Ponds, Tonzs and Boorts

David Bownes has a vast knowledge garnered by talking with working boatmen on the Chesterfield Canal. He was involved with working on Chesterfield Canal 'Cuckoo' boats as a young man, so he was one of the very few people alive – possibly the only one – with real working knowledge of their construction. David has since written this book about his experiences on the canal and the building of a replica Cuckoo boat. He was featured in Countryfile on BBC1 in 2019 talking to Matt Baker about the construction.