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Water Gypsies: A History of Life on Britain's Rivers and Canals
For centuries, living afloat on Britain’s waterways has been a rich part of the fabric of our social history, from the fisherfolk of ancient Britain to the bohemian houseboat dwellers of the 1950s and beyond.

Whether they have chosen to leave the land behind and take to the water or been driven there by necessity, the history of the houseboat is a unique and fascinating seam of British history.

In Water Gypsies, Julian Dutton – who was born and grew up on a houseboat – traces the evolution of boat-dwelling, from an industrial phenomenon in the heyday of the canals to the rise of life afloat as an alternative lifestyle in postwar Britain.

Drawing on personal accounts and with a beautiful collection of illustrations, Water Gypsies is both a vivid narrative of a unique way of life and a valuable addition to social history.

"1139103736"
Water Gypsies: A History of Life on Britain's Rivers and Canals
For centuries, living afloat on Britain’s waterways has been a rich part of the fabric of our social history, from the fisherfolk of ancient Britain to the bohemian houseboat dwellers of the 1950s and beyond.

Whether they have chosen to leave the land behind and take to the water or been driven there by necessity, the history of the houseboat is a unique and fascinating seam of British history.

In Water Gypsies, Julian Dutton – who was born and grew up on a houseboat – traces the evolution of boat-dwelling, from an industrial phenomenon in the heyday of the canals to the rise of life afloat as an alternative lifestyle in postwar Britain.

Drawing on personal accounts and with a beautiful collection of illustrations, Water Gypsies is both a vivid narrative of a unique way of life and a valuable addition to social history.

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Water Gypsies: A History of Life on Britain's Rivers and Canals

Water Gypsies: A History of Life on Britain's Rivers and Canals

Water Gypsies: A History of Life on Britain's Rivers and Canals
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Water Gypsies: A History of Life on Britain's Rivers and Canals

Water Gypsies: A History of Life on Britain's Rivers and Canals

Overview

For centuries, living afloat on Britain’s waterways has been a rich part of the fabric of our social history, from the fisherfolk of ancient Britain to the bohemian houseboat dwellers of the 1950s and beyond.

Whether they have chosen to leave the land behind and take to the water or been driven there by necessity, the history of the houseboat is a unique and fascinating seam of British history.

In Water Gypsies, Julian Dutton – who was born and grew up on a houseboat – traces the evolution of boat-dwelling, from an industrial phenomenon in the heyday of the canals to the rise of life afloat as an alternative lifestyle in postwar Britain.

Drawing on personal accounts and with a beautiful collection of illustrations, Water Gypsies is both a vivid narrative of a unique way of life and a valuable addition to social history.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780750995597
Publisher: The History Press
Publication date: 07/01/2021
Pages: 176
Product dimensions: 6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Julian Dutton was born and grew up on a Chelsea houseboat. He has worked as a writer & actor for over 30 years, mainly in TV & Radio script-writing and performing, and has won a BAFTA, a British Comedy Award, and a Radio Academy Gold Award. Among his credits is the BBC2/Netflix comedy Pompidou, which he created & performed with Matt Lucas. He has written articles for the Sunday Times, the Independent on Sunday, and the London Evening Standard.

Table of Contents

Foreword Samuel West 13

Introduction 15

1 Into the Wilderness 21

Ancient Beginnings

Pre-History to AD400

Celtic & Roman Britain

Worship of Rivers

Fisherfolk

Roman Canals

River Traders, The Earliest Houseboat Dwellers

The Thames and its Tributaries

The Foundation of Londinium

Evolution of the Boat from Coracle to Clinker Built

The First Inland Waterways Vessels

Life of a Liveaboard in Ancient Times

2 Wherever a Duck Goes: River Dwelling AD 400-1750 41

Riverside Life

Inns

Challenge of Weirs and Mills

The Life of Boat Dwellers

Improvements of River Navigation

Medieval Prosperity

Evolution of the 'houseboat' from Wide River Barge to Canal Narrowboat

Beginnings of Life on the Canals

3 The Canal Age: 1750-1900 63

Expansion of River Trade

Extensions of, and Links Between, Rivers

Condition of Roads

Blossoming of Canal Mania Creating a Floating Subculture of Population

Appearance of the Big Haulage Companies, Pickfords, Rocks, Etc

Possible Romany Origins of Canal Folk

Life and Conditions for Liveaboard Families of the Nineteenth Century

Coming of the Railways

Social Campaigners

George Smith and the Canal Act

Lore and Culture of Narrowboat Folk

The Houseboat in Literature

Rob Rat, R.L. Stevenson

Growth of Leisure Boating

George Dunlop Leslie's Our River, Jerome K. Jerome's Three Men in a Boat, Etc.

Steam Launches and Expansion of Coastal Trade

4 Twilight of the Traders: 1900-1945 109

Declining Years of Rivers and Canals as Trade Routes

Dominance of the Road

Beginnings of Houseboat Living as a Lifestyle Choice

Notable Houseboat Dwellers

A.P. Herbert's Water Gipsies

Houseboats and War: The River Emergency Service

How the Second World War Affected River and Canal Life

Houseboats and Dunkirk

D-Day

The Future

5 An Alternative Society: 1945-2020 141

Living Afloat as a Lifestyle Choice in Post-War Britain

Transition of Working Marinas to Residential Communities

Nationalisation of the Canals

The Place of the Houseboat in Culture

Novels, Films

The Horse's Mouth, the Bargee, the Naked Truth, Hancock's Half Hour

The Houseboat in Fiction

Penelope Fitzgerald's Novel Offshore

6 A New Life: The Present 161

Current Status of Houseboat Living

Renaissance as a Result of Economic Pressures on the Housing Market

Threats to the Way of Life

New Designs and Odd Designs

The Future

Select Bibliography 167

Acknowledgements 169

Illustrations 169

Index 171

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