Canals have their own community which includes nomads as well as those with long term moorings. These are temporary, narrowboats can stay here for up to fourteen days at a time. Today a new charity was launched, the Canal and River Trust, which now has the responsibility of caring for the UK’s inland waterways. Until reforms were introduced British Waterways was in charge and this is the biggest single transfer from a public body to the charitable sector. It is a huge task – there are over 2000 miles of canals and rivers – but it is hoped that the public will become involved in caring for their local stretch and the areas of natural beauty around them. Listen to Ian McMillan’s poem about canals, commissioned for today’s launch, by clicking here.
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