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Home » Transport » Inland waterways » Boats and barges

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Llangorse Lake Dark Age boat shortly after discovery in 1925
  • The boat known as a 'trow' had more in common with a trough than just its appearance: the Anglo-Saxon name for a hollowed out vessel or container was 'trog', the origin of both trow and trough. The trow began and ended its existence as a simple, 'inland' cargo vessel, suited to use on the shallow waters of the rivers Severn and Wye. During its heyday the trow took on two distinct forms, one remaining as the basic, river barge with single, square, sail and open hull, the other developing the capacity to sail in the open, treacherous waters of the Bristol Channel and beyond. This more sophisticated vessel took on the character of a true sailing ship, with several sails and a deck to close in the cargo hold. Nevertheless, the trow retained its essential feature - a strong, flat bottom which enabled it to sit on mud-flats and riverbanks for loading and un-loading, regardless of the state of the tide or the depth of water in the river, and without the need for special quaysides or wharves. Both forms of trow continued in use throughout the nineteenth century, but the simple 'up-river' trow could not compete with the railway as a cheap and easy means of delivery between the river towns. By the end of the century, the river trow had disappeared, but the 'estuary trow' developed its sea-going ability in response to the threat from the railways. Source: Display boards, Nelson Museum & Local History Centre.
Wye Bridge and quayside, Monmouth, with trow, c. 1865
  • The boat known as a 'trow' had more in common with a trough than just its appearance: the Anglo-Saxon name for a hollowed out vessel or container was 'trog', the origin of both trow and trough. The trow began and ended its existence as a simple, 'inland' cargo vessel, suited to use on the shallow waters of the rivers Severn and Wye. During its heyday the trow took on two distinct forms, one remaining as the basic, river barge with single, square, sail and open hull, the other developing the capacity to sail in the open, treacherous waters of the Bristol Channel and beyond. This more sophisticated vessel took on the character of a true sailing ship, with several sails and a deck to close in the cargo hold. Nevertheless, the trow retained its essential feature - a strong, flat bottom which enabled it to sit on mud-flats and riverbanks for loading and un-loading, regardless of the state of the tide or the depth of water in the river, and without the need for special quaysides or wharves. Both forms of trow continued in use throughout the nineteenth century, but the simple 'up-river' trow could not compete with the railway as a cheap and easy means of delivery between the river towns. By the end of the century, the river trow had disappeared, but the 'estuary trow' developed its sea-going ability in response to the threat from the railways. Source: Display boards, Nelson Museum & Local History Centre.
Model of a River Wye trow [image 1 of 2]
  • This boat, the Grace Darling was built in 1918. It was one of the last to work the Swansea Canal and was used as a ferry boat taking people to work in canal-side industries. The barge in the photograph is Henry Barnes.
Ferry boat on the Swansea Canal, 1923
Remains of a barge on the Swansea Canal
Swansea Canal trip boat, Pontardawe, 2001