Exploring Canals
Location: Leicestershire
Exploring Britain’s network of inland waterways has become an increasingly popular pastime as the leisurely pace of life on the water and along its banks offers an ideal break away from it all.
Previously derelict stretches of canals are reopening once again to offer a rich source of wildlife, folk art and history set against an ever changing landscape.
But what is now idyllic was once a hive of industry. Stretching over 4,000 miles of countryside, canals linked cities with towns and formed an unrivalled transport system. Building them was back-breaking work, and teams of men – navvies – were employed with picks, shovels and wheelbarrows to cut a route through the landscape. Most were built over a 100-year period spanning the reign of George III and Queen Victoria, a golden age that was to come to and end with the advent of locomotion.
Steam engines revolutionised rail transport, and within a few years railways lines had been built across the country. Canal owners fought back, but found it difficult to compete. Fragmented ownership of canals meant that no two were exactly the same, and different designs and widths of lock made moving from one canal to another virtually impossible for transport barges. To do this required a narrow boat, the width used today, but that at the time was impractical for the job in hand. Neglect took its toll and over the years many fell into disrepair.
During the 1960s, attention turned once again to canals providing a popular source of transport, this time for pleasure boats. Restoration projects began in earnest, as more and more people recognised their importance and potential. In 1964 the Stratford-on Avon canal was restored to its former glory and ever since, previously derelict stretches have been re-opening at the rate they were originally built.
Today, navigating the waterways is one of Britain’s most popular pastimes, and negotiating the system of locks en route part of the challenge. Exploring your local stretch of canal can be hugely rewarding, and canals in Chester, Pocklington and Welford are just a few of the Local Heritage projects that have been delving into the archives to discover more about the areas industrial heritage. Architectural features can also provide clues to the area’s heritage and give a fascinating snapshot of canal day-to-day life.
Much of the original architecture that sprung up to support the bustling waterways can still be seen today, and many of the locks and bridge keepers’ cottages and industrial warehouses have been converted into highly desirable homes. Aqueducts, tunnels and bridges, each with their own regional flavour, blend into the landscape and there are a number of canal curiosities to be found scattered around the country, including the guillotine gates on the Shrewsbury canal and the round houses on the Thames and Severn.
Life on board is still defined by the rich customs and traditions that were developed by the families that lived and worked on the water. Boats are brightly painted and day-to-day objects decorated with flowers and painted landscapes. The appeal of rustic crafts has encouraged a new generation of craftspeople to take up the paintbrush and the rich traditions of folk art and canal life look set sail into the next century.
Caroline Axam
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