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362:. It pulled trains of two and four boats at 7 mph (11 km/h), and experiments were also tried with eight boats. The canal's engineer, G. R. Webb, produced a report on the expected costs of laying rails along the towpaths, but nothing more was heard of the project, and the advent of steam and diesel powered boats offered a much simpler solution. The '
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plates, attached to the faces of the arch. These too soon developed deep grooves, but could be more easily replaced than the stonework of the bridge. While bridges could be constructed over relatively narrow canals, they were more costly on wide navigable rivers, and in many cases horse ferries were
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started to relax the rule that a permit was required to give access to a towpath, and began to encourage leisure usage by walkers, anglers and in some areas, cyclists. The steady development of the leisure use of the canals and the decline of commercial traffic has resulted in a general acceptance
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or turnover bridge, where the horse ascended the ramp on one side, crossed the bridge, descended a circular ramp on the other side of the river but the same side of the bridge, and then passed through the bridge hole to continue on its way. This had the benefit that the rope did not have to be
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Early inland waterway transport used the rivers, and while barges could use sails to assist their passage when winds were favourable or the river was wide enough to allow tacking, in many cases this was not possible, and gangs of men were used to bow-haul the boats. As river banks were often
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in 2012. Cycling permits are no longer required by the Canal & River Trust. However, not all canal towpaths are suitable for use by cyclists, and conflicts can arise between the differing user groups, leading to campaigns such as Stay Kind, Slow Down. Parts of some towpaths have been
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changes to the south bank while it passes through the
Osberton Estate, as the Foljambes, who lived in Osberton Hall, did not want boatmen passing too close to their residence. On canals, one solution to the problem of getting the horse to the other side was the
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provided, to enable the horse to reach the next stretch of towpath. In more recent times, this has provided difficulties for walkers, where an attractive river-side walk cannot be followed because the towpath changes sides and the ferry is no more.
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With the advent of artificial canals, most of them were constructed with towpaths suitable for horses. Many rivers were improved by artificial cuts, and this often gave an opportunity to construct a towing path at the same time. Even so, the
251:, the situation was improved by the creation of towing path companies in the late 1700s. The companies built towing paths along the banks of the river, and four such companies improved a section of 24 miles (39 km) in this way between
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One problem with the horse towing path where it passed under a bridge was abrasion of the rope on the bridge arch. This resulted in deep grooves being cut in the fabric of the bridge, and in many cases, the structure was protected by
421:, which defined the government's obligations to the maintenance of the inland waterways for which it was now responsible, did not include any commitment to maintain towpaths for use by anyone, however, some ten years later
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While towing paths were most convenient when they stayed on one side of a canal, there were occasions where it had to change sides, often because of opposition from landowners. Thus the towpath on the
259:. They were not universally popular, however, as tolls were charged for their use, to recoup the capital cost, and this was resented on rivers where barge traffic had previously been free.
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340:, rails were laid along a 1-mile (1.6 km) stretch of the towpath near Worleston, and a small steam locomotive borrowed from Crewe Works was used to tow boats. The locomotive ran on
230:, towing became obsolete when engines were fitted on boats and when railway transportation superseded the slow towing method. Since then, many of these towpaths have been converted to
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In
Britain, most canals were built, owned and operated by private companies, and the towpaths were deemed to be private, for the benefit of legitimate users of the canal. The
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used split bridges so that the horse line did not have to be detached. The rope passed through a small gap at the centre of the bridge between its two halves.
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privately owned, such teams worked their way along the river banks as best they could, but this was far from satisfactory. On
British rivers such as the
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detached while the transfer took place. Where the towpath reached a lock, which was spanned by a footbridge at its tail, the southern section of the
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The concept of free access to towpaths is now enshrined in the legislation which transferred responsibility for the
English and Welsh canals from
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Example of Rope abrasion, on a bridge (which also functions as a stop gate) on the
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
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in 1751, but the horse towing path was not completed on this section until 1822. On the
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in 1888. Following suggestions by
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Not all haulage was by horses, and an experiment was carried out on the
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602:(literally "tugboat") β horse-drawn boat used in the Netherlands
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that towpaths are open to everyone, and not just boat users.
