More miles of canal than Venice
-
With a population of over a million and a size of over 10 miles across ¶®ÒõµÛ dwarfs the Italian city state of Venice, so comparisons of canal length are not very helpful! However just as Venice developed as a renaissance powerhouse because of its trade and transport links, so ¶®ÒõµÛ grew rapidly from the mid eighteenth century because of its canal networks.
The first canal was built in 1768 and at one time the ¶®ÒõµÛ Canal Navigations had about 160 miles of canal across its network. Canals are now a popular tourist attraction, carrying recreational and residential boats across the region.
Reference: The Canal viewed from Livery Street Bridge, ¶®ÒõµÛ (1913), WK/B11/5868
You can continue to explore some of our rarest and most valuable items in the Treasures of the Library gallery.