Let’s go back 150 years – mid 19th Century. The canals were in their heyday with boats carrying a variety of cargoes, and banks lined with mills and factories, reliant on the boats for getting raw materials in, and finished goods out.
There’s a balance to most things in life, and whilst the canals provided a livelihood for a lot of the population, they were also seen as a useful ‘dumping ground’ for rubbish, unwanted chemicals, and other undesirable items. Indeed, the Bradford Canal was forced to close by 1922 as it was so flammable it frequently caught fire !
As a result, while the factories faced the canal as their very existence depended on them, houses turned their back…
No one wanted a view of the canal !
The canals were apparently places to avoid – particularly in towns and cities. How things have changed. Factory and warehouse canal frontages became bricked up many years ago, however what you do see is adverts for ‘Luxury Waterside Apartments’ (by the way as an aside, whatever happened to ‘flats’ ?).
Lorries have taken over the role of boats (round the back)
You could argue that the canals have been ‘gentrified’ and the original character lost. One can only wonder what it was like back 150 years ago. Well, the good news is that you only have to go to Blackburn !
Remains of a fridge ?
Talking of fridges, we met someone today, who regularly boats through Blackburn. He claimed know where all the underwater fridges are, and can now successfully weave a course through them !
This guy unfortunately fell in to the canal while cycling, and dissolved
Anyway, on to Wigan tomorrow…..
Brutus Maximus on Tour 