Old Boathouse on Lancaster Canal, Aldcliffe Road, Lancaster, Lancashire
This boathouse was built in c1833 for the Lancaster Canal Company. It was built for the accommodation and repair of the 'fast packet boats'. The railways had posed a new threat to the canals and so a new passenger service using 'fast packet boats' was introduced in 1833. There were four vessels used on this service - the first and best known was the "Water Witch". She could carry 120 passengers, and the packet boats cut the journey time between Preston and Kendal from 14 hours to 7 hours 15 minutes hours. The passengers usually changed boats at the Tewitfield locks to save time. The boats were pulled at 10 mph by two horses, which were changed every four or five miles at stables along the route - some still exist. The fast packet boats had precedence on the canal and any boat which did not give way risked having its towing line cut. The second horse was ridden by a boy who would sound a horn to warn other vessels of their approach. This boathouse is a unique feature of the Lancaster Canal.
