Photographs of canal history.

Starting top left and working down each column moving to the right.

 - A mile marker on the Ashby canal showing miles to the beginning and end of the section.

 - A stone masons mark found on a bridge on the Ashby canal

 - A rubbing post found on a bridge on the Shropshire Union canal. Note the wear marks that the ropes of the old horse drawn boats have made.

 - Another groove made by ropes from the old horse drawn days found on the Coventry canal.

 - More rope grooves also on the Coventry Canal.

 - Old architecture - one of the lacks of British Waterways is the availablity of information boards when you pass interesting buildings such as this. Unfortunately I can't remember where it was taken either!

 - A date found on an old stone wall on the Ashby canal.

 - An interesting bridge that contains a 2nd section to carry the old power lines as seen on the Shropshire Union canal.

 - A different type of mile post found on the Trent and Mersey canal.

(now scroll on 'next' for the next column)

 - The Cadbury's Wharf at Knighton in Staffordshire. The site, now owned by Premier Brand's, still manufactures Cadbury's Chocolate Beverages - Drinking Chocolate.

Barges used to carry cocoa powder from the Kinghton site to the better known Cadbury site in Bournville, Birmingham, (thanks to Kevin for this info.)

 - A plaque depicting the site of an old village school set up in a house alongside the canal at Hopwas on the Coventry canal.

 - The old but still used British Waterways yard at Atherstone on the Coventry canal.

(now scroll on 'next' for the next column)

- Yet another rubbing strake on a bridge. Again I can't remember where it was!

 - An old cobbled ramp as part of a 'turnover' bridge. This allowed the horses to switch with the towpath from one side of the canal to the next without having to untie the ropes from the boat.

 - A different type of rubbing strake - this time found on a lock gate on the Oxford Canal. Possibly used to 'strap' the gate with a rope to aid closing it behind the boat/s

 - Beautiful arches supporting an old railway on the South Oxford canal.

Since Dec.15th 2003