There has been a fundamental change in the way the canals of Britain are used. The network of canals that covers much of the country dates back to the industrial revolution when goods were transported along these routes. The canals themselves, the waterways of the country, were dug by teams of men. This was no mean feat in the days before mechanised diggers. It was also necessary to construct a system of locks, which raise and lower boats so they can with the varying height of the canals themselves. Barges – simple boats without engines – were used to carry the freight, and horses would trudge along the side of the canal pulling these vessels. Many of the people working on the boats would themselves live on the water, in a long boat with cramped living quarters: a narrowboat.
As the railways and roads in popularity as ways of transporting freight, the canals fell into disuse; many of them became with weeds and rubbish. But over the last few decades, Britain appears to have rediscovered these of engineering. A growing number of people each year sample the delights of canal holidays. Narrowboats can be up to be very comfortable, and these days they are by an engine and not pulled by a horse.