Self-Taught Architect Builds Backyard Canal

Stephen Cuddy, a 59-year-old hotelier from Coleshill, Warwickshire, has spent £30,000 constructing a personal canal in his garden, complete with a functioning Victorian-style lock and a 35ft vintage barge converted into a swimming pool. He purchased the barge for £5,000 on eBay and undertook the ambitious project by removing 30-40 tonnes of soil and spending an additional £25,000 on the lock system and other features. His creation includes a redbrick lockkeeper's cottage and an outdoor patio, and he claims to have built the world's shortest canal, allowing the barge to travel just 24 inches. The project, which he began partly to hide the barge from his ex-partner, has been described as 'awe-inspiring' by George Clarke on Channel 4’s 'Amazing Spaces'. Cuddy humorously remarked about his fear of canals, stating he built the project as a 'therapy room' to overcome his phobia. Despite initial skepticism, Cuddy's unique endeavor has garnered admiration and was featured in multiple media outlets.