BARGEES Rob Kirman
BARGEES
This book is dedicated to all those who live, work and play on the canals of Great Britain. Acknowledgements
Special thanks to those who agreed to appear in the book, and for sharing their homes and narrow boats with me. This work is for academic purposes only.
Allison Chattaway Mark Orrell Elaine Taylor Dominic Ebery Sean Dillon Pete Harris Geoff Gittus Helen Gittus Clive Mainwaring
Joan Powell Alice Elliott Jon Sarah Rita Johnny Barbara Maddox Keith Maddox Ashley Hickson
BARGEES Rob Kirman
Welcome to Bargees, an extended photography project that delves into the rich tapestry of barge life, offering a visual odyssey of narrowboat living in the modern day. Barge life, with its roots entrenched in the industrial revolution, saw families turn waterways into their homes, forging a unique lifestyle shaped by the ebb and flow of rivers. The industrious bargees, tethered to their floating abodes, transported goods, traded tales, and created a vibrant, interconnected waterborne community. Bargees captures the modern incarnation of this timeless lifestyle. These images invite you to explore the intricacies of barge lifetsyle, witness the serenity of waterfront landscapes, and feel the pulse of a community that spans the banks of rivers and the heart of canals. As you leaf through the pages, you’ll witness the continuity of tradition and the evolution of barge life—where historical echoes ripple through the modern-day narratives of those who choose to float on the currents of change. Bargees is a homage to the spirit of Bargees, past and present, whose stories are written on the water.
“The main things are appreciating the beauty of nature and wildlife, the relaxation that comes with moving at 3 mph and meeting some wonderful people both on the towpath and on other boats. That feeling of living off grid and having to be resourceful.” Elaine on living on board Peace at Last
Canal Life The canal tells you stories The canal sings you songs They hang in that space Between memory and water Once saw a narrowboat raised up, Like it was cutting through the air, Between two grass walls and the road below Like it was sliding through history, And a tiny vole swam across the water So a tiny vole swam through history. The canal tells you stories The canal sings you songs Once saw a man floating belly up in a canal Like he was in the bath. He shouted ‘This is the life’ as I passed by on a narrowboat; The sky was reflected in the surface And we tied up in the places the map never showed us, The man floating by, making ripples on the surface. They hang in that space Between memory and water
Once got waved at by a jogger as I stood gongoozling On the towpath; her running gave rhythm To the early afternoon, dog-strollers and kids Who’d rather be here than sitting in school. To gongoozle is to stand and watch narrowboats pass And a canal is a lesson, a water-based school. The canal tells you stories The canal sings you songs Once these canals were information highways If coal and iron can be information, And I think they can be. And there are bridges, Pub gardens, the laughter of children As they walk by the water; and the canals Turn us all into curious children. They hang in that space Between memory and water Once is never enough for a canal, I reckon; You need to go back and see it again, And sail it again, and smell it again, and Touch it again; canals run through our veins Like they stroll through this country Like blood through our veins.
The canal tells you stories The canal sings you songs They hang in that space Between memory and water @IMcMilan ©Ian McMilan
Ashley likes to take a walk by the canal when his anxiety starts to get the better of him. He finds the experience to be calming and peaceful. A 2022 study, edited by Toni-Kim Clarke identified that canals and waterways offered critical access to nature within the urban environment and that spending time near them was associated with better mental wellbeing.
“Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” Kenneth Grahame The Wind in the Willows
“Lyneal Trust offers canal boat and cottage holidays and canal day trips in beautiful Shropshire for people with disabilities, illness or injury, or any other vulnerability and their family, friends and carers who may accompany them.” Lyneal Trust Website
Pete enjoying a three day trip on board the Shropshire Lass, one of three boats the Lyneal Trust uses to provide accessible canal boat holidays. Pete is pictured above with Rita, one of his carers. Johnny, a carer as well as work colleague of Pete’s is pictured over, along with Evie the collie.
Martyn has long held a love for narrowboats. Currently owning three boats, he has in the past owned a total of five, at one time. He has a real love and passion for traditional barges. Martyn is picture here on board Netty Pig 3.
“Narrow Boating for us is the cosiness after working all day in the wood, it gives us a slowness of life...far from the madding crowds. When you are on a narrowboat it cuts through the landscape like you’re part of it.” Clive on living on board Jack
“When we are out cruising the canals there is always a pleasure of the view from the windows in the morning when you draw back the curtains. It could be a field of sheep one day, or far distant hills, or it might just be the complete silence. The slower pace of life at 3 miles per hour gives us a chance to take in our surroundings, and even the busiest towns are more fascinating from the Waterways.” Also, it’s the interesting people you meet, stopping to do the locks often brings encounters with other boat users, boaters are often very friendly.” Bea on spending leisure time on board Hera
Deryck and Maggie, Yvette and her mum Beryl, and Liz on board Hera after a day trip with Bea and Keith.
