Local History: A Life On The Canals

Learn about the importance of  canals in Victorian times. Discover what life was like as a boat dweller, living and working on the canals.

This 2hr workshop begins with a short quiz, to introduce pupils to the topic. Pupils will study photographs relating to canals in Victorian times and discuss what jobs each family member might have undertaken. Pupils will have a go at ‘legging’ and learn how to tie a knot correctly when mooring a boat.

Pupils will handle artefacts relating to canals in order to gain an understanding of what life was like, living and working on the canals.

Pupils will discover how cramped living conditions were in a boat’s cabin by placing artefacts inside a measured perimeter. Can they work out where everything goes? 

The workshop will focus on

• Why canals were so important to the local area.
  
• The transportation of goods and what jobs each family member undertook.        
• The dangers of living and working on a canal. 
  
• What life was like living on a canal boat and how children were affected by the growing demand for canal workers.
  

This is a half day session. For a full day Victorian experience we recommend booking our Victorian Home Life workshop. Pupils will gain insight into the differences between living on a boat and a typical Victorian back to back house.