrophically wrong,

And when things go wrong, They go catastrophically wrong,

So temperature control, Humidity control --

Very, very important,

Particularly if you're Trying to remain secret.

*

Narrator: but were the soviet's Sworn enemies in the west

Wise to the site's Lethal potential?

And how close did the red army

Come to turning europe Into a nuclear wasteland?

Come to turning europe Into a nuclear wasteland?

*

Narrator: Hidden in a polish forest

Is a secret soviet cold war Nuclear bunker.

By trying to Cover their tracks,

It seems the red army Made a fatal error.

So the soviets start to plant

Spruce trees around Their installation,

But in poland, The local forest is birch.

And in the autumn,

The leaves fall off.

All you're left with Is these thin, white stems

And yellow leaves on the ground.

During the cold war, The americans kept a very close

Watch on soviets Using satellite photography,

So they're looking For human activity.

So they're looking For human activity.

American satellites could see Right past those spruce trees,

And they knew there was Something going on.

Narrator: cia reports revealed The intelligence agency

Identified 23 Similar installations

Spread across The eastern bloc.

Even with this knowledge, Western europe

Was powerless to stop A full soviet onslaught.

If the cold war turned hot,

Total annihilation Was inevitable.

Total annihilation Was inevitable.

Narrator: for over two decades After the bunkers were built,

The world lived in fear Of the coming apocalypse.

It's only after the iron curtain Begins to fall in the late 1980s

Mankind can once again Breathe easy.

And with the red army gone,

The truth about the abandoned Bunkers was finally revealed.

After the cold war, There was a treaty

Which required the soviets

To open some of their facilities For inspection.

As part of that process, They had to admit

That some of their facilities In poland

Had nuclear weapons in them.

*

*

Narrator: Following the soviet departure,

Similar bunkers in the polish Countryside were vandalized

And one converted Into a prison.

Today, this site is preserved, A chilling reminder

Of how close the world Came to total destruction.

In the heart of america's Pacific northwest,

15 miles south of portland,

A raging river divides A curious set of structures.

*

You look around at this site,

And you see industrial spheres, Chimneys.

Clearly there was a lot Going on here.

Clearly there was a lot Going on here.

What this looks like is an empty Shell of an industrial site.

There are windows broken.

There's rain pouring Through the roof.

It's a ghost site.

*

Narrator: multiple abandoned Buildings from different ages

Reveal this place as grown And transformed over time.

Auerbach: At the center are older ruins

That don't seem to fit With the rest of the site.

That don't seem to fit With the rest of the site.

Clearly this has been used For centuries,

But for a variety Of different purposes.

You get the sense that at one Point this was just teeming

With activity from machines And activation

And people and hustle And bustle.

Narrator: so how are these Structures connected,

And what caused The use of this site

To change so much Through the years?

The proximity of the water

Is clearly a very important Part of this site's history,

Is clearly a very important Part of this site's history,

And some of the buildings now

Look as if they've even Been destroyed

By the power of that Very same water.

Whatever went on here, The river is clearly the key.

*

Narrator: This was once the beating heart

Of oregon city's Industrial district.

Over its 150-year history,

This site has had many Different identities,

Evolving over time according To the industry's need.

Evolving over time according To the industry's need.

Outside, one rumbling, constant Remains as it has for centuries.

So what we're looking at Is the second largest waterfall

By volume In the united states.

There is an enormous amount Of potential power here.

*

Narrator: but how would that Power be harnessed

By structures at this site,

And what critical role Would it play

In transforming cities Across america?

In transforming cities Across america?

*

Narrator: In the pacific northwest is

A sprawling industrial complex.

Here the curious mix Of architectural styles suggests

Massive change over time, But the majority of what remains

Speaks of its most Recent incarnation.

In more modern times With the demand for paper,

And given all the trees In the surrounding area,

And given all the trees In the surrounding area,

This became one Of the heartlands

For newspaper production.

*

Narrator: in its final guise,

This site Became a giant paper mill

Supplying newsprint All across the west coast,

Including to The "Los angeles times."

Local expert don scott Has been fascinated

With the history Of this site for decades.

