towpath
Sign in to savethumb|right|A towpath in use on the Finow Canal in Germany thumb|People towing a vessel in the Netherlands in 1931 thumb|Mules pulling a boat on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal thumb|A roving bridge on the English [[Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal. The towpath changes to the other side of the canal but the horse does not have to be unhitched.]] thumb|A towpath cut into the rock beside the Lot (river)|Lot river in southwest France thumb|"Towboats Along the Yotsugi-dōri Canal" from Hiroshige's "[[One Hundred Famous Views of Edo" series, a depiction of a towpath in rural Tokyo, mid-19th cent
Article
9 sectionsContents
- History
- Modern usage
- Britain
- China
- List of towpaths
- See also
- References
- Bibliography
- External links
thumb|right|A towpath in use on the Finow Canal in Germany thumb|People towing a vessel in the Netherlands in 1931 thumb|Mules pulling a boat on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal thumb|A roving bridge on the English [[Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal. The towpath changes to the other side of the canal but the horse does not have to be unhitched.]] thumb|A towpath cut into the rock beside the Lot (river)|Lot river in southwest France thumb|"Towboats Along the Yotsugi-dōri Canal" from Hiroshige's "[[One Hundred Famous Views of Edo" series, a depiction of a towpath in rural Tokyo, mid-19th century.]]
A towpath is a road or trail on the bank of a river, canal, or other inland waterway. The purpose of a towpath is to allow a land vehicle, beasts of burden, or a team of human pullers to tow a boat, often a barge. This mode of transport was common where sailing was impractical because of tunnels and bridges, unfavorable winds, or the narrowness of the channel.