Places Features

The Horseboating Society was formed in January 2001, at The Boat Museum, Ellesmere Port. The primary aim of the society is to preserve and promote horseboating.

Its founder member was Sue Day. BBC Leicester's Julie Mayer met Sue at Foxton Locks along with her 14 year-old horse, Bilbo Baggins.

Bilbo, revealed Sue, "only started on the canals last year. Yesterday he was pulling one of Britain's oldest narrow boats - 150 years old.

"Today he is starting off with one of Britain's newest horseboats - only 20 years-old."

The convenience of motor-powered boats has meant that a horse drawn boat is a rare sight on most of our canals today. But Sue is still convinced it remains a very efficient form of transport.

"It's still a very efficient way of delivering cargo because the speed limit on canals is four miles per hour, but a horse can pull over 20 tons in a narrow boat."

Unfortunately, locks slow things down so in comparison with road transport it is time consuming.

Sue thinks that life for waterway users has improved greatly over the past couple of decades or so.

"British Waterways has done phenomenal work. Back in the 1970's the network was in a bad state of repair.

"But because people so enjoy canals these days - walking and cycling and so on - many of the tow paths are in excellent order.

However, there is a difficult section from Foxton to the Crick Boat Show and some of the tow paths are going to be difficult. So we'll be going slow and steady and Bilbo will be picking his way carefully."

Sue has done many long journeys by horseboat.

In 2000 she undertook her most ambitious journey - from Manchester to London and on to the National Waterways Festival at Waltham Abbey.

This journey was with the 1854 "Maria", believed to be the oldest surviving wooden narrowboat, which belongs to the Ashton Packet Boat Company.

The joy of life on the canal

310 Miles... 298 Locks

The journey won the award for the most enterprising and meritorious journey to the Festival. This time, 310 miles and 298 locks were undertaken.

The voyage raised over £7,000 for Sue's chosen cancer charities and involved over forty crew members, whose ages ranged from 18 to 73.

Crewing a horseboat is a serious business. Sue says, "In order for me to go boating I rely on having a large crew. We need a minimum of four crew and up to six.

"So the society I started has a pool of people who can crew. We are the only society in Britain and, so far as I know, the world."

The Horseboating Society has about 100 members.

Some members are involved in commercial operations, carrying passengers for pleasure trips.

Others take part in projects making horse-drawn journeys, often to rallies and festivals.