waterwayPROFILE River Trent One of England’s greatest rivers, the Trent is an exciting challenge for boaters. Richard Fairhurst guides us through its Downloaded by David A Calverley from waterwaysworld.com 90 navigable miles… www.waterwaysworld.com | OCTOBER 2015 | 57 History The Trent has been navigated for millennia – perhaps since humans first arrived in these isles. For the Romans it was such an important artery that they cut the Fossdyke Canal to join it to the Witham. Then, in Anglo-Saxon times, it was the Vikings’ route into the East Midlands: a map of Norse place names in Britain shows a deinite cluster around the Trent Valley. It’s all the more surprising, then, to learn that today’s Trent Navigation is a creature of the 1920s. As late as 1907, George Westall had described the river as being in a “deplorably bad state” (WW November 2012), so shallow that the current was corralled into narrow An early 1950s photo channels in the hope of scouring a fairway. showing a busy boat Enter Nottingham Corporation, scene at Gainsborough. envious of Manchester’s success as an inland port. It funded four new, deep locks along the river, opening in This passage isn’t without diiculties. 1926. (A tidal lock had already been To reach the safety of the Yorkshire A tug and barge passing pleasure constructed at Cromwell, downstream waterways at Keadby Lock, the boater craft close to Cranfleet Lock in of Newark, in 1911.) The efect was must tackle a 44-mile tidal passage the late 1950s or early ’60s. dramatic: tonnages rose eight-fold below Cromwell. (Those with full- in a decade. Trains of 100-ton barges length craft, unable to pass the 61ft were worked down from Hull, carrying 8in Thorne Lock, are faced with the aggregates from riverside quarries and even more daunting prospect of a oil to power stations and town wharves. trip round Trent Falls to the Yorkshire Ouse.) Nonetheless, hundreds of Today crews successfully make the journey The tidal river is still an important freight every year, and accidents are rare. destination, but commercial traic Be prepared, but don’t be alarmed. is now rare above Cromwell. A 2001 Before you reach Cromwell, there are diversion from the main channel and proposal to build a ‘Newark bypass’, so 40 miles of non-tidal river and canal to one with quite the best-sited lock larger boats could reach Nottingham, enjoy. Canal? Yes, because the ‘Trent in Britain – of which more later. was never taken up. Instead, the river Navigation’ doesn’t actually follow the The mechanised river locks are has become an essential part of the river through Nottingham. Instead, it operated for you at the most popular pleasure-boating network – both for detours along the artiicial Beeston Cut times; self-operation is possible at its resident population of ibreglass and the remnants of the Nottingham other times with your trusty BW cruisers, and for narrowboaters Canal for a city centre voyage that adds (sorry, CRT) key. As with any large making the passage from the Midlands canal-scale interest to this otherwise river, moorings are limited, but some canals to the Yorkshire waterways. expansive cruise. Newark, too, is a pubs have pontoons for customers. Sawley Lock. Cruising the River Derwent Mouth – of Leicestershire just 2 miles after the Derwent delivers Derbyshire’s waters. Nottingham These 2 miles are perhaps the busiest u 12 miles, 5 locks on the river, not just as a connection u Cruising time: 5 hours between two popular cruising routes (and part of the East Midlands Ring), but The Trent was once navigable all the way as the home of Sawley Marina, at 600 upstream to WW’s hometown of Burton- berths the biggest on the waterways. on-Trent, with canal connections in Burton Despite the M1 motorway on one lank (the Bond End Canal) and Swarkestone and the Midland Main Line railway on (the Derby Canal). Today, navigation starts the other, it’s a characterful spot, mostly incongruously at Cavendish Bridge outside thanks to the attractive, paired Sawley Shardlow, though sadly there are no Locks. When the locks are manned moorings at the excellent Old Crown pub. (usually by volunteers), watch the keeper This irst mile provides access to to see which chamber to go through. Shardlow Marina. Most people, though, Manoeuvring from the towpath to the will join at Derwent Mouth, the four-way ofside lock isn’t easy if you’ve stopped junction between the Trent, the Trent & close! At other times, you’ll need a CRT Mersey Canal, and the River Derwent. key for the push-button controls. An elegant new footbridge crosses The bustle is greatest at Trent Lock, the Trent just upstream, replacing an where the Soar arrives from the south, the unlovely 1930s concrete structure. Erewash Canal