 The
National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port has one of the world's largest
floating collection of traditional canal craft. They include
narrowboats, canal barges, river barges, canal and river tugs,
icebreakers and a coaster.
You can go aboard many of them and see what
working and living conditions were like for the crews and often
their families. Sit inside the narrowboat cabins, about the size
of the restroom on an aircraft, in which whole families were
brought up and which was their only home.
The museum is at the northern end of the
Shropshire Union Canal, housed in what was once one of the
busiest transhipment ports in Britain where goods were moved
from canal craft to sea going ships and vice versa.
Many old Georgian and Victorian buildings and
warehouses still survive and house fascinating exhibitions on
the waterways, their industry and their people. |
Steam, diesel and
gas engines have been lovingly restored and can often be seen in
operation, as can blacksmiths and others as they practice their
traditional crafts.
You can also tour a
terrace of dock worker's cottages which have been restored to
show working class domestic life at dates from 1840 to 1950.
The Museum has interactive displays, lecture
rooms, shop and a comfortable and friendly cafe. There are canal
boat trips and you can often see traditional craft being worked
through the locks and sea-going ships passing close by on the
Manchester Ship Canal.
(Photographs and information courtesy of
The National Waterways Museum) |
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