General Information - Cromford Canal

Construction & Industrial Importance

The Cromford Canal was opened in 1794, being constructed of local materials by William Jessop & Benjamin Outram at a cost of £80,000. Sir Richard Arkwright & other investors subscribed in shares to fund the venture. It was equivalent to the M1 motorway in its time, with many local manufacturing businesses using it to expand their market horizon, by increasing the volume of their trade and also allowing the import of goods & raw materials. Canals were a major contributor to the improvement of the logistical infrastructure that enabled the advancement of the industrial revolution. They contributed to the transition from small cottage industries, producing low volumes of goods for local markets, to large volume factory manufacture, that could supply a global market. This was due to the canal networks connecting businesses to seaports, allowing the easier export of the manufactured goods and import of raw materials. So the factory system of industrial production as we understand it today was born.

Route of Canal

The canal is approximately 14 miles in length, initially following the contours of the Derwent valley in a South Easterly direction to Ambergate, then cutting across country to Bull Bridge, Butterley and Codnor, joining the Erewash canal at Langley Mill and hence into the National canal network. The Northern termination is at Cromford wharf, with various branch lines. A notable branch is the Nightingale canal link to Smedley's Mill at Lea Bridge (opened 1802), which is now bisected by the main railway line up the valley. Some of the canal below Ambergate has been destroyed by infill & building developments.

Canal Use & Links

The canal returned excellent profits to the share subscribers in the early years, but later they were much reduced by competition from rail transport. The canal cargo up to Cromford was coal, corn, malt & timber. Down stream it carried Limestone, cotton goods, gritstone, lead, marble, chert, iron goods & cheese. Costs were in old pence per ton, one penny per mile for coal, coke & limestone, 1.5 pence for all other goods not passed from the Erewash, 2 pence per mile for tonnage that had passed from the Erewash canal and a shilling per ton for coal between the Amber aqueduct & Cromford. You can imagine the labour requirement to manually handle the large tonnages involved on & off the canal barges. The canal was also used for pleasure trips prior to 1849, from Ambergate to Cromford and then continuing by other transport modes to Matlock & Matlock Bath. The rail link into the Derwent valley from Ambergate was not complete until 1849, initially terminating at Rowsley, but later extended to Manchester in the 1860’s. The canal also linked with the Cromford & High Peak railway system (1831) at High Peak junction, also with the collieries at Pinxton. The water feeds to maintain the canal water level were originally from lead mine soughs & Bonsall brook at Cromford and a large reservoir at Butterley near Ripley. The water feeds did prove problematic, due to the lead mine sough water being redirected. Eventually a pump was installed at Lea Wood in 1849 to supplement water supplies to the canal from the river Derwent. There was a collapse of the Butterley tunnel in the early 1900’s which bisected the canal as it was not repaired, due to excessive cost and falling canal trade to the rail system.

Walk Route – Start & Finish Grid Reference 300570

The circular walk is approximately 4 miles of easy going with slight climbs. Taking between 90 to 120 minutes. The route is South Easterly from Cromford Wharf, via the canal to High Peak Junction and then taking the Nightingale branch of the canal to Lea Bridge. Climbing from Lea Bridge through Bow Wood and Castle Top farm, then by field path to Cromford Station. Following the road back to Cromford wharf via Cromford bridge. Free parking is available in Cromford Meadows, which is close to the canal.

