For centuries it was far more efficient to move goods by water than by road. The end of the 18th century saw 2,000 miles of canal built in Britain: the Canal Age had begun.
Constructing the canals consisted of a great deal of hard work and manual labour, headlines by individual names but mostly done by tens of thousands of men across Britain called navvies. Initially much like carting on roads, boating on canals grew as canal systems expanded across the country, but still required long hours, hard work and specific skills.
This detailed and informative guide tells the story of the boats and their workers. From the professional leggers who walked boats through tunnels to lock keepers to canal children running ahead of the boats, original photographs and artefacts such as tug tickets and timetables show what life was like on the canal.
A classic Pitkin guide to immerse readers in the world of canals in Britain, including a list of museums and heritage centres to provide further insight into the history of the canal network.
The working life of Britain's canals lasted for no more than two centuries: it began in the 1760s and by the second half of the 20th century, commercial carrying had all but ended. At the peak of their prosperity there were some 3,000 miles of navigable rivers and canals in Britain and by the beginning of the 19th century they carried the bulk of the goods that brought in the raw materials for industry and took away the finished products. Then the railways arrived. But while the trade lasted it gave rise to a unique community - the boating families. The work was hard, especially for the women, who did their share of the boating as well as all the usual chores. The children had little or no education; it was only in later years that special schools were established for boat children. This was a very self-contained community, generations following each other onto the boats, and rarely mixing with, nor indeed being welcomed by, outsiders. This is the story of the 'boaties'. Includes maps.
