A swing boat, colloquially known as a "shuggy boat" in

Northern England Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North Country, or simply the North, is the northern area of England. It broadly corresponds to the former borders of Angle Northumbria, the Anglo-Scandinavian Kingdom of Jorvik, and the ...

, is a

fairground ride Amusement rides, sometimes called carnival rides, are mechanical devices or structures that move people especially kids to create fun and enjoyment. Rides are often perceived by many as being scary or more dangerous than they actually are. This ...

in which pairs of riders pull ropes to swing back and forth. A similar ride called a

pirate ship Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...

swings in a similar motion but without the rider pulling on ropes. Swing boats were one of the earliest fairground rides, common in the

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...

. The Beamish open-air museum features an example from the 1830s, named "Skylark". The boats were originally powered by hand, but steam-driven versions began to be introduced in the 1880s. Examples of Victorian-style manually-operated swing boats are still popular and are generally seen in traveling "period" fairs.Bridgend County Borough Council, "Families enjoy Bryngarw's Victorian Christmas weekend", 16 Dec 2013
. Accessed 8 January 2014

References

Pendulum rides {{amusement-ride-stub

See also

References