Boardwalk
– History:
– Sweet Track built in Somerset, England around 6000 years ago
– Wittmoor bog trackway discovered in Hamburg, Germany from 4th to 7th century AD
– Trackways linked eastern and western shores over swampy bog
– Part of older trackway displayed at Archaeological Museum Hamburg
– Roman Empire period trackway exhibited in Harburg borough
– Duckboards:
– Used in World War I trenches on Western Front to prevent trench foot
– Helped soldiers keep feet dry and move through flooded trenches
– Troops wore hobnail-style trench boots on duckboards
– Falling off duckboards could be dangerous or fatal for soldiers
– Slippery duckboards posed risks during tactical advances
– Gallery:
– Boardwalks in Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
– Wooden boardwalks in Horicon Marsh for passage
– Lambi Beach boardwalk in Kos, Greece
– Boardwalks aid navigation in Pyhä-Luosto National Park, Finland
– Duckboards at Lake Storträsk in Sipoonkorpi National Park, Finland
– References:
– Wikimedia Commons for boardwalk media
– Definitions from Merriam-Webster
– Imperial War Museum reference on laying duckboards in France in 1917
– Articles from The New York Times and Current Archaeology
– Archaeological Museum Hamburg publication on Helms-Museum
– Categories:
– Boardwalks used for hiking and pedestrian infrastructure
– Considered footpaths, footbridges, and garden features
– Various hidden categories on Wikipedia page
– CS1: long volume value noted
– Commons category link available on Wikidata
A boardwalk (alternatively board walk, boarded path, or promenade) is an elevated footpath, walkway, or causeway typically built with wooden planks, which functions as a type of low water bridge or small viaduct that enables pedestrians to better cross wet, muddy or marshy lands. Such timber trackways have existed since at least Neolithic times.
Some wooden boardwalks have had sections replaced by concrete and even "a type of recycled plastic that looks like wood."