The peatlands created an intricate infrastructure of waterways, which were crucial for peat transport, drainage, and the transport of other products needed up North. And these waterways continue to play a role of importance to this day, although things have changed. The peat industry in the North saw the creation of almost 700 kilometers of waterways. Digging the canals and ditches with nothing more than a shovel was hard work that was mainly done in spring and autumn.