1. Cromford Wharf                                                 The wharf is the Northern terminus of the canal enabling the loading, unloading & storage of goods in transit. Looking to the West over the back of the wharf area is a large house called the "Rocks", now private flats, but previously the home of Sir Richard Arkwright. Who is credited with introducing the factory system of work during the Industrial Revolution. He died of an asthma attack at the Rocks in 1792 aged 60 years. Notice in the wide canal area where the canal splits for the two wharf sheds, there is an arched stone boat house. This is believed to be Arkwright’s private boathouse, at the bottom of his garden. He built Willersley Castle, which you can view towards the end of this walk, but died before he could take up residence, due to a severe fire caused by an overheating stove on the 8th August 1791, delaying the completion. The site of the first Arkwright mill is across the road from the wharf , this being built in 1771 and is now a visitor centre. The mill was fortified at one stage, due to fear of attack from "Luddites", who were burning cotton mills, hoping to protect the cottage industries these mills were replacing. To the North of the wharf is the Gothic style church of St Mary's, opened 4th June 1797 and consecrated 20th September the same year. Built in local stone from an area called "Black Rocks". You can view the church at the end of the walk. The church building was started by Sir Richard Arkwright and completed by his son. Sir Richard was initially buried at St Giles, Matlock, but was reburied here on completion of the church. St Mary's has had major refurbishment since, with the addition of a clock. The church has exceptionally beautiful internal decoration. The church was built on the "Green" the site of a lead smelting works.

2. Canal

The canal follows the contours of the valley South Easterly from Cromford wharf, with a walled embankment on your left. Canals were often built by Irish labour, who were nicknamed "Navies" from the old name for canals "Navigations". Leave the wharf and upon reaching the single arch bridge crossing the canal & connecting fields, notice the grooves worn into each side of the bridge’s left-hand support wall. Caused by years of barge tow ropes rubbing whilst being pulled by the barge horse. If no leaves are on the trees, look back slightly left of the canal to see the "Rocks", Richard Arkwright’s home. There are many water voles along this stretch of canal, these animals have decreased by 90% since 1990 in the UK, due to predation & loss of suitable habitat. There are grass snakes which are very good swimmers. Also various birds dependant on season, including: Dabchick, Chaffinch, chiffchaff, Bullfinch, Tree-creeper, Nuthatch, Wren, Kingfisher, Heron, Moorhen, Mallard, Swift, Swallow, Magpie, Jay, also various dragonflies & damsel flies. The pike is the principle fish of the canal. Being carnivorous and top predator, they have eaten all the other fish species and also smaller members of their own species.

3. High Peak Junction

After approximately one mile you will reach High Peak junction on your right, with a swing bridge over the canal allowing pedestrians & horses to cross. This rail link was opened in 1831 to enable transport of goods from the canal to the High Peak region via the adjoining purpose built railway. The wagons being hauled by steam winch up the steepest gradients, then hauled along the level sections initially by horses and later trains to Parsley Hay & through the Peak District connecting with the Whaley Bridge canal. There was a plan to extend the Cromford canal up the Derwent Valley, but this was dropped, due to excessive difficulty & cost in favour of this rail link, which cost £180,000 on completion in 1831. There are still extensive rail workshops at High Peak Junction and a visitor centre and toilets are available. The High Peak Rail system was in operation until the "Beeching" axe fell on the UK rail systems in the late 1960 s. A rail link from the main Derby line was also serving the High Peak Junction up to this period. Visitor toilets & a shop are available here at weekends & holiday periods. A tour of the railway workshops can also be taken.

4. High Peak Wharf

Cross back over the canal swing bridge to the left towpath and continue along the canal 250m from the High Peak Junction and notice the wharf shed & covered area over the canal to your right, where goods were stored & transferred from canal to railway and vice versa. The wharf shed is now a Derbyshire County Council activity centre for young persons. Notice how wide the canal is just past the Wharf area, allowing barges to turn & also to wait for unloading at the wharf without obstructing the canal through traffic. Also for the barges to safely queue, whilst waiting for their turn to enter into the narrow river aqueduct over the river Derwent.

5. Leawood Pump

Notice the tall stone chimney and large pump building on your left. This is a steam driven pump, installed in 1849 to supplement the water supply to the canal from the River Derwent. The pump water outflow is enclosed by white wooden fencing, just prior to the pump house. The pump was manufactured by Graham & Co at Elsecar, Yorkshire. The pump equipment was transferred to the pump house site by canal. The barges were sunk, then the pump, beam and ancillary equipment was left in position on and ready to be conveyed over a timber scaffolding into the adjoining pump building at a similar elevation to the canal, so very little lifting was involved. The rest of the pump house was then constructed around it. The steam engine bore is 60" in diameter and runs at up to 7 strokes per minute. Lifting in one stroke 800 gallons weighing 4 tons to a height of 33 feet. New boilers were installed in 1900. The pump is now run at half speed on one boiler, as it requires both boilers to fully run it. The pump is run and open to the public on some weekends and at bank holidays. Proceeding you now cross the river Derwent by the Wigwell aqueduct, built in 1792. Part of this aqueduct collapsed just after construction & was rebuilt again at the engineers cost, this time lasting into the 21st century.

