Photo by Derek Pratt |
 A
LITTLE HERITAGE
 There
was at one time over 2000 miles of man made waterways in England
and Wales and for over 70 years around the turn of the 19th
century, they ruled supreme as the best means of transporting
goods and raw materials as part of the growing needs of the
industrial revolution.
Built for commercial use by private companies the gauge of the
canal network varies between different canals, however the
majority of the network was designed for boats 70ft long and
just 7ft wide. These narrow boats are unique to England and
Wales and the narrow canals they cruise offer a wonderfully
intimate surrounding, very different from the broader landscape
of rivers or the European Canals. Commercial carrying has now
more or less ceased and leisure is now the main use, although
many of the traditions that existed during the days of the
working boats continue, the most obvious being the colourful
livery of the boats and the bright decoration of roses and
castles and brass ornaments. We are proud to continue the
traditions of cargo carrying pairs using skills that would have
been passed down generations of working boatmen to the modern
day. The canal network was and still is a feat of engineering
and provides today, not only a wonderful way of exploring the
countryside between towns but an insight into the unique culture
and heritage of a world all but forgotten.
For more about canals
Check our
Waterways Glossary.
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