Rugby’s MP Mark Pawsey joined visitors to Rose Narrowboats, at the Fosse Way, Stretton under Fosse, Near Rugby on Sunday morning as part of Heritage Open Days.
Heritage Open Days celebrates England’s fantastic architecture and culture by offering free access to places that are usually closed to the public or normally charge for admission. A number of locations were open in and around Rugby and Mark chose to visit the long established family run narrowboat holiday hire company who have 20 self-drive boats available for weekly or short break holidays and a day hire boat which was providing a free trip along the Oxford canal.
Mark said: “The development of the canal system played a large part in Rugby’s growth in the eighteen century as the Oxford canal passed through Brinklow, Newbold and Hillmorton. As part of a series of open days celebrating our heritage in Rugby, I was pleased to join visitors to a local company which enables modern tourists to see the beautiful countryside around our town. I learnt a great deal about local history and saw a number of vessels from a bygone age.”
Anthony Grantham, Director of Rose Narrowboats said: "Rose Narrowboats were delighted to welcome Mark as one of many Heritage Open Day visitors to our boatyard on the Oxford Canal at Stretton under Fosse."
About one hundred people were able to see historic boats moving along the canal. On view was a pair of traditional working boats built in the 1930s, complete with the cabins from which their crews had lived and worked, an ice-breaker tug, a modern push-tug, the last purpose built canal inspection vessel ever constructed, and a boat displayed out of the water on the slip way.
Two holiday hire boats were open for viewing which attracted a good deal of interest, and most of the visitors chose to take the free boat trip along the canal to experience canal cruising at first hand. A model steam traction engine with ride-on trailer provided free entertainment for children and was an additional interest for many of the visitors.
Anthony continued: “Canals are a living and working heritage, built two hundred years ago to carry the raw materials that fueled the industrial revolution and which are still working as an amenity for hundreds thousands of people each year for canal cruising, walking, angling, and admiring the abundant wildlife supported by the water and surrounding vegetation.
"Canals are important too as a significant contributor to the country's water supply and drainage systems because their construction and use required the construction of a reliable water supply, and many brooks and streams were diverted to supply this vital commodity."