Winding hole

A winding hole on the Worcester and Birmingham Canal

A winding hole (/ˈwɪndɪŋ/) is a widened area of a canal (usually in the United Kingdom), used for turning a canal boat such as a narrowboat.

Etymology

Look up winding in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

The word is correctly pronounced 'win-ding', [1] and although commonly believed to derive from the [known] practice of using wind to assist with the turn, no verifiable reference is currently available to support this contention. See "canalworld" [2] for two entirely opposing lines of opinion, neither verifiable. It is notable that the German term for turning a vehicle is "wenden". Much UK canal terminology comes from spoken rather than written tradition and from bargees who did not read or write[3]. The most likely explanation for the correct pronunciation may be found in another canal word "windlass" (win-dlass) which derives [4] from Old Norse "vinda" and "ás", words currently used [5] in Iceland, where the modern word for 'windlass' is "vinda".

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-towpath 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.[6] [7] [8]

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 Waterways 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.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Britain's Waterways. "FAQ".
  2. ↑ http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=7926
  3. ↑ Ramlin Rose. The boatwoman's story OUP Shiela Stewart
  4. ↑ OED
  5. ↑ ISBN 9979-835-20-6
  6. ↑ Hankinson, John (1967). Canal Cruising. Ward Lock. pp. 62–64.
  7. ↑ Marsh, Bryan (1985). The Inland Navigator. Penguin. pp. 140–141. ISBN 0-14-046666-5.
  8. ↑ Yorke, Stan (2003). English Canals Explained. Countryside Books. p. 44. ISBN 1-85306-825-X.
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