Restoration Feature
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Restoration feature As we once again use the reduction in WRG work to take a wider look at projects, Restoration Feature: When the Chesterfield Canal Society Chesterfield Canal (now the Chesterfield Canal Trust) was launched in 1976 with the aim of restoring The restoration back-story: “Starting the derelict 20 miles west of Worksop (the at the beginning” is a subject that’s come up 26 miles from there to the Trent having regularly in these article: it would be really already been rescued from falling into an nice if groups launching a new canal restora- unnavigable state by the activities of the tion scheme could actually begin work where Retford & Worksop Boat Club in the 1960s) it the derelict canal branches leaves the navi- must have seemed like this was an ideal case gable network, and work their way along it for “starting at the beginning”. The first opening up sections as they go. But some- derelict lock, Morse Lock just west of times it doesn’t work out that way: they have Worksop town centre, could be restored, to settle for working wherever they can in the followed by a couple more locks to get to the early days, in the hope that as the project first restoration ‘destination’, the village of progresses they can gradually start to link up Rhodesia, before continuing with the increas- the restored lengths in a more logical way. ingly steep climb to the next village, Shireoaks, and on up towards Norwood Tunnel. Sure, the 2893- yard tunnel itself would be likely to be a sticking point for some time, given its more-or-less com- plete destruction by coal mining and associated subsidence, but for the first six miles to that point it looked very much like a “start at the beginning” restoration. The Trust talked to the canal’s then owners the former British Water- ways (since transformed into the Canal & River Trust), published a document called The Route to Rhodesia, set up a trip-boat on an isolated length of the summit level Tim Lewis as a fund-raiser and source of London WRG carrying out chamber clearance at Wheeldon publicity, secured an agreement Mill Lock 2 in 1991 and (below) the restored lock recently that no developments on the route (such as the new Worksop bypass road) would be allowed to be put any more obstructions in the way of future restoration of this length, and looked forward to starting by reopening Morse Lock. But as so often is the case in the not-terribly-logical seeming world of canal restoration plan- ning, the Chesterfield turned out to be yet another where rather than start from the connection to the navigable network, it made Martin Ludgate Martin page 10 Chesterfield Canal we feature a restoration that’s down to its last eight miles - but they’re tricky ones more sense to begin with an isolated length refusal meant no work happened here for which wasn’t going to be connected up for the first 20 years of the Trust’s existence. many years. Only in this case (unlike, for But on the far side of the Norwood example, the Grantham or Cromford canals) Tunnel in Derbyshire, it was a different mat- it wasn’t technical problems dealing with ter. Never mind that the canal there was in major obstructions of the route that made it much worse condition, a length in Killamarsh difficult to simply start at the beginning; it had recently been filled in and used to build was down to the impossibility of getting any an estate of 17 new houses, the route had kind of agreement from British Waterways to been sold off to various owners, mining allow volunteers to work on restoring Morse subsidence had damaged some lengths, road Lock. And with no sources of funding avail- bridges had been replaced by flat crossings, able to get it done professionally, BW’s flat and it was threatened by the Staveley / Chesterfield Canal Length: 46 miles (12 miles restored, 8 miles left to restore) Locks: originally 65 (2 added, more needed) Date closed: between 1907 (end of through traffic, Norwood Tunnel collapsed) and 1961 (officially abandoned) The Chesterfield Canal, opened in 1777, ran for 46 miles and 65 locks from the River Trent at West Stockwith via Retford and Worksop to Chesterfield. The first six locks were 14ft wide allowing Trent barges to reach Retford; the remainder, including the steep climb to Norwood Tunnel, descent to Killamarsh and final climb to Chesterfield were all built for 7ft-beam narrow boats. The canal was suc- cessful, carrying coal, stone and metals from the mines and quarries near its western River Trent lengths. The arrival of the railways provided competition for the canal (and led to to the Humber