Archivist's canoeing discovery sparks interest in re-tracing route on Shropshire Union Canal
An archivist from Shropshire has been inspired by a ‘find’ in the county’s archives to recreate a canoe voyage along the Shropshire Union Canal.
The voyage was first navigated in 1867, named the ‘Log of the Gnat’, and was made by a Shropshire vicar and his three sons from Gnosall in Staffordshire to Bunbury in Cheshire.
Sal Mager, who is a keen canoeist and archivist, made the discovery in the county's archives – run by Shropshire Council – which gave an account of the expedition.
Now, she is re-tracing the route and will share her experiences and the history behind the original adventure at a talk called Paddle Your Own Canoe at Shropshire Archives.
Sal said:“This account really captured my imagination because I enjoy canoeing and the journey was undertaken at the time when canoeing for pleasure was a new phenomenon.
“I am re-tracing their route and enjoying comparing their descriptions of places they see along the way, although I’m not able to take advantage of the family connections they had to stay in the grand houses of the time.
“It was fascinating to read the social history surrounding the trip and I got more invested in that too as I read more.
“The Log of the Gnat is a diary written by 18-year-old William Egerton Garnett-Botfield, the son of Reverend William Bishton Garnett-Botfield about the journey they made with William’s two younger brothers, Alfred Stanton Garnett-Botfield and Walter Dutton Garnett-Botfield.
“They embarked on the trip around six months after their mother passed away and I couldn’t help wondering whether their father was making an extra effort to give them some quality time after what must have been a quite devastating loss for them, to give them something positive to focus on in the summer holidays.”
Tickets to Sal's talk cost £5. The event will take place between 2pm and 4pm on Saturday, August 5.
Sal added: “I am hoping we will see canal enthusiasts, fans of local history and fellow canoeists in the audience.
"They can have a go at reading the original manuscripts which will be on display along with other related travel journals and books.”
