Britain has some 2,000 miles of canal – most of us live within five miles of one. Jasper Winn was appointed as the Canal and River Trust’s first “writer in motion”. He spent a year on towpaths and waterways, travelling by foot, bicycle and, of course, narrowboat. The “laws and lore” of canal life, he finds, are “based on the courtesy of a shared space”. As well as the tranquillity of slow travel on water, the sense of community impresses Winn: it’s “inclusive without being tribal, supportive without being regimented”.
His book blends history with travelogue, bringing alive an alternative world where time is measured in “units of darting kingfishers”. Britain’s earliest canal dates from 1563, but they didn’t really catch on until the 18th century, when factories needed to bring large quantities of coal into the towns.
When commercial canal transport collapsed in the postwar period, the unwanted narrowboats, butties (towed barges), flyboats (fast passenger vessels) and Dutch barges were bought up by houseboat dwellers. These days they are kitted out with solar power and on-board showers. But Winn sounds a note of caution on composting loos: they need “knowledge and attention through all the stages of fermentation worthy of that of a winemaker producing a grand cru”.
• Water Ways: A Thousand Miles Along Britain’s Canals by Jasper Winn is published by Profile (£10.99). To order a copy go to guardianbookshop.com. Free UK p&p over £15
