Gongoozler canals & Art Photos

What is Gongoozler?
First of all I will tell you the meaning of the word Gongoozler, if you are not familiar with it. If someone ask you, Are you a Gongoozler? Then do not get stunned as Gongoozler is a person who enjoys watching activity on the canals in the United Kingdom. The word is actually used for people who love to watch and observe lakes and canals or a person who takes special interest on canals and lakes, but do not actively participate.

“Gongoozler” may have been canal workers’ slang for an observer standing apparently idle on the towpath. Although it was certainly used derisively in the past there is only very mild derision attached to the term today, and it is regularly used, perhaps with a little irony, by gongoozlers to describe themselves and their hobby.

Though it is assumed that the word Gongoozler is derived from the Lincolnshire dialect gawn and gooze means stare and gape in nineteenth century, but the word earns the recorded value only at the end of nineteenth or on the early stage of twentieth century when late L.T.C. Rolt used the word in his book Narrow Boat, in 1944 which was a description of the canal life.

Gongoozler artwork

The collection or creation of canal related artwork is a common pastime amongst gongoozlers. This includes paintings, postcards and photographs.

The notable location for gongoozlin are Fradley Junction, Staircase locks, Foxton Locks, Rochdale Canal in Manchester city centre, Falkirk Wheel, Fonserannes on the Canal du Midi and Languedoc.

Staircase locks is a very popular amongst gongoozlers, making Foxton Locks an ideal location for gongoozling. Second very large numbers of gongoozlers attracts place is The Falkirk Wheel.

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