Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
45 Chesterfield Canal
Distance
81 km from Chesterfield to the River Trent
Highlights
Hollgwood Hub canal visitor centre
Turnerwood lock flight
Cuckoo Wharf and Pickford's Warehouse
Lady's Bridge (also known as Old Man's Bridge)
West Stockwith Basin
Navigation Authority
Canal & River Trust
Canal Trust
Chesterfield Canal Trust
www.chesterfield-canal-trust.org.uk
OS 1:50,000 Sheets
(111 Sheffield & Doncaster)
112 Scunthorpe & Gainsborough
119 Buxton & Matlock
120 Mansfield & Worksop
Despite being one of the early canals, the Chesterfield Canal or Cuckoo Dyke included some
notable engineering. In particular, it needed 49 locks in the top 32km in order to get over a
ridge of high land from the Rother valley. It also needed the Norwood Tunnel, still the sixth-
longest to have been built in Britain. The canal was designed and constructed by Brindley al-
though he died before it was opened in 1777. It was two years late, following problems with
the tunnel, which was 50 per cent over budget because of fraud. Traffic peaked at 200,000t in
1848, particularly stone, grain, lime, timber and ale, but decline followed quickly after it was
purchased by the Manchester & Lincoln Union Railway. The section above Worksop was un-
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