History.

Day 6 of our Solace trip.   We turned north up the "Shroppie" (Shropshire Union Canal).  One of the attractions of the canals to me, as I have said before, is the history/using historical technology.

One of the things about the "Shroppie" is it still has many of the old features.Things such as the gap in the middle of the footbridge at the tail of the locks.  The gap is only an inch or so and at first you think "Why make a bridge in two parts when one is so much more sensible".

Eventually the light dawns!  It was to allow the easy passage of the rope used to tow the working narrowboats.  Unless attached to the horse there was no power so the boat (and its 25 tons or so of cargo) had to be manhandled.

The shot shows another reminder of the horse drawn days.  I don't know the correct name for these, they are cast iron posts bolted to the corners of the bridges on the Shroppie.  They clearly show the groves created by the hundreds of times a rope, loaded with grit from the towpath, has passed over each particular point.  What would have happened to the stone of the bridge with out them.

At this point the Shropshire Union Canal Society should be given some praise as the posts are well maintained and kept painted with the bolt heads painted white.  I don't think that is the work of the Canal and River Trust, they have enough to do to keep a 200 year old system running.