So we're now inside paper Machine number four.

This is where the actual paper Making took place.

This is where the actual paper Making took place.

This building would have been Filled with people,

Buzzing with activity.

The mill ran 24 hours a day.

It's known as a paper mill

Towards the latter End of its life,

But decades before that it had So many other different uses.

*

Narrator: Hidden amongst the modern,

Rusting ruins are clues To its ancient past.

Rusting ruins are clues To its ancient past.

These stone blocks form The foundation walls,

So what you see is very little Of what was originally here.

It's got a long history dating All the way back to 1832.

*

Narrator: as the last stop Along the oregon trail,

Pioneers flocked to this region In the mid-19th century.

What drew them here Was the establishment of

A settlement by a man that Would come to be known as

The father of oregon.

When john mcloughlin arrived,

When john mcloughlin arrived,

He saw an entirely different Opportunity in this area

With the force of The waterfall,

And this realization Was the true start of

Industrialization in this area, Which expanded rapidly outwards.

*

Narrator: This is the location of

The willamette falls saw mill,

The first commercial site To harness the water's energy

And the reason oregon city

And this vast Industrial district exist today.

*

*

Before long, Flour and woolen mills

Sprang up along the riverbanks, And the area rapidly transformed

Into a thriving Manufacturing center.

So this is clearly a site That's built up over time,

And eventually It's gonna become quite

A sprawling edifice,

But it all started On the west bank of the river.

And then eventually will Incorporate the other bank.

Narrator: but another structure At this site, yet to be built,

Would make a bigger contribution To oregon's history.

Would make a bigger contribution To oregon's history.

By the end of the 19th century, This site had been used

For all sorts Of industrial applications,

But it was on the cusp of being Used for something

Even more radical that Would affect not only the area,

But the wider united states.

Narrator: crumbling concrete Blocks and rusting pipes

Near the location Of where the original saw mill

Once stood hold the clues To the groundbreaking feat

Achieved here.

A power plant was built To harness the flow of water,

A power plant was built To harness the flow of water,

And it was Used to spin turbines.

Don: so this is the location Of the original station a.

What we're seeing here Is the outflow of the water,

Which would have passed By the dynamos,

Which were used to generate The electricity.

Narrator: but using water to Produce electrical energy

Was nothing new,

So what was so special about The power produced at this spot?

And how would it change America forever?

And how would it change America forever?

The power potential here Is obviously immense.

You're talking about Hundreds of tons of water

Flowing over the falls Every minute,

And imagine someone Coming a hundred years ago

And wanting to harness that Power but knowing the danger.

How were they gonna do it?

Narrator: in 1889, Hydroelectric energy

Had already been in use For seven years,

But transferring it Over long distances

But transferring it Over long distances

Had never been achieved.

At this time, much of america Was still lit

By candles and gaslight.

If it could be made to work, It would be a game changer.

Copper lines were strung From the power plant

About 14 miles To downtown portland.

When the switch was thrown, History was made --

The first long-distance Power transmission

In the united states.

What they did Was groundbreaking.

This completely transformed Portland.

This completely transformed Portland.

It made it a modern city.

Narrator: but dark clouds were Gathering over the horizon.

Less then a year after this Incredible technological

Breakthrough, Disaster struck.

A storm hit, and the flood Waters of the rivers

Tore through the building, Effectively bulldozing it.

So the buildings that would have Been originally here

Were completely washed away In the flood of 1890.

This is the danger when You're trying to harness

The power of mother nature.

The power of mother nature.

When it goes wrong, It goes very, very wrong.

I can't imagine the level Of devastation

After having achieved This amazing thing

Of transmitting energy And electricity

Over long distances,

To have that completely Wiped out within a few months.

*

Narrator: so how would this site Overcome tragedy,

And in decades to come,

Would the fast-flowing river Strike again

To cause the site's Final destruction?

To cause the site's Final destruction?

*

*

Narrator: Following a violent storm

At the end of the 19th century,

Repairs to the power station Were quickly underway,

And soon it was powering What would be the final act

In the development of This industrialized heartland.

