Life and work on the river, an amazing story

Close your eyes and imagine a barge loaded with sand from the Loire chugging gently through the peaceful valley, the bargee at the helm and the family’s washing drying in the breeze….

 

Now go further back in time and imagine a wooden barge gliding through the water, pulled by a horse walking slowly along the towpath. Maybe it’s carrying lime from the Loire to neutralise the acid soil of Brittany, or wood from the interior to fuel the bakehouses of Nantes, or even pinewood posts to be loaded onto brigs and schooners at the port of Redon for use as props in the coal mines of Wales.