Erewash Canal Heritage Guide
The Erewash Canal runs for 11.75 miles (19 kilometres) through Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, connecting Long Eaton with the Cromford Canal at Langley Mill. The canal follows the valley of the River Erewash and passes through former coalfield areas that once formed the heart of the East Midlands industrial landscape.
Key Facts
- Route: Trent Navigation at Trent Lock, Long Eaton to Langley Mill
- Length: 11.75 miles (19 kilometres)
- Number of Locks: 14
- Opened: 1779
- Chief Engineer: John Varley
Origins and Construction
The Erewash Canal was authorised by Act of Parliament in 1777 to serve the expanding coal mines and ironworks along the Erewash Valley. Businessmen and landowners in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire promoted the scheme to transport coal from pits at Shipley, Ilkeston, and Eastwood to markets in Nottingham, Leicester, and beyond via the River Trent.
John Varley, who had worked under James Brindley, designed and supervised construction of the canal. The route required 14 locks to overcome the 75-foot (23-metre) rise from the Trent to Langley Mill. Engineers built the canal with a narrow profile, 7 feet (2.1 metres) deep and 17 feet (5.2 metres) wide, to reduce construction costs. Work proceeded rapidly, and the canal opened throughout in 1779, just two years after the Act was passed.
The main engineering works included Sandiacre Lock, Stanton Lock, and a short branch to serve Shipley Wharf. The canal terminated at Langley Mill, where it met the Cromford Canal, creating an important through route for goods travelling between the Derbyshire coalfields and the Trent.
Working Life and Trade
Coal dominated traffic on the Erewash Canal from the start. Boats carried coal from numerous wharf-side basins connected directly to collieries. The canal transformed settlements including Ilkeston, Sandiacre, and Eastwood, which developed as industrial centres with foundries, maltings, and brickworks. At its peak in the 1840s and 1850s, the canal carried over 700,000 tons of coal annually.
The Erewash Canal Company operated profitably for decades, paying regular dividends to shareholders. Traffic also included iron ore, limestone, and manufactured goods. Narrow boats, typically 70 feet (21 metres) long, worked the canal in large numbers. Many were horse-drawn, though later steam and motor boats became common.
Decline and Present Day
Railway competition began in the 1840s when lines opened parallel to the canal. The Midland Railway eventually purchased the Erewash Canal Company in 1932. Commercial traffic declined steadily through the twentieth century, with the last regular coal traffic ending in 1952.
The canal remained in water and officially open, though little used. The Erewash Canal Preservation and Development Association, formed in 1968, worked to maintain and improve the navigation. Restoration efforts in the 1970s and 1980s cleared overgrown sections and repaired locks. Today, the Canal and River Trust maintains the Erewash Canal as a cruising waterway for leisure boats, though the connection to the Cromford Canal at Langley Mill remains closed due to mining subsidence affecting that canal’s route.