A thriving paper making Industry emerged

That was among the first In the country

To have machines operated By electricity.

To have machines operated By electricity.

Over time, older buildings

Made way for modern Paper-making facilities,

The derelict remains of which Line the water's edge today.

At its height, the factories Provided vital jobs

For around 2,000 workers,

But the manufacture of paper Also came with a heavy price.

The early days of paper Making was very toxic.

Sadly a lot of that was dumped Into the river in the late '60s,

Sadly a lot of that was dumped Into the river in the late '60s,

Which virtually killed the fish Population in the river.

Narrator: in time, the mills Cleaned up their act,

Later leading the way With recycled products,

But the writing Was already on the wall.

In the end, the spiraling costs Of keeping up

With the ever more severe Environmental legislation

And the stiff competition Coming from cheaper products

Abroad meant that the paper mill Couldn't keep up and closed.

Abroad meant that the paper mill Couldn't keep up and closed.

*

Narrator: with evidence of Almost 200 years worth of

Development Still visible here,

This place has seen A huge amount of change,

And with work underway on plans To redevelop the site,

There's still plenty of life In it yet.

*

In the mpumalanga province Of south africa,

Nestled at the foot Of a mountainous valley

Nestled at the foot Of a mountainous valley

Is a set of structures with An incredible story to tell.

*

When you first Sort of look at it,

It's clearly some Sort of abandoned town,

But it's not like some Small stagepost town

In the middle of the outback.

Fran: there's a main street Running through the middle.

There's houses, hotels, bars, Church,

But it's not just one street.

This place is Utterly sprawling.

We're way out in the remote Countryside,

We're way out in the remote Countryside,

So there must have been A good reason

For all these people To move here,

Some incentive to get people To settle these hills.

*

Narrator: lining the ridge above Are run-down buildings

Constructed in A different style.

Could these provide a clue To why a community grew

In this unforgiving terrain?

Around this place is some pretty Industrial-looking machinery,

And that, coupled with all The numerous buildings --

And that, coupled with all The numerous buildings --

This was clearly designed For processing something,

But what that was Is not so clear.

They've even got, Up in the hills --

They've actually got What looks like some sort

Of abandoned tram line,

And so there was clearly Something very important

That they wanted to Move around.

Narrator: but what exactly Was being transported,

And how does it connect To the eerily preserved houses

And empty streets below?

Fran: it was clearly, In its day, a booming town,

Fran: it was clearly, In its day, a booming town,

But something went wrong And really rather fast.

Was there a really Dramatic thing

That happened That killed off everyone?

Why is there nobody there?

*

Narrator: in the late 1800s, This was a place of discovery,

A new frontier which, in time, Would be gripped by fever,

Tainted by greed, And touched by war.

Tainted by greed, And touched by war.

It's a stunningly beautiful Landscape,

But when you look at it In this remote area,

You do wonder, Aside from the natural beauty,

"Why would somebody Want to live out here?

What would their livelihood be?"

19th century south africa

Was all about opportunity And exploitation,

So although this place Was in the middle of a vast

And empty landscape,

People flocked here In their thousands

From every corner of the globe.

From every corner of the globe.

Narrator: but what valuable Prize first drew people here?

And why did they So suddenly leave?

The answer is buried deep In the ground

And in the country's Streams and rivers.

There's not really actually Clues in the landscape

That there's lots and lots Of mineral wealth there,

So in a sense, you have to be, Kind of, looking for it.

Narrator: in 1886,

Fortune seekers descended On the african continent,

Fortune seekers descended On the african continent,

Kickstarting one of the biggest Land grabs in history,

But a decade earlier, This region was the setting

For south africa's First gold rush.

And the story Behind its discovery

Is the stuff of legend.

Back in 1873, there was A prospector who was known as

"Wheelbarrow patterson"

Because he had brought his gear All the way from the coast

Literally in a wheelbarrow, Over 1,000 miles.

Literally in a wheelbarrow, Over 1,000 miles.

Patterson did strike it lucky In one small stream,

But he kept this Finding to himself.

He didn't report it,

But he could only Keep it secret for so long.

But pretty soon The word got out,

And miners from all over Began flooding into the area.

