Narrowboats
A narrowboat is a boat designed to travel on British Waterways. The locks on Britain's narrow canals are usually around 7ft or a little bit over 2 metres wide. In order to get a reasonably sized boat through these, it must be long and narrow. Narrowboats are typically just over 2 metres wide and can be up to 22 metres long (72ft). They have been made of wood, iron and even concrete. These days, they are usually made from steel. Here's a picture of a 63ft hire narrowboat on its way to Llangollen: The canals themselves have some very interesting history. Having been established to transport goods and materials, competition from rail and road caused a decline in canal transport. During the 1900's, much of the canal network fell into disrepair. Some canals were even lost under new building developments or had low bridges or other obstacles built across them. However, the canals have been enjoying a renaissance over the last few years as people realise their significance in terms of heritage, habitats, recreation and even commerce. If you'd like to know more, why not check out my links page?