Narrow Boats

Take a trip down the waterways of England during their hey-day

The narrowboats built for transporting cargo on Britain’s canals are one of the great symbols of Britain. This highly illustrated book explores their history and development, and what it was like to crew a working vessel.

Narrow Boats: Ownership, Care and Maintenance is a practical manual for readers who are new to boating or wanting to buy a narrow boat. It provides a comprehensive guide to all aspects of owning a narrow boat and will enable readers to get the most out of their own narrow boat, whether used for occasional weekends only, or lived on all year round. This book includes a brief history of narrow boating, including types of boats and their purpose; what to look for when buying a boat; ongoing maintenance required, painting, electrics, plumbing and engines; how to be a responsible boater and finally, a useful glossary is included of boating and canal-related terms. Michael A Stimpson has been involved with waterways for over 40 years and has been S Eastern Regional Secretary for the IWA for 14 years. It is fully illustrated with 185 colour photographs.

A thorough grounding is provided in this book in all aspects of looking after the various systems that make up a narrow boat. Proper installation and maintenance of these systems is vital for safe and enjoyable cruising. It will enable all narrow boat owners to keep equipment in good working order.

The hilarious and true story of two senior-citizens and their whippet dog who hatch, plan and carry out a “lunatic scheme” to sail from Stone in Staffordshire to Carcassonne in the South of France.

When a young English nobleman was thwarted in love he abandoned the court, retired to his estate near Manchester and built a canal to serve his coalmines. The Bridgewater Canal was the sensation of the age and led others to follow the example of the enterprising Duke of Bridgewater. From his starting point in 1760, over the next half-century Britain was covered by a network of waterways that became the lifeblood of the Industrial Revolution. This is the story of 250 years of history on those canals, and of the people who made and used them. The book tells of the great engineers, such as Telford, Brindley and Jessop and of the industrialists, such as Wedgwood and Arkwright who promoted the canals they built. It also tells the story of the anonymous navvies who dug the canals, the men and women who ran the boats and the workers who kept the canals running. Covering the entire history of the canal network (from the glorious early days, through the years of decline caused by rail and then road competition, up to the subsequent revival of the canals as leisure routes), this wonderfully illustrated book is a must-have for all canal enthusiasts.

Working families in Victorian Lancashire had few choices. Work; starve; or face the workhouse and the break up of their family. Narrow Windows, Narrow Lives recreates everyday life for textile workers, canal boat families, coalminers, metal workers navvies and glassblowers using contemporary eyewitness accounts and interviews. It depicts the dire state of towns and the dreadful hazards workers faced on a daily basis. Who was the ‘knocker-upper’? Why did families eat ‘tommyrot’? Why couldn’t ‘Lump Lad’ sleep soundly in his bed? Men, women and children endured incredibly long working hours in appalling conditions – but their toil helped make Britain ‘Great.’

“Oh, you live on a boat? That must be really cold in the winter...” Or, “Oh, you live on a boat? It must be great being so close to nature...” Or, “Oh, you live on a boat? It must be fantastic to be able to go wherever you like, whenever you like...” Narrow Escape sets out to dispel these commonly held public myths. From how to avoid assassination by ninja stealth ducklings, through definitive proof that kittens are aliens and the best way to sleep at forty-five degrees, to the importance of having the right boating equipment; (a child’s plastic sledge and a never ending supply of cotton wool balls). This month by month account of one family’s liveaboard year takes a firmly tongue in cheek look at what it takes to enjoy the ‘idyllic’ lifestyle.