*

Narrator: almost overnight, A makeshift camp sprang up.

Joseph mashego is an expert

On the history of mining In this area.

On the history of mining In this area.

When prospectors arrive here, There were no proper structures,

So they used tents As accommodation.

Narrator: within months,

1,500 miners were Working around 4,000 claims,

United in their thirst For the most precious of metals.

Before long, the ramshackled Parade of canvas tents

Was replaced by buildings With iron roofs.

In its heyday, this was ground Zero for the great

South african gold rush.

South african gold rush.

Narrator: this is the ghost town Of pilgrim's rest,

And these are the rivers Of gold that built it.

Very, very quickly, Pilgrim's rest became a classic

Boomtown, a gold rush town, And the population exploded.

You had saloons And everything else

Associated with young men With too much money.

Narrator: in under a decade,

Gold worth hundreds Of millions of dollars today

Gold worth hundreds Of millions of dollars today

Was pulled from the riverbed.

Now when the prospectors arrive Here, they had no machines.

They had no chemicals.

Now how they separated The gold?

There only is water.

So one of the classic ways Of exploring for gold

Is looking in rivers,

Because rivers Erode the landscape

And concentrate Heavy things like gold in them.

Meigs: the kind of gold that They were finding here

Is what you call alluvial gold.

Is what you call alluvial gold.

It means "Gold that's been Washed out of the big ore veins

In the mountains."

Narrator: the rewards could Bring unimaginable wealth,

But lust for gold also came With a heavy price.

Wherever There's been a gold rush,

It has attracted adventurers, You know, often reckless types,

But they're willing To gamble a lot

And live through a lot Of hardship for this chance

To literally strike it rich.

To literally strike it rich.

Jerram: during such a gold rush, The environment is electric,

But it's also dangerous.

People would fall into despair.

If their particular plot Was barren,

They may, you know, Even be driven suicide.

It was that sort of Crazy environment.

Mashego: No, they suffered a lot.

Then they were alcoholic.

That's how they misused Their money.

Only 5% got rich, And 95% were poor.

*

Narrator: yet trouble of A different kind was brewing.

Narrator: yet trouble of A different kind was brewing.

In time, gold from Pilgrim's rest

Was sought to fund A bloody conflict,

One that would result In the death of thousands.

*

Narrator: In south africa is a deserted

Town that was built on gold.

At its peak, fortune seekers Fought for the right

To work The most valuable claims.

At the turn of The 20th century,

The region's riches would become The rallying point

For a very different Kind of fight.

At pilgrim's rest, The advent of the boer war

Meant the mining industry Pretty much shut down.

Meant the mining industry Pretty much shut down.

Narrator: after two blood-soaked Years of battle,

The dutch-descended boers Fighting for independence

From british colonial rule Were forced to retreat.

The mine, however,

Had the potential To reverse this loss.

The boers took over the area,

And a lot of the miners Were forced to leave.

Narrator: Outmanned and outgunned,

The boer army desperately Needed to raise capital.

Using gold from the mines,

Using gold from the mines,

A makeshift mint Was hastily assembled.

530 so-called pilgrim's rest Gold coins were struck,

But before they could be used,

The beaten boers Were forced to surrender.

*

But this was just The beginning.

What was in store For pilgrim's rest

Was so much bigger than anyone Could have ever imagined.

Narrator: Hunger for gold would drive

Technological innovation.

Technological innovation.

The mine's most productive days Were yet to come,

But the dreams of many Were left in tatters.

Some of the different operations Mining for gold, they merged,

And they built a much more Industrialized mining operation

That, kind of, took the place Of a lot of small groups

Out there With their picks and shovels.

That starts to explain The big machinery.

It starts to explain the sort Of rock crushing equipment.

It starts to explain the sort Of rock crushing equipment.

So once you began this Mechanized mining operation,

You need a lot of power To run it.

The solution to this

Was the belvedere Hydroelectric power plant,

And this became the largest, At its time,

Hydroelectric power plant In the southern hemisphere.

We're sitting right

At the bottom Of the blight river canyon

Where the belvedere Power station is established.

