Relaxing on a boat as you explore the UK canal and river system!
There are around 4,700 miles of navigable canals and
rivers throughout the UK. They are host to over 34,000 boats; homes,
holidays and workplaces for thousands of people. In the context of
British Inland Waterways, “narrow boat” refers to the original
working boats built in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries for carrying
goods on the narrow canals.
Interior of Narrowboats
Modern narrowboats are used for annual holidays, weekend breaks or as permanent residences. Usually, they have steel hulls and a steel superstructure, but when they were first being developed for leisure use in the 1970s glass re-inforced plastic (fibre-glass) or timber was often used for the superstructures. They are usually powered by modern diesel engines, and are fitted inside to a high standard. There will be at least 6 feet (1.8 m) internal headroom, and similar domestic facilities as a small landward home: central heating, flush toilets, shower or even bath, four-ring hobs, oven, grill, microwave oven, and refrigerator; quite a few also have satellite television and mobile broadband.
Traditional Canal Boat Decoration
Roses and Castles is the colourful canal folk art that was used to decorate working narrowboats in the 19th century. Its title is somewhat misleading; although both roses and castles feature in the designs, so too do a number of other flowers (sometimes real, sometimes imaginary), cottages, churches, rivers and lakes - anything in fact that could be part of a romantic landscape. Roses & Castles covered virtually everything in or on the narrowboat – including the vessel itself. The drinking can, the horse’s harness, doors, fitted furniture, lamps, anything and everything was decorated with bright and cheerful chocolate-box designs.
Read Phil Speight's story as one of the most experienced and influential canal boat painters in the country.