Journeys on the Barrow and the Grand Canal

Gerald Potterton’s book is an unusual blend of humour and history. He writes in a very engaging manner of his boat travels on the Grand Canal and River Barrow. The book’s title is a reference to the ‘giants’ who built the canal and he takes the reader through the period of the canal’s construction, of which little detail has escaped his attention. Nor does he confine himself to the waterway itself, there is a potted agricultural and milling history and he includes many entertaining anecdotes of the people he meets along the way.

The writer LTC Rolt, whose book 'Green and Silver' will be well known to many canal users, is mentioned many times and indeed Potterton’s boat is named The Tom Rolt in his honour. This is a book which will greatly appeal to anyone with even the remotest interest in our canals.

In the Wake of Giants was published in October 2008 and is available from the IWAI Shop - Books