Britain's waterways have been part of our heritage for centuries. Mervyn Hancock looks at the National Waterways Museum in Gloucestershire

STROLLING along a canal towpath, while admiring the wildlife and the boats, have you ever wondered why that waterway was made in the first place? Well, you can find out at the National Waterways Museum in Gloucester Docks.

A refurbished museum reopened earlier this year with a new exhibition, called Water Lives, which tells the story of those who have lived, travelled and worked on Britain's changing waterways. It was designed specifically to appeal to today's family audience.

With a collection that spans from the 18th century to the present day, the museum also has four new exciting galleries which give visitors an insight into what it would have been like to live and work on the 3,000 miles of canals and rivers that criss-cross the nation.

The award-winning museum, which is part of the Waterways Trust, is housed in a splendid Victorian warehouse. It charts the fascinating story of Britain's canals through a special collection which has been designated as being of national importance.

From the new reception and shop area, visitors make their way to two new galleries. The Ecology Gallery is devoted to the wildlife and ecology that can be found along our canals and rivers. This area unveils a whole world of wildlife that lives on and in our inland waterways.

Move It is a totally redesigned interactive space that explains how the canals were built and operated and how the engineering pioneers of their day overcame the technological difficulties to create a national transport network on water.

From the ground-floor galleries, visitors can access the external display areas and floating exhibits. On the first floor, the museum opens up to reveal a newly created series of displays, each continuing the narrative of how people worked, moved and lived on the waterways. A separate display area on the first floor is devoted to local stories – real-life accounts and experiences which bring Gloucester's rich heritage to life.

The River Severn is treacherous and with the second highest tide in the world (a range of about 16 metres) many sea-going ships were unwilling to navigate the treacherous estuary with its shifting sands and tides.

With the opening of the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal (a canal that took 34 years to complete) Gloucester was able to deal with new trade – wood from the Baltic, corn direct from Ireland and the Mediterranean and wine and fruit from Portugal.

All the warehouses in the docks were built between 1826 and 1873 – today they are all listed buildings and Gloucester Docks is known as a major conservation area.

For more than 300 years, hundreds of thousands of people were involved in the design, construction and use of 2,000 miles of inland waterways which criss-cross the UK. The invention and development of canals and an inland waterway network made Britain the first industrialised super-power in the world. They were used to transport food produce and raw materials across the country, bringing work and affluence to thousands of people.

Gloucester Docks are still a hive of activity today and you can also take a seat and watch the many different boats that use the waterways for both pleasure and work in the 21st century.

You could take a 45-minute boat trip from the museum along the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal, and discover even more about the history of this fascinating transport route with full running commentary. Check the website or the museum reception for sailing times.

Llanthony Warehouse, Gloucester Docks, Gloucester GL1 2EH. Tel: 01452 318200. Website: www.nwm.org.uk

Admission: Adult, £3.95; child, £2.75; family ticket, £12; under-fives free.