Cotmanhay

 Today's Canal - Erewash

The day began much brighter and not anything like as chilly as the past few days. Nevertheless, caution led us to retain long sleeves Apart from a few short spells when darker clouds threatened rain, the sky was blue with fluffy white clouds. After lunch the temperature rose considerably and we were as warm as we would want to be when tackling some fairly demanding locks.

So, we set off with just a very short distance to out first lock of the day: Dockholme.

Sandiacre Lock is just below the junction with the former Derby Canal. The first lock on that canal was just under the bridge. The lock cottage is the base for the Derby and Sandiacre Canal Trust whose aim is to restore as much of the canal as possible, potentially with a link through to the other end at Swarkestone on the Trent and Mersey. When we last came this way in 2017, the cottage was open and we could see how life was like in the past for those who lived here.

We stopped at the Padmore Moorings for a quick trip to the Co-Op which is just across the adjoining road. Originally the mooring was one of two coal wharves that served the area around Sandiacre. Near by there was also a rope making factory, set up to cater for the thriving canal industry.

As we set off once more we immediately passed Springfeld Mill. In 2017 we noted that a new developer was just making a start on the conversion into 100 apartments and they proved popular with young professionals. However, in April 2020 there was a devastating fire that destroyed a large part of the building. Work has now started to repair the building once more.

At Pastures Lock we begin to see more open territory although suburban sprawl continues for much of the western side of the canal northwards to Langley Mill.

This former railway bridge was the main connection from the huge Stanton Iron Works and the main line, with a myriad of other lines branching out across the complex site. Google aerial view shows some tracks still visible but blocked at various places. However, part of the redevelopment of the site will include an infrastructure operation for HS2.

Gallows Inn Lock takes its name from the adjacent eponymous pub (looking in need of some TLC). It seems that in the 14th century the plague led to the Assizes being moved to Ilkeston from Nottingham. A gallows was erected nearby to enable the swift implementation of sentences. It lasted until around 1870 when it was finally blown down in a storm!

Stenson's Lock was the last of the day and one of the hardest to work. In the past we have had a view fr om here of the nearby Bennerley Viaduct but too much vegetation blocked the view today and we could see nothing. Nearby we saw a notice that 'the bridge is closed' and some obviously new work is in progress. From the website of The Friends Of Bennerley Viaduct it seems that this ramp will give access to the level of the original deck. Eventually it is hoped that visitors will be able to walk across the viaduct.

By now we were looking for a mooring a little later than expected as the last two locks were much slower than anticipated. For most of today we seem to have been following a boat going up. It cannot have  been  very far ahead as even when a couple of boats passed us in the other direction, we did not have the benefit of locks set for us.

6.5 Miles - 10 Locks