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For the musical composition for piano by John
Ireland, see
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was impractical due to tunnels and bridges, unfavourable
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Although historically not designed or used as towpaths,
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The Canals of
Yorkshire and North East England (Vol 1)
386:. In snowy winters they are popular in the US with
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401:ditch banks also are popular recreational trails.
34:. For the crime committed in England in 1953, see
120:People towing a vessel in the Netherlands in 1931
413:in 1948 did not result in the towpaths becoming
27:Path allowing a boat to be towed beside a river
366:' which assist ships through the locks of the
167:"Towboats Along the Yotsugi-dΕri Canal" from
54:The examples and perspective in this article
8:
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848:Inland Waterways of Great Britain (8th Ed.)
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608:β Russian name for a person hauling barges
215:. This mode of transport was common where
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92:Learn how and when to remove this message
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382:and walkers, and some are suitable for
155:A towpath cut into the rock beside the
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516:Pennsylvania Canal (Delaware Division)
417:. Subsequent legislation, such as the
207:, or a team of human pullers to tow a
145:Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal
370:are a modern example of the concept.
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223:, or the narrowness of the channel.
730:"Leisure Facilities on the Towpath"
411:nationalisation of the canal system
348:) gauge tracks, and was similar to
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850:. Imray Laurie Norie and Wilson.
492:Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail
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334:London and North Western Railway
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886:The Canals of the West Midlands
457:Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Trail
173:One Hundred Famous Views of Edo
979:Water transport infrastructure
905:Shell Book of Inland Waterways
732:. Inland Waterways Association
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462:Forth to Firth Canal Pathway
354:, which is preserved in the
128:Mules pulling a boat on the
452:Illinois and Michigan Canal
68:, discuss the issue on the
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884:Hadfield, Charles (1985).
865:Hadfield, Charles (1972).
846:Cumberlidge, Jane (2009).
378:Towpaths are popular with
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949:Towpath Cycling in the UK
823:. Canal & River Trust
801:. Canal & River Trust
526:Leeds and Liverpool Canal
130:Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
108:A towpath in use on the
903:McKnight, Hugh (1981).
592:(replica canal boat at
435:Canal & River Trust
356:National Railway Museum
302:Stratford-on-Avon Canal
964:Types of thoroughfares
924:The Chesterfield Canal
922:Roffey, James (1989).
821:"Stay Kind, Slow Down"
440:National Cycle Network
438:incorporated into the
330:Shropshire Union Canal
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907:. David and Charles.
888:. David and Charles.
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502:Central Canal Towpath
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228:Industrial Revolution
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415:public rights of way
388:cross-country skiers
265:River Don Navigation
159:in south-west France
74:create a new article
66:improve this article
56:may not represent a
926:. Barracuda Books.
472:D&R Canal Trail
464:along route of the
281:Stratford-upon-Avon
718:, pp. 241β242
655:, pp. 73, 211
643:, pp. 129β130
497:Ohio to Erie Trail
419:Transport Act 1968
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292:Chesterfield Canal
267:was improved from
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677:Roffey 1989
477:Thames Path
384:equestrians
346:457 mm
338:Crewe Works
110:Finow Canal
958:Categories
827:2020-09-28
784:2012-02-03
736:2012-02-03
613:References
600:Trekschuit
583:Narrowboat
482:Erie Canal
392:snowmobile
342:18 in
285:Tewkesbury
277:River Avon
226:After the
211:, often a
112:in Germany
969:Footpaths
805:21 August
318:cast iron
273:Rotherham
236:footpaths
169:Hiroshige
157:Lot river
82:July 2015
70:talk page
18:Ditchbank
573:Flatboat
532:See also
380:cyclists
279:between
64:You may
780:. DEFRA
578:Flyboat
433:to the
405:Britain
399:acequia
394:users.
328:of the
269:Tinsley
253:Bewdley
242:History
217:sailing
201:vehicle
181:towpath
974:Canals
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606:Burlak
364:mules
221:winds
213:barge
197:canal
193:river
189:trail
183:is a
72:, or
928:ISBN
909:ISBN
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871:ISBN
852:ISBN
807:2017
390:and
360:York
283:and
255:and
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