Stop lock that led to PART ONE the Dearne and Dove Canal which went on THE DEARNE towards Hoyle Mill. AND DOVE CANAL Hoyle Mill to Stairfoot Due to the increase in volumes of coal and iron workings 2 in the area the Don Navigation Company agreed to build JUNCTION LOCK HOUSE – a little further down from the house in the photograph a canal from Swinton to Barnsley. This became known as on the left. This was the junction of the Dearne and Dove Canal as it ran into the 1 Barnsley Canal. The location of the house along with the house in the photograph the Dearne and Dove Canal. In part one of a series of three on the left can be seen in the map below. LOOKING FROM the direction of the articles, Peter Hadfield looks at the development of the of coal and iron works in the Barnsley (Barnsley Canal), time William Jessop’s supervision, was Old Mill Basin towards Hoyle Mill. The canal and the route it took from the aqueduct carrying the Barnsley Canal goes to the left of the area. was of the essence for the Don engaged to do the survey. Acts of house and then over the aqueduct on its As the Aire and Calder Navigation Company to act Parliament for both canals were Barnsley canal to Stairfoot. way towards Cundy Cross. The Dearne Navigation was already in the quickly to progress with their granted in June 1793. and Dove Canal was beyond the stop survey stages of constructing £50,000 estimated proposal. The Dearne and Dove Canal uring the late 18th for the movement of goods. lock and went towards Hoyle Mill. a canal from Wakefield to Robert Whitworth, senior under was to run for 9.63 miles through century, the road The Marquis of Rockingham system in the West had tentatively put forward the Riding of Yorkshire idea of making the River Dearne Dwas in such an appalling state navigable to Barnsley as early as that it consisted mainly of mud 1773, but the proposal came to 1 tracks. nothing. After opening their waterways It was not until 1792 that to Tinsley in Sheffield, the shareholders of the Don Editor’s note 2 Don Navigation Company Navigation Company agreed to The numbers on the photographs correspond established a trans-shipment build a canal from Swinton to with the numbers on depot at Swinton as the road Barnsley, in order to meet the the maps and aerial photographs. system was totally inadequate needs of the increasing volumes LOOKING BACK along the canal bed towards Barnsley from the remains of the Stop Lock, c1970. 4 5 3 6 MEMORIES OF BARNSLEY WINTER 2015 WINTER 2015 MEMORIES OF BARNSLEY 7 Hoyle Mill to Stairfoot 4 5 3 VIEW OF Hoyle Mill looking towards Stairfoot. Woods LOOKING BACK towards Brothers Glass Works can Hoyle Mill. The canal runs be seen in the foreground underneath the viaduct next to the canal. and beside Beatson Clark glassworks in the foreground. Barnsley Main colliery can be seen next to the viaduct. Swinton, Wath, Wombwell raise the level 127 feet from the terminus basin, and the other to and Stairfoot, where it would River Don. Two branches were Worsbrough, which required no finally join the Aire and Calder’s to be built, one to Elsecar, where locks. The length of each branch Barnsley Canal at Hoyle Mill. six locks were needed in order was just over 2 miles long and Nineteen locks were needed to to raise the canal 48 feet to the two reservoirs, one at Elsecar and and the transport of coal from one at Worsbrough, were needed the colliery brought welcome 5 LOOKING BACK towards Hoyle Mill. The THE CANAL at Beevor Hall Bridge. to feed the canal with water. revenue, as the construction reed-filled canal runs underneath the On the right is Woods Brothers Glass 3 By December 1798 the costs had exceeded the original viaduct that crossed the Dearne Valley. Works. The view is looking back canal was open to Elsecar, towards Barnsley. estimate. THE CANAL passing under Armin’s 4 Bridge on Oaks Lane at Hoyle Mill. 8 MEMORIES OF BARNSLEY WINTER 2015 WINTER 2015 MEMORIES OF BARNSLEY 9 Hoyle Mill to Stairfoot VIEW OF THE canal as it passed through On 12 November, 1804, Stairfoot and on towards the stop lock leading to the Wombwell. The canal ran by the side of The Keel Barnsley Canal at Hoyle Mill was (number 10), which is still a successfully flooded, therefore, pub in 2015. the Dearne and Dove Canal was declared open. 10 Although the Barnsley Canal had been open for nearly three 6 9 years, and was experiencing good trade, half the tonnage from the Barnby Basin of the Barnsley Canal used the Dearne and Dove, so the two companies began working together. A shortage of water in the 8 Barnsley Canal resulted in the Worsbrough Reservoir supplying 7 water during December 1804 to February 