Swing boat

People on a swing boat at Carter's Steam Fair, Prospect Park

A swing boat, colloquially known as a "shuggy boat" in the north east of England, is a fairground ride in which pairs of riders pull ropes to swing back and forth.[1] A similar ride called a pirate ship swings in a similar motion but without the rider pulling on ropes.

Swing boats were one of the earliest fairground rides, common in the Victorian era.[2][3] The Beamish open-air museum in the north of England features an example from the 1830s, named "Skylark". The boats were originally powered by hand, but steam-driven versions began to be introduced in the 1880s.[4]

In southern areas of the country they used a strange term known as "swing boats". This term was mainly used in Colchester

Examples of Victorian-style manually-operated swing boats are still popular and are generally seen in travelling "period" fairs.[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "All the Fun of the Fair". BBC Cymru. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
  2. ↑ Carters Steam Fair: Swingboats. Accessed 8 January 2014
  3. ↑ Ruth Goodman, Victorian Farm, Pavilion Books, 2009. ISBN 978-1-86205-871-2. p 68. Accessed 8 January 2014
  4. ↑ Dingles Fairground Heritage Centre - Swings and Roundabouts. Accessed 8 January 2014
  5. ↑ Bridgend County Borough Council, "Families enjoy Bryngarw's Victorian Christmas weekend", 16 Dec 2013. Accessed 8 January 2014


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