6. Canal Keepers Cottage

At the end of the aqueduct is another swing bridge, allowing the barge horses and pedestrians to cross to the opposite towpath, which now changes to the right hand side of the canal, again following the contour of the hillside. The canal builders always tried to follow the same level contours, with the embankment & towpath made on the lower side of the contour. What was dug out for the canal made up the towpath & embankment, being thrown downhill it minimized effort and maximized the canal building efficiency & speed. The canal bed was then lined with clay to waterproof it. At this junction note the derelict canal keepers cottage. I remember this being inhabited in the late 1950's - early 1960's.

7. Nightingale Branch to Lea Bridge

Do not cross the swing bridge, but take the path to the left at the derelict canal cottage, for the Nightingale arm of the canal, this was completed in 1802. This short canal section is now bisected by the railway up the valley. 100m before the railway bisects the canal, look over the river to your left and you will notice the water inlet of the Lea-wood pump-house at the far river bank, there are some wooden uprights projecting in the river at the front of the arch. Continue 250m on the tow path to reach Lea Bridge canal wharf & cottage, notice the metal ring of a crane base still in the ground adjacent to the wharf. This small wharf served Smedley's Lea Mill’s and the Lea lead smelter. The canal originally extending into Smedley’s Lea Mills car park past this wharf, but this extension was truncated early in its history. The Nightingales were a prominent landed local gentry, the most notable member being Florence Nightingale of Crimea war fame. She revolutionised the health care & survival rate of soldiers in the war hospitals. The family home was at Lea Hurst, Holloway, which until recently was a residential nursing home for the elderly, but is now owned privately. Over the wall at the rear of Lea wharf was once a large hat factory, now demolished. There are bungalows built on the site now. Take the footpath down to left 50m after wharf and carry on until you meet the main road. Turn to your right at the main road & walk ahead up to Smedley's Lea Mills, notice the image of a bird (Jay) on the Bridge over the road between the two factory buildings, the Jay is still Smedley's trade mark. Jays are still quite common within this location. Turn back now and re-cross the road bridge over the mill stream with some garages facing you, ahead you will see a gate and adjacent stile to the right side of the main road, take this path climbing up through Bow Wood.

8. Bow Wood

Bow Wood is a beautiful walk in any season, notice the large ant hills of the Northern Wood ants. Jays are also abundant in this wood: they have a peculiar habit of rolling in the ant hills, the secretions given off by the ants in their defence, cleansing the Jay of parasites. I have seen greater spotted and green woodpeckers in this area. This woodland walk is made immortal by the writings of Alison Uttley, a local author. She walked this wood twice a day to Lea School from Castle Top farm, which you will pass later. She called it the "Dark Wood" and hid a lantern under a wall to light her way home on winter evenings. She was terrified of this daily experience. The Woodland Trust own & manage the first part of the wood. The trees in this wood are typically oak, sycamore, holly, beech, silver birch, lime & hazel. In early summer the scent of wild honeysuckle is very prevalent. On exiting the wood the Derwent Valley panorama opens out to display the river, canal & valley roads.

