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 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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