1805. Later, in 1805 and 1806, the 7 Dearne and Dove suffered water shortages which brought a stop to canal traffic, resulting in the 8 increase in depth and acreage of Worsbrough Reservoir. Despite this, by 1828 the Dove and Dearne Canal had become rather prosperous in having nearly 150,000 tons of cargo, mainly 9 coal, sent down the canal. Unfortunately, the canals were affected by the arrival of the North Midland Railway in 1840. The Don Navigation tried to protect (as it was leased to the Aire and its trade by buying both the Calder Navigation Company), Barnsley and Dearne and Dove Don Navigation was successful in Canals. Whilst the deal for the taking over the Dearne and Dove 6 Barnsley Canal never materialised Canal on 1 Jaunary, 1846. THE RAILWAY BRIDGING the Dearne and Dove Canal encompassing Beatson 6 Clark glass works. The railway gave direct access to the Barnsley Coal railway at Hoyle Mill. Therefore trains from Barnsley could avoid Stairfoot. MEMORIES OF BARNSLEY 11 Hoyle Mill to Stairfoot THE CANAL PASSING under 7 7 A VIEW from Stairfoot looking back 8 Stairfoot bridge on Doncaster towards Hoyle Mill. Waterfield Place Road. Known to all the local is on the left of the photograph. community as Bull Bridge. THE BARNSLEY to Over the next 40 years, branch closed followed by section is still in water today, and THE CHAPELTOWN loop line viaduct passes over Doncaster railway fortunes fluctuated. By an act the Elsecar branch in 1928. the first two locks now form part the canal. The view is looking back towards bridging the canal 9 of Parliament in 1889, the The last boat made passage to of Waddington’s boatyard. n Stairfoot. The houses in the distance are Albion at Stairfoot. The Road, Hope Street and Industry Road. view is taken from parent company which owned Barnsley on the main line in Stairfoot looking the Manchester, Sheffield and 1934. Maintaining a navigable THE VIEW from Waddington’s boatyard towards Hoyle Mill Lincolnshire Railway gained depth had become increasingly which marks the start of the Dearne and Beatson Clark. control of all South Yorkshire difficult. and Dove Canal at Swinton. The photograph canals, which then adopted the All that remained open were to the right of the familiar name of The Sheffield canal paths from Barnsley to above picture shows and South Yorkshire Navigation Barnsley Main Colliery, and the same bridge. Company. Swinton to Manvers Colliery. Coal extraction was the cause Sadly, the Barnsley end of the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS of the Dearne and Dove’s demise canal closed in 1942 followed by Dearne and Dove Canal as it was resulting in too high the section to Manvers 10 years Trust, www.bddct.org.uk maintenance costs. What was the later, in 1952. Only half a mile Jimmy Hamer and Ronnie reason for its construction, to of canal remained open through Neville for assistance in transport coal, was to become its the first four locks, which served providing information death knell. the former Canning Town and photographs for this article. In 1906, the Worsbrough Glassworks at Swinton. This What remains of the 10 canal today? We begin our journey at the Hoyle Mill section of the canal: there are the remains of the stop lock where the Dearne and Dove joined the Barnsley Canal, and for a further 200 yards or so, the canal bed, part of the Dearne Valley Park, still exists. Beevor Bridge has been underpinned, and Remains of the stop lock near where the Dearne A small section of the canal Waterfield Place, Stairfoot. The canal ran in front of these houses. the canal bed serving and Dove joined the Barnsley Canal. before the former Stairfoot the former Woods to Barnsley railway line. Waterfield Place houses remain today, but the line of the canal Brothers Glassworks is now the car park for the Potter Ballotini works. Construction of the totally disappears from here to The Keel pub. The pub’s garden and new Tank Row road which leads to Barnsley’s main business park and tables now settle upon the former canal and towpath. The Keel at Stairfoot. The canal ran to the left of the building, where the Remains of a turning the regrading of the Barnsley Main Colliery spoil heap has left no After the road leading to the industrial park at Stairfoot, picnic tables are. stone at the junction of the canal bed remains and passes part of the former Tomlinson the Barnsley Canal. This trace of the canal, along with the demolition of the former Beatson Glassworks and continues to the Caulk bridge which has, sadly, section will cover the Stairfoot flight (Aldham eight locks) and would have had a metal Clark Glassworks and erection of warehousing.