7 facts gleaned from the Ladybird book of canals

1. The first canal in England was the Bridgewater Canal between Manchester and Liverpool
2. It cost 5 shillings to transport 1 ton of goods between Manchester and Liverpool when the canal first opened
3. The longest flight of locks in the UK is Tardebigge on the Worcester and Birmingham canal and has 30 locks
4. The longest canal tunnel in England is the Standedge on the Huddersfield narrow canal and is 3 miles long
5. To preserve the oak on early narrow boats Chalico was used to treat the wood, which is made from horse manure, cow hair and tar
6. The first Ordnance Survey map was in 1801
7. The space occupied by the main bed on a narrow boat is called a 'bunkhole'