it being diverted in places to accommodate the new lines) but it continued in use until a collapse caused by mining subsidence closed Norwood Tunnel in 1907. W Stockwith Some trade remained on the eastern lengths until the 1950s, while the remainder fell derelict. In the 1960s it was threatened with closure but the Stockwith to Worksop length was saved thanks to a campaign by Retford and Worksop Boat Club Staveley to Worksop to Kiveton Drakeholes River Trent Chesterfield restored and reopened in Tunnel to Nottingham restored: 6 2002: 6 miles 31 locks miles 6 locks (inlcuding 1 extra added) (including 1 Norwood extra added) Tunnel Kiveton Sawmills narrows Morse work site Killamarsh Lock Hollingwood Retford Lock Worksop Renishaw West Stockwith Kiveton to Staveley to Worksop unnavigable ‘missing link’ Staveley saved from closure including current restora- in 1960s: 26 miles Tapton Staveley tion sites: 8 miles 14 locks 16 locks Lock Town Basin (orginally), diversions and Lock Chesterfield needed at Killamarsh and Norwood Tunnel page 11 Brimington bypass plans which would block it in five places. Crucially, having been sold off it was no longer within British Water- ways’ remit - so they couldn’t stop the Trust from working on it. The final five mile length from Staveley to Chesterfield was still used to supply water to industry, and had therefore survived in rather better condition - and in 1987 it was acquired by Derbyshire Council. This wasn’t with any idea of restoring it - it was more to do with stopping it getting Darren Piotrowicz in the way of the bypass The new Staveley Town Lock: one of numerous concrete pours plans. Indeed, even the (above) during construction and (below) in use at a boat festival Canal Trust didn’t initially see reopening of this length as a possibility, but it fairly soon changed its views and began support- ing the restoration of this length - initially by cam- paigning (a petition raised 14,000 signatures) to get the bypass plans changed, then by beginning practical restoration work at Tapton Lock, the very last one at the Chesterfield End (so much for “starting at the beginning”!) Completion of the lock in 1990 was followed by the remaining four locks on Darren Piotrowicz this section - with WRG support, CCT’s vol- it will make full provision for the canal where unteers restored Wheeldon Mill, Bluebank it crosses. and Hollingwood locks, while a new Dixon But meanwhile things were moving at Lock was built by a combination of contrac- last on the British Waterways length east of tors and volunteers as the old lock needed to Norwood Tunnel as a result of successful bids be demolished for opencast coalmining. for external funding. Thanks to support from Three bridges were rebuilt, and this length sources including Derelict Land Grants from reopened in 2002. the UK governemnt and the EU RECHAR Oh, and in case you’re wondering what fund ( for support to ex-mining areas), Morse happened with the Staveley / Brimington Lock was at last restored in 1996, followed bypass plans... well, 33 years after Derby- by the remaining 29 locks (plus a new one shire bought the canal to ease the passage added to combat subsidence) and six miles of the new road (and something like 90 of channel - and the canal reopened through years since it was first proposed in the to Norwood Tunnel’s eastern portal at 1930s), it still hasn’t been built (apart from a Kiveton Park in 2002. short section around Staveley which crosses Since then the volunteers have contin- the canal on a new bridge). But if it ever is, ued eastwards from Hollingwood Lock to the page 12 newly built Staveley Town Basin, and on the eight most difficult miles to restore... from there via the new Staveley Town Lock - The eastern 450 metres of Norwood added to lower the canal to get it under a Tunnel is in decent condition, but the rest is moribund (but in theory not abandoned) well and truly trashed. But a start has al- railway line - to the point where only about ready been made on a diversionary route eight miles of the canal remain to be re- which will climb out of the tunnel through stored. And those last eight miles have al- new locks and run over the top of the hill. ready seen some attention - not only in Some lengths of dry channel have been dug, terms of restoration working to chip away at plus some basins excavated which will one that missing link (as you’ll see below) but day be a marina but for now are used as also in dealing with the unexpected and fishing lakes. At the other end of the tunnel unwelcome arrival of the HS2 railway plans, the Norwood lock flight (a spectacularly which we’ve covered in a separate panel.