I had a different door in mind for today’s post, but, on a walk with a friend past the nearby canal boat mooring, found the combination of tiny doors, sunshine and colourful boats too hard to resist.
I live near to the Grand Union Canal, which links London with Birmingham. The longest canal in the UK, it runs for 137 miles through 166 locks. Canals are a feature of the British countryside, once the highways of the industrial revolution and many of them feats of engineering in themselves. There are more canals in Birmingham than there are in Venice, if you can believe it.
Nowadays, canals are used mainly for recreational purposes, with day trips, weekenders or longer voyages available for those who want to give canal living a try.
There are many people living full time on the canals, travelling the length and breadth of the country without having to leave the comforts of home.
Not such a bad way to live, I think…
This is my entry for Norm 2.0’s Thursday Doors challenge. For more doors, or to add one of your own, visit Norm’s site and click the link.
Helen Glynn Jones 
I rather fancy it myself…
Yes, me too 🙂
🙂
I always admired the canal boats but never got inside one.
I’ve never been inside one either – however, it’s on the list 🙂
Canal boats are so cool. The idea of living on one fascinates me. Not something we have in the American West.
Yes, they really seem to be a European thing. I think it would be cool as well, just waking up and travelling. We saw one going through a lock recently which was four boats joined together, and you could see each boat had a different living purpose – it was a bit Waterworld, almost, especially as a 4WD body had been grafted onto the back of one of the boats, for what purpose we weren’t sure.
Strange setup. I can imagine a bit different culture along the canal too. A micro-culture if you will.
Yes, definitely. I think there’s a story or two to be found there. I find each boat fascinating, because they’re all different, each representing the personality of the owner. There’s one I see every so often with four Jack Russell terriers living on board.When their owner is working the locks they run along the roof of the boat, barking furiously. Cute, but I bet they’re a handful inside.
I would imagine they need to burn off energy at a park every day. They’re pretty wound up little dogs.
They sure are 🙂 We had one several years ago and he was so lovely, yet completely hysterical every time he saw a tennis ball.
An incredible way to live. 🙂
Splendid door captures
Thank you 🙂 I think it would be a great way to live – I plan to try one out one day 🙂
I’ve always wondered what life on a canal boat would be like. I might like to try a few days on one as part of a vacation at some point.
You’ve got some nice doors here – that last one in particular is just lovely 🙂
Thanks, Norm 🙂 I liked the last one too, it seemed a lovely place to sit and relax, watching the world drift past. I’d like to have a few days on one as well, as I think it would be an interesting way to live. It’s on my list of things to do 🙂
I’ve always wanted to do a vacation on a canal boat. That first one with the horseshoe over the door I like the best!
Thank you 🙂 It seems to be a common theme amongst everyone commenting – I might have to spend a few days on one and write a post about it!
Oh yes! 🙂
Fabulous photos, Helen. I just love barges and my husband and I did think about living in one some time ago, but we bought an old house to renovate instead. Still, we did buy a small river boat to make up for chickening out of barge living. I didn’t know there were that many canals in Birmingham.
Yes. I checked the statistic, and apparently it’s true, in terms of the distance. However in Birmingham many of the canals have been covered over so you don’t get that same sense of a city on water that you do in Venice. Also I guess because it’s inland!
That sounds like a cool and freeing way to live!
I think it would be, absolutely! I’m rather tempted…
I can’t say I blame you; stuff like that calls to me often.
Me too 🙂
The wife went on a canal boat for a hen do. I’ve never been on one and given I’m terrified of boats I thought I’d never want to, but actually I think I wouldn’t mind a canal boat!
Yes, my brother had his bucks party on one last year. I think they’re quite sedate once they get going. I didn’t know you were terrified of boats – do you know why? Or have you always been? (If you don’t mind my asking) 🙂
Always have been. It’s completely irrational! It’s more climbing on and off them I don’t like. I guess once on, you’re flooded by ‘boat’ so have to get used to it. Also I have EXTREME travel sickness so that doesn’t help
Oh no, that’s no good at all. Interestingly, I get quite travel sick in cars and can’t sit facing backwards on trains, but when I went on a cruise I was absolutely fine. I don’t like the climbing on and off either, especially on large vessels, the drop down the side makes me feel ill. And I cannot stand any sort of sunken vessel – when I went to Pearl Harbour and we sailed out to the memorial over the Arizona, it gave me the absolute willies to see it, as it’s just below the waterline. I still feel unwell just thinking about it. I could never wreck dive, that’s for sure.
Those are pretty cool. I knew there were canals, but I didn’t know they were that big. Great doors.
Thanks, Dan 🙂 Yes, the network is huge, all across England and Wales. And no two canal boats are alike.
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