History of British Canals.

Roman Times

The Romans built canals mainly for irrigation purposes and to connect existing waterways with one another. One of the oldest, The Foss Dyke, in Lincolnshire was built for drainage and navigation. The Caer Dyke is one of the oldest and was built shortly after the Roman invaded Britain in 43AD.

The Middle Ages

During this time goods were mainly transported by a network of muddy roads which connected the coast to main the towns of Britain. Goods were at the mercy of the weather and would often break in transit as pack horses struggled along the medieval road system.

A favourable alternative was to use existing British waterways and this allowed for larger quantities of goods to be transported safely. Boats and barges were towed by horse along navigable rivers to carry supplies to new sites along rivers to where new castles, churches and monasteries were being built.

Tudor Britain

As Britain grew as an economic and political power it led to a time of growth and prosperity with increases in population and industry. Advances in canal engineering were required to expand the use of the waterways to support this growth. The Flash lock was an early development during this period and this invention assisted boats and barges in moving up stretches of rivers that were stepped.

During 15th and 16th century's further transformation and improvement was needed and a concerted effort was made to extend many rivers and create new channels in order to transport goods. These channels meant that vast quantities of goods to be transported and also opened up direct links to the new and expanding towns which opened them up for trade.

The River Great Stour was the first waterways to benefit from this period of growth followed by the Exeter Shipping Canal which opened in 1566. The Exeter Canal also featured the first type of a new lock, the pound lock, which is still in use today.

The Industrial Revolution

Although the expansion continued into the 17th Century it was during the late 18th century that canals really came into the own. Britain entered the industrial revolution and canals became the preferred means of transport for goods as transportation was quick and cheap. Most of the canal networks were built during the 18th and early 19th century and these are what remain for us to enjoy today. It was during this era that engineering of the existing waterways became more sophisticated and rather than build cuts to avoid long or difficult stretches of river it was logical to instead design and build artificial waterways.

Josiah Wedgewood, the famous pottery owner, was one such industrialist who saw the advantage of using canal boats to bring bulk quantities of raw material straight to the factory door and then finished goods onto market. The first canal built for this purpose was the Bridgewater Canal and others soon followed such as the Oxford Canal and the Trent and Mersey Canal it was during this golden age that the canal network expanded to nearly 4000 miles (7000 km).

Famous engineers such as Thomas Telford lay claim to the magnificent tunnels, aqueducts and structures. As you cruise across aqueducts, through tunnels and locks, spare a thought for those who built them. Digging the cuts or tunnels, mostly by hand, was a slow and laborious process and many died in these pioneering construction projects.

And now

With the coming of the Railway the canals soon fell into decline but thanks to an extensive renovation programme they are now back to working order and restored. A long way removed from the working barges the narrowboat which will be your holiday home is now equipped with all the technology and facilities you'll need throughout your canal boat holiday. 

There are still communities who live on narrowboats but many of the canal boats you pass will be, just like you, enjoying a canal boat holiday. Canal boat holidays give you a chance to experience the beauty of Britain's waterways and to travel through some of Britain's most serene and stunning locations. For information on where you can begin your journey call us today.

The Future

As more and more people enjoy a canal boat holiday the more renovations will take place and more of the canals will be restored to their former glory.

The leisure industry is now the Canals future.