Winding hole
Encyclopedia
A winding hole is a widened area of a canal
(usually in the United Kingdom
), used for turning a canal boat such as a narrowboat
. "Winding" is pronounced as in a flow of air, not as in to rotate.
In German the term for turning a vehicle is "wenden"; this suggests Germanic origins of the pronunciation.
side) of the canal, allowing sufficient space to turn the boat.
One unverified suggestion for the derivation of the name winding hole comes from the fact that the winding hole is on the off-side of the canal. When horses were used to pull the boats, it was not possible for them to assist with the turning of the boat, due to being on the wrong side of the canal. As a result it was considered favourable to use the wind to assist in turning the boat, to reduce the amount of human power needed.
has created new winding holes in many locations over the last twenty years. For example, three have been provided in the ten miles of the Oxford Canal
between Braunston Junction and the foot of Napton Locks.
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
(usually in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
), used for turning a canal boat such as a narrowboat
Narrowboat
A narrowboat or narrow boat is a boat of a distinctive design, made to fit the narrow canals of Great Britain.In the context of British Inland Waterways, "narrow boat" refers to the original working boats built in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries for carrying goods on the narrow canals...
. "Winding" is pronounced as in a flow of air, not as in to rotate.
Etymology
The word is correctly pronounced with a short "i" to rhyme with "tinned", rather than to rhyme with "finding" . It has been suggested that the word derives from the practice of using the prevailing wind to assist with the turn, but no verifiable reference has been quoted for this suggestion. However, nowadays, both pronunciations are in use.In German the term for turning a vehicle is "wenden"; this suggests Germanic origins of the pronunciation.
History
Because the width of a canal channel (about thirty to forty feet) is less than the length of a full-size canal boat it is not usually possible to turn a boat in the canal. Winding holes are typically indentations in the off-side (non-towpathTowpath
A towpath is a road or trail on the bank of a river, canal, or other inland waterway. The purpose of a towpath is to allow a land vehicle, beasts of burden, or a team of human pullers to tow a boat, often a barge...
side) of the canal, allowing sufficient space to turn the boat.
One unverified suggestion for the derivation of the name winding hole comes from the fact that the winding hole is on the off-side of the canal. When horses were used to pull the boats, it was not possible for them to assist with the turning of the boat, due to being on the wrong side of the canal. As a result it was considered favourable to use the wind to assist in turning the boat, to reduce the amount of human power needed.
Use
A winding hole usually consists of a "notch" in the canal bank opposite to the towpath. A turning boat inserts its bow into the notch and swings the stern round. In the days of horse-drawn boats this was presumably accomplished using long shafts.Today
With the growth of pleasure traffic on the canals and the virtual disappearance of commercial craft the need for winding holes increased. Whereas commercial craft needed to turn at locations which were predictable and related to the goods carried, pleasure boats may wish to turn anywhere. As a result British WaterwaysBritish Waterways
British Waterways is a statutory corporation wholly owned by the government of the United Kingdom, serving as the navigation authority in England, Scotland and Wales for the vast majority of the canals as well as a number of rivers and docks...
has created new winding holes in many locations over the last twenty years. For example, three have been provided in the ten miles of the Oxford Canal
Oxford Canal
The Oxford Canal is a narrow canal in central England linking Oxford with Coventry via Banbury and Rugby. It connects with the River Thames at Oxford, to the Grand Union Canal at the villages of Braunston and Napton-on-the-Hill, and to the Coventry Canal at Hawkesbury Junction in Bedworth just...
between Braunston Junction and the foot of Napton Locks.
See also
- Canals of the United KingdomCanals of the United KingdomThe canals of the United Kingdom are a major part of the network of inland waterways in the United Kingdom. They have a colourful history, from use for irrigation and transport, through becoming the focus of the Industrial Revolution, to today's role for recreational boating...
- History of the British canal systemHistory of the British canal systemThe British canal system of water transport played a vital role in the United Kingdom's Industrial Revolution at a time when roads were only just emerging from the medieval mud and long trains of pack horses were the only means of "mass" transit by road of raw materials and finished products The...