Fast forward a few hundred years and we’d developed a few more options- steamboats gave us machine-powered transport on the water and freight railroad systems started to make it possible to move goods quicker and in larger quantities across land. 

But as a Brummie, born and bred, it’s the canals that interest me most. In my neck of the woods, we’ve a network of 35 miles of canals – that’s more than Venice apparently! The canals were built mostly in the 1700s and 1800s, as a way to transport goods more efficiently.

And it worked.

For over 100 years the canals connected cities, mines and key manufacturing locations, giving people a reliable way to transport goods without relying on horsepower. By the end of the 19th century, nearly 8.5 million tonnes of goods were carried through our canals each year. But canals are costly to maintain, and rail freight was fast, cheaper and more efficient. So over time, the canals became redundant and slowly fell into disrepair. 

Today they’re no longer used commercially, but if you ever fancy a quirky short break you can hire a narrowboat and spend a few days cruising the canals yourself. Just be sure the learn how to do the locks first… 

It’s hard to imagine a world without machines, electricity, computers and vehicles now. Today there’s over 50,000 cargo ships in the world. Each year 11 billion tons of goods are moved by sea freight. We’d need around 750 million horses to carry all that… (assuming I’ve done my maths right!?!) Back when Nelly was still pulling all the carts around, do you think people could have imagined a future like this? I doubt it… 

With AI and robots just around the corner, I wonder what the world of freight transport will look like in the next 100, 200 or 500 years – what do you think?

I’d love to hear your predictions…