Erewash Canal Trail Part 2 –Ilkeston to Trent Lock
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Erewash Canal Trail Part 2 –Ilkeston to Trent Lock Easy Trail Please be aware that the grading of this trail was set according to normal water levels and good environmental conditions. Environmental conditions can change the nature of the trail within a short space of time. Please check weather and water level/conditions before heading out. This route has been developed in partnership with the Canal & River Trust, and is Part 2 of a 2 part trail covering the complete Erewash Canal. There are also two shorter out-and-back routes removing the need for a shuttle vehicle. Distance: 6.5 Miles Approximate Time: 1-2 hours (although a whole day can easily be spent exploring the lake) The time has been estimated based on you travelling 3 – 5mph (a leisurely pace using a recreational type of boat). Waterways Travelled: Erewash Canal Type of Water: Suburban canal Portages and Locks: 6 locks Nearest Towns: Ilkeston, Sandiacre, Long Eaton Start: Gallows Inn Fields, Nottingham Road, Ilkeston, DE7 5BP (SK 475 403) Finish: Trent Lock, Lock Lane, Long Eaton, NG10 2FY (SK 490 312) O.S. Sheets: OL 260 Nottingham or LR 129 Route Summary Nottingham & Loughborough License Information: A license is required to The Erewash Canal tracks along the border of paddle on this waterway. Full details below. Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, meandering through the countryside, and round the edges of the area’s towns Local Facilities: Pubs and cafes at the end of the and villages. In some parts urban, some parts rural, the route. Public toilets at Trent Lock canal plots a course through the area’s natural and cultural heritage. This trail covers the top section of the canal, heading from the village of Langley Mill through to Ilkeston as it passes through the Erewash Valley, which Page 1 of 6 provides a green lung for the towns of the two counties. Popular with walkers, horse riders and cyclists, the Erewash Canal also makes for an excellent paddle, combining countryside views with urban heritage. Start Directions There is a large, free public car at Gallow’s Inn Playing Fields at Ilkeston – take the road opposite the Gallows Inn pub (DE7 5BP, SK 475 403). From here there is a gap in the fence connecting to the tow path and an entry to the water. Finish Directions Unless completing the trail as an out and back route a shuttle will be required to Trent Lock (NG10 2FY, SK 490 312). There is a large free car park at the lock, by the Trent Lock pub – though on very busy weekends this can fill up. Description When setting off from Gallows Inn paddle with the tow path to your left. The trail skirts the playing fields, the River Erewash meandering out of sight just past the sports pitches. As the canal turns to the right, the first lock is reached. Hallam Fields Lock (No 66) is an easy portage – but beware of some rough edges on the banking. The industrial estate opposite the lock represents the beginning of a huge area that was Stanton Ironworks. Established in the 1700s, the works were once Ilkeston’s main employer. After a steady slow down, the site’s final closure came in 2007. Some areas of the vast site have already been redeveloped, with plans for housing and country parks on much of the rest of the site. The Erewash Canal skirts the site, but look out for a small widening of the canal, before reaching the next lock – not a winding hole, this was the junction with the Nutbrook Canal. Built to service the collieries at Shipley, the Nutbrook Canal was beset with issues, suffering from water management problems, subsidence and, finally, the competition of the railway. Much of the canal was closed in 1895, but the final 1.5 miles, through the Stanton site, remained in use until the 1950s – though this is difficult to believe from the tiny stump in evidence today. The route can now be walked or cycled, and is known as the Nutbrook Trail. After passing Stanton Lock (No65), an easy portage with low banks, the canal passes under the M1 motorway. The Nottingham to Chesterfield railway line passes less than a mile away from here, so the area marks three generations in the history of the UK transport network. If the current plans come to fruition the HS2 line from Leeds to London will cut through here too – adding another layer to the transport story. After passing the motorway the suburban areas of Ilkeston and Stanton gives way to the open countryside of the Page 2 of 6 Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire border , with views across the fields to the church at Sandiacre. The get-out at Pastures Lock (No 64) is relatively simple, with fairly low banks. However, downstream of the lock the banks can be a little higher – up to 50cm. Walking a little further to the grass bank past the lock approach should enable most paddlers to find a suitable get-in point. After the lock the village of Sandiacre begins to replace the open countryside. The village was once a small, rural settlement, but grew with the development of the textiles industry (partly facilitated by the canal). The development can be seen passing Springfield Mill, an attractive lace mill, built in 1888. The first of several mills lining the canal in its remaining sections through Long Eaton Springfield Mill has now been converted into apartments, securing its future. Although the canal now runs through an urban setting again, it still holds charm, passing by pocket parks and washlands on the River Erewash’s flood plain. The next lock reached is Sandiacre Lock (No 63) – the get-out point being just before the cycle barriers, with the put-in after the lock by the bridge. The canal widens out into a small basin here – it’s a pretty location, and a good place for a picnic or rest stop. The basin is actually the previous convergence point of the Derby & Sandiacre Canal, which was fully closed in 1964, with much of its route now surviving as a Public Footpath. The canal has an active restoration campaign, led by the Derby and Sandiacre Canal Trust. The attractive cottages at the lock were restored and rejuvenated by another canal society, the Erewash Canal Preservation and Development Association (ECP&DA), who also restored the basin at Langley Mill. They are often opened as tea rooms or for events, and are the base for the association. There is more information on these organisations in the useful information section below. The next lock is Dockholme Lock (No 62), which is an easy portage with low banks, after which the trail now enters Long Eaton, passing the town’s textiles mills. In contrast to Springfield Mill this area still feels in the process of decline, rather than rejuvenation – a reminder that much of our industrial heritage still needs to be saved for future generations. Passing Long Eaton Lock (No 61) (another easy, low banked portage), the views open out again to urban greenery, with the lovely West Park – well worth a late break for sandwiches or a snack! After passing the park, the route crosses under a variety of bridges, carrying the roads and railways connecting Nottingham and Derby. Passing Sheetstores Basin on the towpath side the scenery opens up into a final flurry of countryside views for the final ½ mile to Trent Lock. There should be no more portages, but you pass through the Flood Gate, which prevents flooding on the River Trent travelling up the canal into Long Eaton. As a spur from the main network, the Erewash Canal has fewer powered boat movements than other waterways, but as you arrive into Trent Lock there are usually many moored boats. These include a variety of impressive floating homes, and dry docks to service boat traffic. When reaching the lock at Trent Lock all that remains is to get off the water. Much of the tow path along the lock is low banked enough to make this simple for most paddlers. Trent Lock itself is a major hub on the Page 3 of 6 waterways network, marking the convergence of the Erewash Canal, the Soar Navigation and the Trent Navigation, carrying goods to and from the Humber and beyond. Now it is an attractive place to finish (or start!) a paddle, with two pubs/restaurants and a tea rooms providing ample refreshment opportunities. This route has been developed in partnership with the Canal & River Trust, and is Part 2 of a 2 part trail covering the complete Erewash Canal. There are also two shorter out-and-back routes removing the need for a shuttle vehicle. Useful Information Facilities at Gallows Inn: There is a pub, recently reopened, next to Gallows Inn Lock. Why Not Try? Facilities at Trent Lock: Canal & River Trust’s There are a variety of places to eat and drink at Trent Lock, waterways offer a range of including: opportunities for activities. - Lock House Tea Rooms - https://www.facebook.com/Lock- From angling to country House-Tea-Rooms-116378565132328/ walks, and from boating - Steam Boat Inn - http://www.steamboattrentlock.co.uk/ holidays to volunteer lock - The Trent Lock Inn – keeping. Visit their website to http://www.vintageinn.co.uk/content/vintage- find out more! inn/en/restaurants/midlands/thetrentlocksawley Both the Derby & Sandicare Canal Trust and ECP&DA put a great deal of work into maintaining, restoring and improving the canal system we paddle today – and in helping create more canals to paddle on in the future. As membership organisations, paddlers can join them (or the Canal & River Trust’s ‘Friends’ scheme) and get involved to help these organisations secure a strong future for our waterways.