This patch of river was once full of barges with tree trunks coming in and planks going out. But where did the boats go? Play the audio file to find out?
This page is part of Start the audio trail
This patch of river was once full of barges with tree trunks coming in and planks going out. But where did the boats go? Play the audio file to find out?
We are standing on a tipping point; no don’t get worried you’re not going into the canal.
This raised section of the tow path was used to lower goods into barges. In fact if you look on the ground you can see the remains of a railway track. This supported giant electric cranes that carried timber from Glikstiens, the east ends largest timber yard.
Again, another reminder of the Lee Navigation’s industrial past.
The bargemen delivering the wood might take weeks to get to their final destination travelling at the speed of walking horse. They lived ate and slept on the boats with their wives and families in a tiny cabin at the rear.
Today’s modern canal boats that you can see moored here are a far cry from this austere beginning. Air-conditioning, fridge freezers and washing machines are the norm for the thousands of today’s modern boaters. You can hear some of them talking about their lives in the Modern Story.
Continue along the river path, but then turn right where the footpath crosses the water and follow that path to Mandeville Place. You will pass one of the Park’s many art installations – the History Tree (one of ten trees planted at the entrances to the park, with individually inscribed bronze or steel rings) – along the way.
This page is part of Start the audio trail