from the north, and the The Trent picks up pace rapidly Trent Navigation continues on a surprisingly here. The River Soar brings it the rains small channel under a railway bridge – the Downloaded by David A Calverley from waterwaysworld.com 58 | OCTOBER 2015 | www.waterwaysworld.com Profile River Trent Entering Cranfleet Lock. Cranfleet Cut. An active sailing club adds to the commotion, together with banks Passing under a turnover of gongoozlers drawn by the Steamboat bridge at Beeston. and Trent Lock inns. It’s customary for cruising guides to warn of the dangers of being swept over Thrumpton Weir on the bypassed river channel, though nowadays the booms are so bright and the signage so strenuous that it seems superfluous. Dodging the dinghies brings you onto the calmer waters of the Cranfleet Cut with its resident boat club. Cranfleet Lock, manually operated, takes you down into a lovely, secluded 4-mile reach. Trees overhang the water, while the south bank is dotted with summer houses – everything from glorified huts to Scandinavian-style buildings on stilts. This will be your last glimpse of the Trent for two hours. At Beeston Lock, the weir prevents further progress. Boaters are required to lock up into the Beeston Cut, a rather suburban but pleasant enough canal whose main point of interest is the massive Boots factory on the north bank. This segues into the Nottingham Canal at Lenton Chain, so-called for the chain that once prevented Sunday boating on the cut. The Nottingham once ran north to meet the Erewash and Cromford canals by Great Northern Leaving Basin, and is today the last major derelict Trent Lock Cranfleet canal without a restoration society (see seen from the Cut through WW November/December 2011 for a Erewash Canal. flood gates. full survey). But the canal through the city centre, thankfully, remains navigable as part of our Trent through route. On the north bank, Trevethick’s has been a working boatyard since 1796. Owned by the same family since 1903, it specialises in historic craft: there’s invariably an array of boats old and new on water and bank. Half a mile on, Nottingham Castle Marina has a historic name but a decidedly modern setting, with a handy Sainsbury’s just beyond. This combination of ancient and modern characterises Nottingham’s canalside. The former Trent Navigation warehouse after Castle Lock is still painted with the British Waterways name, Leaving Beeston Lock. a reminder that this remained a serious Downloaded by David A Calverley from waterwaysworld.com www.waterwaysworld.com | OCTOBER 2015 | 59 Profile River Trent Walking & cycling The Trent Valley Way is the river’s answer to the Thames Path and Severn Way, and runs from Trent Lock all the way to the Humber. The slowly shifting Trent scenery is perhaps better experienced from the comforts of a boat at 5mph, so the path seems unlikely to ever gain the popularity of its forebears. Still, it gives an opportunity for enjoyable riverside walks from your mooring, particularly in the of-piste diversions away from the navigation. (More details: www.ontrent.org.uk.) Sustrans has done great work preserving disused rail viaducts along the Trent. Fledborough Viaduct is already open as a cycle route, while Torksey Viaduct is being reopened irst as a footpath with bike access to follow later. You can also follow quiet roads along the riverbank almost all the way from Gainsborough to Trent Falls, partly Leaving Castle Lock in the signposted as the National Byway route. centre of Nottingham. freight waterway after nationalisation. river port just below Lady Bay Bridge. longer in use. As well as canoes, you’re Wilford Street Bridge is all elegant ironwork, Inevitably, these now lie lattened, and likely to see tugs and barges in the lock while the sturdy Great Central Railway construction begins this autumn on 350 cut, and perhaps even the passenger viaduct now carries lightweight modern new homes. Wave at these last breaths of cruisers which ply this section of river. trams. The oices of carrying company the old city as you pass – for from here, These mechanised locks are worked Fellows, Morton & Clayton are still in use, the river assumes a much more rural air. for you during the daytime from April but now house a pub of the same name. to October. Passage is fairly smooth Strangest of all is the London Road Nottingham – Cromwell and quiet, even in the 12ft deep Holme power station. Built as a coal-ired plant u 28 miles, 6 locks Lock. (Other locks are more manageable by Boots in 1953, it now converts steam u Cruising time: 9 hours at 7ft rise.) As on the Severn, you’re from the nearby Eastcroft incinerator into expected to thread your ropes around electricity, powering much of the city.