Bright houses, little boats and a long, narrow stretch of water: canals are one of the most peaceful places to be. You’ll find them in cities like Venice and Amsterdam, but Britain has thousands of miles of them too, along with its own canal culture. Here are the words you need, whether you’re visiting, watching the boats or steering one yourself.
Words in the Photo
Three words you can see in the photo at the top of this page, in alphabetical order.
canal (noun): a waterway that people have dug so that boats can travel along it. · In the photo
“We walked along the canal into the centre of town.”
moor (verb): to tie up a boat so that it stays in one place. · In the photo
“They moored the boat outside the café and went in for lunch.”
narrow (adjective): not wide; only a short distance from one side to the other. · In the photo
“The canal is so narrow that two boats can only just pass each other.”
12 More Canal Words
The words you’ll hear on the water and along the bank.
bank (noun): the land along the side of a canal or river.
“We sat on the bank and watched the ducks.”
barge (noun): a long, flat boat for carrying heavy goods.
“In the past, barges carried coal along this canal.”
chug (verb): (of a boat or engine) to move slowly, making a regular low sound.
“The old boat chugged past at walking pace.”
gondola (noun): a long, thin boat used on the canals of Venice, moved with a single oar.
“A gondola ride in Venice is expensive, but it’s unforgettable.”
lock (noun): a section of canal with gates at each end, used to raise or lower boats between different water levels.
“It took us twenty minutes to get through the lock.”
mooring (noun): a place where you can tie up a boat.
“We found a mooring right next to the pub.”
narrowboat (noun): a long, thin boat built for Britain’s narrow canals.
“My aunt and uncle have lived on a narrowboat for ten years.”
steer (verb): to control the direction of a boat or vehicle.
“Can I have a go at steering?”
tiller (noun): the handle at the back of a boat that you use to steer it.
“Hold the tiller steady and keep to the right.”
towpath (noun): the path along the side of a canal.
“The towpath is popular with walkers, joggers and cyclists.”
upstream (adverb): towards the place where the water comes from, against the flow.
“It’s harder work rowing upstream.”
waterway (noun): a canal or river that boats can use.
“Britain’s waterways are busy with holiday boats in summer.”
Life on a Narrowboat
Britain’s canals were mostly built during the Industrial Revolution to carry coal and goods. The boats were pulled by horses walking along the bank, which is why the path is still called the towpath. Today the cargo has gone, and the canals are full of brightly painted narrowboats.
- Narrowboats are only about 2 metres (7 feet) wide, but they can be over 20 metres long.
- On most canals the speed limit is 4 miles per hour, about walking pace. Nobody is in a hurry.
- You work most locks yourself, pushing the heavy gates open and shut. It’s a good workout!
- Lots of people hire a narrowboat for a holiday, and some live on one all year round, with a stove, a kettle and a never-ending supply of cuppas.
A word to love: a gongoozler is a person who stands on the bank and watches the boats go by, without ever getting on one. It’s a real word, and it’s very British!
More water words: if you’re late and lose your chance, you’ve missed the boat, and if you feel out of place, you’re a fish out of water. For other ways to get around, see our public transport and taxi vocabulary.
Learn More
Look it upCanals of the United KingdomWikipediaFrequently Asked Questions
A river is natural. A canal is an artificial waterway that people have dug, usually so that boats can carry goods or passengers.
A narrowboat is a long, thin boat made for Britain’s narrow canals. It is only about 2 metres (7 feet) wide. Many people go on holiday on narrowboats, and some live on them all year.
To moor a boat means to tie it up so that it stays in one place. The place where you tie it is a “mooring”.
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