We had electricity before England and france

We had electricity before England and france

When they were still using gas.

*

Narrator: this impressive feat Of engineering pumped out

Over 2,000 kilowatts of energy.

Armed with a constant supply Of power,

Production at the mine Stepped up a gear.

Fran: The real wealth of this area

Could finally be realized.

This tram line took The mining of this area

Up to a whole new level.

It meant that huge amounts Of iron ore

It meant that huge amounts Of iron ore

Could be transported At one time,

And with it, The gold that's hidden within.

The main boom period for this Mine actually was 1913, 1914.

They were producing 112,000 ounces of gold

Leading to a profit Of 550,000 rand,

Which you might not think Is that much money.

But in those days, It was an awful lot.

*

*

Narrator: But for pilgrim's rest,

The industrial mining That brought such prosperity

Was the architect Of its own demise.

The land stripped of its worth,

Gold production Steadily declined,

And the people abandoned The slowly dying town.

Some amount of mining Limped along until the 1970s,

And then they shut down For good.

But the town didn't Completely disappear

As is so often the case.

*

*

Narrator: in 1986, the largely Deserted settlement was declared

A national monument, A south african boom town

Built on gold preserved For future generations.

People love to see these Dramatic moments in history,

And there's nothing More dramatic

Than the idea of a boom town

And gold miners And all that romance.

And you can still see A little bit of it

And you can still see A little bit of it

When you visit a place Like pilgrim's rest.

*

Narrator: southwest england -- The county of somerset.

Hidden amongst the rolling hills And green pastures

Are the relics Of an era long since past.

*

So here we are in the beautiful English countryside, you know?

So here we are in the beautiful English countryside, you know?

Surrounded by field, Miles from anywhere,

And it looks like nothing Has ever changed.

You see this weird Sort of train of trees.

As you delve further Through the trees,

You actually come to a waterway That leads to an arch,

Leading somehow into the hill.

Auerbach: The tunnel has been barred.

You can't get into it.

It's dark, so you can't see What's down it.

What was the purpose of this?

What is it doing here, And where does it lead?

What is it doing here, And where does it lead?

Narrator: investigation of The surrounding terrain

Reveals other Bizarre constructions.

So moving away from this sort of Mysterious tunnel,

All of a sudden you start To come across

Some other quite quirky things.

Tucked in amongst The undergrowth,

You find these brutal, heavy, Robust concrete structures,

Very deliberately placed But completely at odds

With the surrounding.

Narrator: the abandoned Creations appear to be

From a different era entirely.

From a different era entirely.

So here we have this tunnel On one hand,

But then we have these much Later concrete structures

Scattered around The countryside.

There's a link between them, But what is that link?

*

Narrator: How does the deadliest conflict

In history and a revolution

That changed the world Unite the derelict structures?

*

Narrator: in southwest england Are a series of structures

Built over a century apart.

Seemingly unconnected, Their fates are tied by bloody

Struggle And technological change.

Their story begins In the early 1800s,

A time when britain Was in the midst

Of the industrial revolution.

In the 19th century, It's a time of opportunity.

We're moving from this Very agricultural,

We're moving from this Very agricultural,

Rural base To a manufacturing setup,

And there is fortunes To be made.

In this period, the demand for Resources was huge

And growing daily,

But it was just about How much you could get.

It was about how fast you could It to where it needed to be.

Narrator: The solution was a series

Of interconnecting canals

To link The country's main rivers.

The canal system in the u.K. Really kicked things off.

Suddenly there was a way To transport these high-bulk,

Suddenly there was a way To transport these high-bulk,

Low-value materials Around the country,

Export them around the world,

And the canals made That transportation possible.

*

Narrator: by the early 1800s, Over 2,000 miles were built.

David viner is an expert on

The u.K.'s pioneering Canal network.

Okay, so we just arrived At a place called crimson hill,

Which is about halfway along The line of the old canal

Which is about halfway along The line of the old canal

That ran from creech, Just outside taunton, to chard,

And this was a serious bit Of geography

They had to contend with.

Auerbach: if you look at The site from the air,

You can see the canal.

