Editing Narrowboat (section)

===Painted decoration===

[[File:Narrowboat decoration.jpg|thumb|right|Decoration on a traditional English narrowboat: roses on the water can (top) and castles on the open doors to the cabin]]

By the end of the 19th century it was common practice to paint roses and castles on narrow boats and their fixtures and fittings. Common sites include the doors to the cabin, the water can or barrel and the side of the boat along with ornate lettering giving the boat's name and owner. This tradition did not happen in ''all'' regions, the [[Chesterfield Canal]] being one waterway where narrow boats never bore such decorations.<ref>Richardson, Christine (2006). ''Chesterfield History Nuggets''. Richlow Histories. {{ISBN|0-9552609-1-4}}</ref>

The origin of the roses and castles found on canal boats is unclear. The first written reference to them appears to be in an 1858 edition of the magazine ''[[Household Words]]'' in one of a series of articles titled "On the Canal", showing that the art form must have existed by this date. For some time, a popular suggestion was that it had some form of [[Romani people|Romani]] origin; however, there does not appear to be a significant link between the Romani and boating communities. Other suggestions include transfer of styles from the clock-making industry (in particular the decoration on the face), the [[japanning]] industry or the pottery industry. There is certainly a similarity in style and a geographical overlap, but no solid proof of a link. There are similar styles of folk art in [[Scandinavia]], Germany, [[Turkey]] and [[Bangladesh]].

In the 18th century, similar [[Netherlands|Dutch]] [[Hindeloopen]] paintwork would only have been a sailing barge journey away from the Thames. There is also an article in the Midland Daily Telegraph of 22 July 1914 that credits the practice of painting of water cans, at least, to a Mr Arthur Atkins.

While the practice declined as commercial use of the canals dwindled, it has seen something of a revival in recent times with the emergence of leisure boating. Narrowboat decoration with roses and castle themes is a common sight on today's canals, although these may utilise cheaper printed vinyl transfers in place of the traditional craft of hand-painted designs.