9. Castle Top Farm - Alison Uttley

On exiting the wood the path continues along the frontage of a cottage garden onto a tarmac driveway. Turn right up this drive then at 50 metres take a path to the right and continue through a gate and a further stile, from where you can get a view of Castle Top Farm on your left, the birthplace of Alison Uttley. If you walk 50m slightly further up where the path goes into a hollow area look to your right and you will see a small elevated walled area. This was the 500 yard firing point on the Castle Top rifle range. It was built and paid for by the Arkwrights, as they were appalled at the poor marksmanship and local deaths in the Boer War. The range was built to military standards and was opened in 1904, ending with the coming of the First World War (1914). Alison Uttley was born as Alice Jane Taylor to Henry & Hannah Taylor on the 17th December 1884 at Castle Top, during a heavy snowstorm. Her parents were tenant farmers to the Arkwrights of Cromford. The path you have just used leads to Riber and is an ancient pack horse road. Castle Top is an imposing farm in a prominent position, the Taylor’s farmed it for generations up to the 1940's. To commemorate the centenary of the birth of Alison an oak tree was planted with a plaque in 1984 in the field to your left between the farm and their barns across the fields. A rotten oak stump lies at the side, and this was the original oak tree made immortal in her books, an important tree with a swing & seating at its base, on which generations of her family have sat and viewed the panorama. Alison Uttley wrote in her books about ancient coins being unearthed around the farm, it may have possibly been a Roman encampment and the location name of "Castle Top" adds to that thought. Retrace your route back down the path onto the drive to Castle Top, continuing 300m further down the drive to a stile next to a gate on your right. This stretch of road has also been made immortal by Alison Uttley in her writing. As she vividly describes in her books going down with the milk churns on a morning by horse and cart with the farm lad, to catch the 8-53am Derby Milk train at Cromford station. It was never the same going down with the milk at night.

10. Wood End & Cromford Bridge

From the stile use a field path, eventually entering a wood at the rear of “Wood End”, a large house in the bottom of the valley. On exiting the wood by a stone stile, immediately turn down to your left (Go Left - do not go over wooden stile in the wire fence) dropping for 300m to meet the Lea Road in the valley bottom. Immediately turn right, towards the arched railway bridge over the river. Just before entering the Rail Bridge notice a wide road area behind you, this was the site of the tollhouse for this road. Alison Uttley describes in her books the echo as being very good upon entering this rail bridge, was she correct. With Cromford station on your right, continue on the road towards Cromford. A road up to the right is called Willersley lane and was the only toll free road into Matlock many years ago. Just prior to going left over the river bridge is the driveway entrance to Willersley Castle on your right, the later Arkwright's ancestral home. The Castle was used in the First World war as a military hospital and the Second World War as a Maternity home for London evacuees, with many hundreds of children being born here. It is now a Methodist holiday location. Willersley was once a small hamlet, but Sir Richard Arkwright demolished much of it during the development of his estate. The cotton manufacturing also expanded to Masson mills just north of Cromford and the wealth of the Arkwright family eventually became enormous. Sir Richard paid £3000 pounds to have a massive rock outcrop removed to build Willersley Castle on. The later family was also noted for giving their children £10,000 for a Christmas present, a massive sum in those days. The Arkwrights developed Cromford, creating cotton mills with many associated inventions, worker housing, pub, hotel, canal, shops, market and even a family bank. Sir Richard is also noted for planting many of the trees still evident in the surrounding area, being reputed to have planted 50,000 per annum. On the far side of the river bridge on your left notice the leap of horse & rider inscription engraved on the bridge wall near the chevron road sign. Apparently both horse & rider escaped serious injury after jumping the bridge wall into the field many feet below. Adjacent to this inscription was a small chapel, now derelict and a square building that is dedicated to fishermen. Kingfishers are often seen along this stretch of river, you need a keen eye and patience to see them from the river bridge. Continue 75m along the road towards Cromford from the bridge and on your right is St Mary's church. Nearly opposite on your left is the entrance to Cromford Wharf yard, the start point of this walk. You may have noticed the influence of the Arkwright family on much of the historical content of this walk. Canal projects, Industrialist, Factory System Creator, Machinery Inventor, Estate Owner, Community and Church Builder. Without the Arkwrights this Cromford walk would still be very beautiful, but lacking in the historical industrial content. For this I wish to dedicate the walk to Sir Richard Arkwright and his family.

M. Mackfall