Horse drawn canal boats had to be legged through the tunnels on the Grand Union canal. This entailed laying on your back on wings or planks sticking out from each side of the bows of the boat and pushing it along with your legs. Meanwhile someone, usually one of the children, walked the horse over the top of the tunnel.
Legging was often done in the dark or with little more than a candle in a jar. As water dripped from the roof of the tunnel, the candles often went out. This oil lamp is a very rare survival, specially made for the job. It provided a good forward light and small windows in the sides provided illumination for the legers. It is also a rare survivor of waterway art. It is still in full working order.
After diesel engines became common in the 1930s, legging became a thing of the past.
