Skipton is one of the towns connected by the Leeds Liverpool Canal. The canal was opened in 1816 and, at 127 miles, is Britain’s longest inland waterway. After spending the morning at Skipton Castle, pretending I was in an episode of Robin Hood, I wandered down the steep High Street to the quay.
Barges, narrowboats as they’re called, were queued all the way along the bank of the towpath, continuing round a corner between factory buildings and out of sight. I couldn’t resist seeing where they led.
Narrowboats were originally designed to transport cargo, though some were packet boats, carrying passengers, letters and parcels. Their maximum length is around 70 feet, the length of the locks, though most are shorter so they can cruise anywhere on the connected network of British canals.
Modern narrowboats are used for holiday accomodation or as permanent residences, as these seemed to be. They have…
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