Bea tying up Hera following a day out with her husband, Keith and their friends.
Once upon a time in a Kingdom not so far away, just a hop from Castle Rock, and twenty skips beyond the caves lies the city where people walked on water. Before the age of bricks and mortar, these liquid highways roamed, sloshed their foam through every hillside, licked the sides of every home. Pulsing through the county’s heart like a sparkling silver vein. Every man, woman, and child had known its value and its name. Many years passed by, soon came the age of bricks and mortar. The city grew, and many soon forgot the age of water. But if you listen closely, beneath the babble of the town, you’ll hear the ancient hum of the Nottingham Canal. Cast your eye between these towpaths, peak between the concrete towers, you will hear these turquoise corridors reminding you they’re ours. That no matter how we shift and change, caught in the tides of life, they will keep a steady course for us while hidden in plain sight. So next time you’re feeling lost, and find your strength begins to falter, cast your eye to the canals and now you too can walk on water. ©Cara Thompson
“After visiting an open day for something to do, we got the bug straight away and dreamed of buying our own boat. As circumstances with my health changed we decided (fortuitously) to take my pension early, buy our boat and retire to the canals and cruise the country. We initially rented our house out, until we were sure this was the lifestyle we wanted. It sure is and now the house has been sold. No going back now, but we wouldn’t want to. It’s not all sunshine and roses and idyllic as it looks, but the better parts outweigh the negatives by miles.” Sean on living on board Elvyn
“I've never really felt like I fitted in anywhere I've lived previously. Living in a house, with neighbours that had such different views on the world was stifling, and I felt constantly watched and judged. Financial pressures gave me little choice, and a boat felt like a better decision than a van. In a boat I feel a sense of freedom and privacy, but also community and camaraderie. It's hard work living on a boat, but everyone is in it together. Marina living is definitely not for everyone, but it's right for me.” Alice on living on board Ganymede
Dominic, living on board Aotearoa.
“Having cruised the canals and rivers for over 50 years, I never tire of the varied landscapes and the changes over the years. Even the same locations look different during the four yearly seasons. In many urban areas, the canal can form a tranquil green corridor so close to the hustle and bustle of the nearby town or city centres. The history of the country’s canal network, its infrastructure, buildings and structures is of particular personal interest. An abundance of heritage assets exist alongside the inland waterways, from wharves, cottages, and bridges to smaller details and artefacts, and there is need for them to be protected for use now and in the future.”
“At a cruising speed of 3-4 mph it is impossible to rush on the canals and soon the surrounding landscape, scenery and wildlife is appreciated. Part of the attraction of the canals is meeting and chatting to the many fellow boaters, other canal users or local people be it at the lock side, moorings or in a nearby pub.” Geoff and Helen on spending leisure time on board Phoenician
Jon, a retired NHS worker enjoys “the solitude, and being able to fuck off when I want to”. He was on loaned narrowboat from Cheshire Cat Narrowboat Holidays as his was in a boatyard having maintenance work undertaken on it.
Mark living on board Florence has one word for his lifestyle; “Freedom”
Allison was busy feeding a Robin when I met her. She lives with her husband and was “sick of the rat race”, vowing that they will “never go back to a house”. Allison on living on board Yorkshire Tyke
I Love a Little Narrowboat I love a little narrowboat, I love the old canal, Imagining the tales these ancient waterways could tell, I love to work the lock, those oaken gates so firm and strong, With know-alls up above to tell you what you're doing wrong. I love to see the native creatures busy at the bank The otter and the water vole, the terrapin and mink, And peering in the water, into shallows green and still, To see somebody's goldfish from the kitchen window-sill. I love to moor along the bank and hear the gentle rain, To cook a meal and watch the world beyond the window-pane, Little bobbing moorhen chicks, the mallard and the coot, Exhausted lovers hoping that their effort's bearing fruit. I love the ancient bridges, every keystone, every corbel, The singing of the little birds, the chirrup and the warble, To feed a lonely swan, so perfect, white as alabaster, Who struck me with his wing; observe my collar-bone in plaster. I love to meet the other folk who use the waterways, The walkers and the fishermen on sunny languid days, We drift beside the towpath and we breathe the summer's breath, Till roaring motor-bikers come and frighten us to death. I love the inland waterways and if it's in my power, I'll just keep on a-sailing at about three miles an hour, And when I see that final tunnel, into it I'll glide, I'll raise my yachting cap and see you on the other side. ©Pam Ayres