Banbury Museum is on the Oxford canal. There were many canals built in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, to carry goods around the country. They were quite narrow waterways and the boats on them had to be narrow too. For this reason they are called narrowboats. Each narrowboat was usually operated by a family who lived in the small cabin at the back. These people had a culture all of their own.
The narrowboat families decorated their boats with a design of flowers special to the canals. Everyone had the chance to try and paint some of these designs.
The canal people painted the doors and panels of their boats and also painted their water jugs, buckets plates etc.
Taking a trip on the canal. Nowadays the canals are used mostly for leisure. The narrowboats are converted so that people can enjoy trips or take holidays living on the boats for a weekend or longer. Some people even live on their boats all year round.
Canal people also had a particular style of dress.
Pulling a boat on a canal is much easier than on land. One horse could pull the boat. There are no hills on canals. To get from one height to another a lock is used.
Droppy is enjoying his cruise.
A transport used by people from the small villages, to come to the town.
A project boat?
The whole length of this boat is now living accomodation.
Canal people also painted fairy tale scenes on their boats
Lovely boating weather!
