Handbag, iceberg detector or little doggie? A valued crewmember whatever her function. |
Horse and water power initially drove the Industrial Revolution |
Not long after, we saw another animal - this powerful wooden statue of a horse by John Merrill. An impressive piece of sculpture, it is a tribute to the stalwart horses that towed the original narrow boats on their journeys across the English countryside, supplying raw materials for England's nascent Industrial Revolution. In fact, the horse is also a tribute to the quality of the canal building itself as it is built of wood salvaged from old lock gates.
The work demands your full attention and is even more dramatic as it surprises you, encountering it shortly after passing under a bridge if you are travelling from Nantwich. Although narrow boating is not exactly high-speed bow-wave-riding stuff (in fact such things are illegal: were such speeds possible, the resulting wake would erode the banks.), it is hard work and demands constant concentration by the tillerman.
The bridge had been there for 2 centuries. Luckily, it was still there after my passing! |
My only contact with water and boats up to this point had been that of enjoying the bracing experience of an infinite number of rides on the Mersey Ferry Boats, but never had I been asked to steer one. I was therefore surprised to find out how lumpy water really is. This is the turbulence set up by the propeller and you know when you've hit the sweet spot, in steering terms, when the water ceases to be lumpy. This only lasts for seconds, however, before another correction is called for and the whole "change, return, correct" (OK, the song says success, but you get the idea) business begins again, frightening ducks and shipmates alike.
This constant work means that there is always one person on the footplate(?) and usually another to keep him/her company and to enjoy the sights. Others, however, may decide to stay below snuggled up next to a coal-burning stove, reading and watching the world slide by the window.
Hot tea, bacon butties, friendship and the English countryside. The stuff of dreams. |
So onwards we sailed towards our mooring for the night at the towpath next to the rather originally named Cheshire Cat pub in Christleton.
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