as Glasgow and Cardiff. Other industries developed as the canal was used more. Timber-related industries such as charcoal burning and hoop-making were common; shipbuilding, gas and chemical works, rail engineering works, and paper manufacturing activities also provided employment. In the 1800s there was a substantial shipbuilding industry at Ulverston, building wooden sailing ships which were strongly constructed to carry local ore rock cargoes. An example of an Ulverston ship is the barquentine Gaerwen of 249 tons, built in 1878 and later trading from Salcombe. Decline The opening of the Furness Railway in 1846 seriously damaged the profitability of the canal, which was eventually bought by the railway company. The rise of Barrow-in-Furness as a deep-water port also saw a decline in trade. After 1878, no ships were built in Ulverston. The canal was used commercially until the First World War and was officially abandoned at the end of the Second World War. It has since been maintained by Ulverston town council, who maintain a walkway on its eastern side. Its western side is still industrialised, with a large GlaxoSmithKline factory (built on the site of the former iron works and paper mills). Glaxo bought the canal from the town council in 1974 and used it as an emergency water reserve. In 2009, GlaxoSmithKline reviewed their operations at Ulverston and later sold the canal to Ulverston Canal Company, a company set up to manage the asset. This is a subsidiary of NPL Estates Ltd, which specialises in land management. A Trust has also been set up by GlaxoSmithKline, to ensure that funds are available for the canal's management, maintenance, and preservation. Points of interest See also Canals of Great Britain History of the British canal system Bibliography References Canals in Cumbria Ulverston Canals opened in 1796 1796 establishments in England