For centuries, Britain’s waterways were the vital arteries of a rapidly industrializing nation; an ingenious solution to the difficulty of transporting heavy goods between cities, factories and ports. By the 1960s, however, the rich culture of those living and working in boats on the canals had all but disappeared. The slow decline began with the emergence of the railways in the 1830s. The waterways became unprofitable, poorly maintained and increasingly unnavigable. The unique, nomadic way of life on the canals looked as if it would pass quietly into history.

Today, however, the canals are thriving. With the official recognition of their use for leisure in 1968, the canals found a new generation of enthusiasts. The long, thin “narrow boats” that had once ferried coal, raw materia...