Just follow that line of trees,

And it goes pretty flat For a while.

But then you get to this base Of a significant hill,

And that's a real obstacle.

And there's no easy way Round this,

So the engineering solution, At a cost, is to go through.

So the engineering solution, At a cost, is to go through.

*

Narrator: this is The crimson hill canal tunnel.

Viner: we're just coming to The entrance of the tunnel.

It's the first time I've been Here, so it's quite exciting.

It's fenced off To stop intruders.

Let's unlock the door.

Narrator: In 1835, construction of this

13-mile long canal began.

The 5,400-foot tunnel

Presented the biggest Engineering challenge.

Presented the biggest Engineering challenge.

They dug down from The top of the hill

And then dug out Towards each side,

And they did this one first

Because if they Couldn't overcome this obstacle,

Then the whole project Would have fallen apart.

*

Viner: so we're traveling Through the crimson tunnel now.

I don't know when the last time Somebody came through

Because it's normally gated off.

This is really quite exciting.

This is really quite exciting.

It is in very good condition,

Water dripping Through in places.

Narrator: But the clock was ticking.

A new invention threatened

The supremacy Of the country's waterways.

So in the case Of the chard canal,

It was always at a disadvantage.

It was built late-on In the canal period,

Right at the end of The canal period.

By the 1840s, The railways were coming,

And the advantage of The railways

Is that they were much faster.

And they could carry A lot more freight.

Narrator: by the mid-1800s,

Britain had over 6,000 miles of railroad track,

Britain had over 6,000 miles of railroad track,

Connecting more of the country Than ever before.

Steam-powered locomotives were Quicker and more cost-effective.

For the nation's canals, The death knell had sounded.

Auerbach: in the end, Canals couldn't really complete.

It became cheaper to lay down Railway lines

Than to dig canals.

Narrator: after only two decades Of operation,

The chard canal was abandoned, But it appears

The demise of this waterway Was not the end of its story.

The demise of this waterway Was not the end of its story.

After the heydays of the canal,

The landscape just fell back Into its rural farming role,

But these brutalist structures

That follow The line of the canal

Mean that Something else happened.

Narrator: 70 years after

The last barge Transported goods,

The advent Of the 20th century's bloodiest

Conflict demanded The canal be repurposed.

Following the evacuation at Dunkirk in the second world war,

Following the evacuation at Dunkirk in the second world war,

Britain had to gear up to face

One of its greatest existential Threats to it ever --

The possibility Of a german invasion.

Defenses had to be prepared.

Narrator: But this is not the coast,

So why build defenses here?

Out of nowhere there's this Great concrete structure here,

Which is a pillbox,

Part of a second world war Defensive line,

And it's in an absolutely Commanding position.

And there's another over there, So they could control

And there's another over there, So they could control

The line of fire In two different directions.

Narrator: This is the taunton stop line,

A continuous 48-mile anti-tank structure

Running between the bristol And english channels,

Intended to frustrate

Hitler's plans to invade And take over the country.

When they were designing This defensive line,

They wanted, As far as possible,

To take advantage of the natural Obstacles, so rivers,

Waterways like canals, Railway embankments

Waterways like canals, Railway embankments

Or anything That proved an obstacle.

Narrator: In a matter of months,

18,000 pillboxes and lines Of antitank dragon's teeth

Were hastily constructed At strategic locations

All over the u.K.

Here they were designed to Protect the crucial

Southwest corridor.

Fortunately, the brave men Stationed inside

Were never called into action.

They did the best they could With the time

They had And the materials on hand,

But in the end,

But in the end,

These fortifications Were not going to stop

A determined enemy For very long.

If you were stuck In one of these pillboxes,

It was likely gonna be Your last stand.

*

Narrator: At the end of the war,

With the nazi threat No longer looming large,

The redundant defenses Fell quickly into disrepair.

This is not state-of-the-art Defensive engineering,

But what it is, is a very quick, Very cheap solution.

It gives heart to the population That they're being looked after,

It gives heart to the population That they're being looked after,

That they're being protected.

Narrator: today they survive As a visible reminder of

Europe's bitter Struggle against tyranny.