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Treasures of the towpath
by Rolf Augustin
They were forged of brass, yet prized as gold. They gleamed wherever the eye
could see. To the narrowboat families that plied the inland waterways in the tow-horse days
of yesteryear, they were lovingly known as “bright bits”. Along with the colourful roses and castles, lace plates and Measham teapot that
adorned each tiny cabin, bright bits proclaimed the proud independence and
enduring self-reliance that so defined the closely knit boat community.
Included among these cherished possessions were the oil lamp and bracket, stove
guard and drying rail, “h’ornaments” such as brass bed knobs inside the hatches and miniature hand tools, horse
brasses on the walls and in the crock cupboard, porthole trim, chimney rings
and safety chain, as well as the facepiece, breastplate, rosettes and other
brass trappings of the tow harness.
Harness decorations were in fact the most numerous. Despite onrush of the Industrial Revolution, the 19th century had remained
largely an age of horsepower.
Saddlers and harness makers flourished, as did the foundries producing horse
brasses and related accessories. Demand for such decorations became widespread, and the sight of shining brass on
farms, country roads and city streets was mirrored on the towpath.
Until the early 1880s most horse brasses were sand castings executed in bold,
simple shapes such as crescents, sun discs, stars, shields, hides and hearts. These were believed to bring good luck and, for some, to protect against the
mythical “Evil Eye”. Thereafter castings grew more detailed and sophisticated. In addition, die-tooled stampings from heavy sheet-brass were introduced.
The variety of patterns was
Given their meagre subsistence and stress-riven life, it follows that the family’s precious brightwork greatly nourished their confidence and sense of
well-being.
Keeping everything polished was a daily ritual, if not a religion. In Victorian times coal dust, spit and water were used, often with such zeal
that surface detail on the brass was rubbed away.
But faster and less abrasive commercial cleaners were finally marketed—Brasso in 1905 and Bluebell in 1908—to the everlasting delight of all who wielded the cloth.
Where did it go, this floating treasure trove of bright bits so endearingly
tended for so long?
As Number Ones were inexorably forced off the canals, first by the 19th century
railroads and then by the 20th century lorries, their brassware was either
transferred to homes on the bank or sold to pay debts.
The rich heritage that had once been a shining metaphor for family glory sadly
lost relevance. Through succeeding generations and decades, it gradually
dispersed into the winds of changing times, world wars and blurring memory.
Whether any single item actually served on the waterways, be it oil lamp or
horse amulet, is therefore difficult to determine unless it bears an
inscription.
Two intaglio-lettered examples of specific canal provenance are illustrated—a double facepiece worn by tow horses for the Leeds & Liverpool Canal Co., and a bridle rosette belonging to Charles Eccleston & Co., the Walsall-based coal merchants and carriers for the Birmingham Canal
Navigations.
Also vested with traceable history is the hand-engraved brass owned by
Ann Newth of Hilperton Marsh Wharf, a coal depot on the Kennet & Avon Canal.
Today, artifacts like these are mostly found in museums and private collections.
There is one notable exception. The waterway credentials of old chimney safety
chains can never be in doubt. Shimmering like gold exclamation points against their black chimneys, they were
unique to canal boats and used nowhere else.
Happily, whilst these chains remain in modern production and are readily
purchased from marine chandlers, the early hand-cut examples are easy to
distinguish.
The oldest consisted solely of linked brass rings. Later ones featured diamond, heart, club and spade patterns fashioned from thin
sheet-brass.
Especially popular after the Second World War were chains assembled using the
brass strap clips from discarded army field kits.
For all designs, it was customary to attach a large horse brass onto the end. This prevented a loose chimney funnel from pulling its safety chain through the
retaining fixture on the collar—and falling overboard—when the boat would pass under a low-arching bridge or tree branch.
Arguably the most distinctive of all canal bright bits, old chimney chains may
still be encountered languishing in the dim recesses of antique shops.
Should you be so fortunate as to discover one, please rescue it from further
obscurity without delay! When polished it will make a wonderful wall or fireplace decoration and most
certainly add splendour to any room in your home.
Perhaps more importantly, you will also have the satisfaction of preserving an
icon of honoured waterway history.
Chimney safety chain, c.1946, assembled from brass strap clips used on the
canvas field kits issued to British troops during the Second World War. The clips were salvaged from huge postwar rag piles outside the paper mills,
where surplus military canvas was being dumped and narrowboats were still
delivering coal. The attached sun disc guarded against loss of the loose chimney funnel when it
was removed to clear an overhead obstacle.
