Horse power pulls a barge along the picturesque Grand Western Canal near the Devon town of Tiverton.

Britain's canals were once the arteries through which raw materials and trade goods were pumped. Today, they form an important part of the UK's vibrant tourism industry. The Grand Western Canal is no exception. The canal's horse-drawn barge has been transporting passengers through the idyllic mid-Devon countryside since 1974. Watch one of the very first trips now!

Originally opened in 1814, the Grand West Tiverton Canal was formally closed to navigation in 1962. In 1964 it was run by the British Waterways Board and in 1971 Devon County Council stepped in and declared it a Country Park. After renovation and fundraising by the Friends of the Tiverton Canal, on Saturday 11 July 1974 the horse-drawn barge the 'Tivertonian' enjoyed an inaugural trip from Tiverton to Sampford Peverell. The canal was also damaged by the heavy rainfall of November 2012 and underwent further renovation.