Canal Boat Lives

A fascinating collection of images revealing the lives of those who have chosen to escape land-dwelling to live on Britain’s historic waterways.

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Britain’s canals were largely built during the Industrial Revolution to move goods around the country. In time, this network linked the major cities, taking the narrowboats and their cargoes into the heart of urban areas. Today, the canals have been largely converted to leisure use but growing numbers of people are also turning to canals as places to live. Today’s increasingly expensive and dense housing has meant that many are finding the delights of canal boat living as an alternative. Close to open spaces and nature even in the heart of the city, with its own sense of community, living on a canal boat has become an attractive way of life for many.

In this book photographer Gill Shaw celebrates the variety of people living on canals today. Through photographs and their own words, this fascinating window into a different way of life will appeal to all those who would like to know more about Britain’s canal-side inhabitants.