towpath

Dictionary: tow·path (tō'păth', -päth') pronunciation

n.
A path along a canal or river used by animals towing boats.

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WordNet: towpath

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The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: a path along a canal or river used by animals towing boats
Synonym: towing path

Wikipedia: Towpath

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This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2007)

Towpath in use.

A towpath on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.

Changeline bridge on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal. The towpath changes to the other side of the canal but the horse does not have to be unhitched

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 due to rapid current,^{[citation needed]} tunnels and bridges, or unfavourable winds.

After the Industrial Revolution, towing became obsolete when engines were fitted on boats and when railway transportation superseded the slow towing method. Since then, many of these towpaths have been converted to multi-use trails. They are still named towpaths although they are not used to tow boats anymore.

Towpaths are popular with cyclists and equestrians (riders and drivers- drivers as a person controlling a horse drawn cart) because they are mostly flat and long. In snowy winters they are popular with cross-country skiers and snowmobile users.

Although historically not designed or used as towpaths, acequia ditch banks also are popular recreational trails.

List of towpaths

External links

Towpath Cycling in the UK

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Translations: Towpath

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - trækvej (ved flod)

Nederlands (Dutch)
jaagpad

Français (French)
n. - chemin de halage

Deutsch (German)
n. - Treidelpfad

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - παρόχθιο μονοπάτι ρυμούλκησης βάρκας κ.λπ. που κινείται σε κανάλι ή ποταμό

Italiano (Italian)
alzaia

Português (Portuguese)
n. - caminho de sirga (m)

Русский (Russian)
(мор.) бочевник, пешеходная дорога по берегу реки

Español (Spanish)
n. - camino de sirga

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - pråm (drag)väg (på kanalbank o.dyl)

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
拉船路, 牵道

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 拉船路, 牽道

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 배를 끄는 길

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 引き船道

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) طريق محاذي لضفه النهر للناس, أو ألحيوانات ألمربوطه بالسفن أو ألزوارق‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮שביל לסוסים גוררי דוברות או סירות (לאורך תעלה/נהר)‬

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Copyrights:

		Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more
		WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. Read more
		Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Towpath". Read more
		Translations. Copyright © 2007, WizCom Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved. Read more

towpath

List of towpaths

See also

External links