Follow this path
By: Web Editor
A chapter on canal towpaths is included in a newly published book called Pathways in which the authors set out to explore some of the historic byways of Britain explaining how they came about as well as bringing to life the experience of walking them today.
It is a beautifully illustrated book and authors Nicholas Rudd-Jones and David Stewart included a canal because it was the last method of goods transportation that relied on horse-drawn power with the horses being led by hand along the towpaths.
As well as a fascinating history of canals in general, the chapter includes a walk along Regent’s Canal in London – a graphic example of the major engineering undertaken to build a canal.
And ‘in the interests of research’ they spent a lazy half day on the Kennet and Avon canal being pulled along by Freddy the shire horse.
It is a fascinating and magical chapter and includes a summary of other towpaths to follow and further reading – though once you open the pages of this excellent book you’ll be hooked for a while and will probably ‘follow’ all the other pathways too.
Pathways is published in hardback by Guardian Books, priced £20.
ISBN: 978 0 85265 226 8
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