Waterways Heritage Symposium

Three speakers share their knowledge of different aspects of Yorkshire’s waterways heritage. Talk 1: 1pm Life as a Yorkshire ‘waterman’ Life on Yorkshire’s waterways during the late 19th/early 20th centuries was gruelling, especially for those working on sailing sloops and keels. This presentation examines the trials and tribulations of one such individual, George Wood of North Frodingham, the skipper of an East Yorkshire keel. He worked the waterways for 55 years and was a key element of the economic life of his home village, providing both the essentials of life, especially coal, and transporting the produce of the surrounding area to market. Gruelling the work may have been, but he proved