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A winding hole () is a widened area of a
A winding hole () is a widened area of a canal
Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface ...
(usually in the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
), used for turning a canal boat such as a narrowboat
A narrowboat is a particular type of Barge, canal boat, built to fit the narrow History of the British canal system, locks of the United Kingdom. The UK's canal system provided a nationwide transport network during the Industrial Revolution, b ...
. In sea ports an area for turning ships is usually called a turning basin.
Etymology
The word is commonly believed to derive from the practice of using the wind to assist with the turn. Another etymology, however, is theOld English
Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...
word for turn - "windan", (pronounced with a short I (as in windlass, a handle for winding (long I) gears)). Much UK canal terminology comes from spoken rather than written tradition and from bargees who did not read or write.
It is also possible that the word has a similar derivation to that of the windlass, which derives from the Old Norse
Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...
"vinda" and "ás"—words currently used in Iceland—where the modern word for "windlass" is "vinda".
History
Because the average width of a canal channel (about 30' to 40' feet) is less than the length of a full-size narrow boat (72'), it is not usually possible to turn a boat in the canal. Winding holes are typically indentations in the off-side (non- towpath side) of the canal, allowing sufficient space to turn the boat.Use
A winding hole consists of a "notch" in the canal bank. A turning boat inserts its bow into the notch and swings the stern round. In the days of horse-drawn boats, this was accomplished using bargepoles.See also
* Turning basin * Canals of the United Kingdom * History of the British canal systemReferences
{{DEFAULTSORT:Winding Hole Water transport infrastructure Canals