Canal boats

I find canals and canal boats slightly fascinating.  The canal system was obviously a very important transport network, because over the last couple of centuries a huge amount of effort went into building thousands of miles of canals across Britain, with all the locks and lifts required to change levels.  Today a lot of it is still operating, and there are campaigns to restore canals which have fallen into disuse.  Travelling up the country we have come across canals everywhere.

The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in Wales carries canal boats across a valley high (40 metres) above the River Dee.

On the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct

The aqueduct from below

In Gloucester there was a cafe in a canal boat, so we took the opportunity to see what its like inside one:

Cafe on the Cut ("Cut" = canal)

Cup of tea and some cake

In Ironbridge were the remains of an old "inclined plane", which was basically a cable-car-like railway which hauled canal boats up and down a slope, to a canal 70 metres above.

Ironbridge inclined plane remains

See also the other entry on the Anderton Boat Lift.  I'm looking forward to seeing the Falkirk Wheel later on the trip!

Happy travellers on the aqueduct