Waterways

Description

Waterways in their many forms reveal a fascinating history and today represent one of our most precious resources. This book tells the story of the water’s journey, from the mythical connections of the dowser, and the humble spring or well, to the formal water gardens and moated castles of the aristocracy. Along the way we learn about the engineering feats of the earliest canal-builders, the colourful communities that grew up around the watermills, and how rivers powered the industrial revolution (and gave us our first taste of large-scale pollution). The book also describes the particular plant, tree, bird and insect species native to waterways, and explores the powerful link between water and words, through both the author’s own poetry and the writings of others who have been inspired by water.

How to manage a finite resource upon which our lives depend has been an issue with which man has grappled throughout history. In the developed world we may no longer be fighting cholera but we are still facing other environmental challenges, such as rising sea levels and the threat of flood, while learning how to harness the power of water to produce hydro-electricity as an alternative energy supply.

Beautifully illustrated with contemporary colour photography, fascinating archive images and artworks from leading wildlife illustrator Bryn Edwards, Waterways takes stock of the state of our streams, rivers and canals in the early 2000s and looks forward to a time when we might embrace a deeper cultural, spiritual and environmental understanding of this life-giving force.