Turning a Disused Railway into a Canal | Cromford Canal 

Some additional details for the work being done that weekend - a drainage channel was carried under the main road in a pipe, but exited through a headwall into a ditch. This ditch eventually drains into the River Erewash. When the canal is restored, it will take a sharp turn to the right (as shown in your video), and the existing path of the drainage ditch would have run through the bank of the canal. So, the existing 3-sided headwall was converted into a 4-sided chamber (using steel-reinforced concrete and shuttering to create a fourth wall), and the drainage pipe extended to carry the drainage flow underground through the canal bank. The pipe will eventually exit at a new headwall, closer to the river. Virtually everything you see in this video will eventually be buried, and only the inspection ("manhole") covers will be visible. However, without it, the restoration of the canal would not be possible.

Great restoration project with an ingenious way of negotiating that roadway. I wonder how they will negotiate the collapsed Butterley tunnel?

Thanks - another great vid from you... very timely, as I'd just been reading about this in (current) Navvies #320. Drone shots, always a winner for scale/context... 👍 Graphics/maps are really welcome. Thumbs up for KESCRG all the work they're doing and for inviting you along to film.!

The common denominator is the Navvies, who originally built the canals and later converted a lot of canals into railways. I have driven trains through old canal tunnels, but network rail, as they were then, still got it all wrong, because this was in Kent through Higham and Strood tunnels. Cut through chalk and when converted to trains, they just filled in the canal with ballast and laid track on that. Consequently,when there was heavy rainfall the tunnels flooded and using the third rail system rendered them inoperable. Railtrack's solution was to install mega fans to dry out the tunnel, but being chalk, all the time it was wet chalk was o.k. but i know the driver who entered one day to be confronted by a piece of chalk on the track. It weighed about 4 1/2 tonnes. Lucky they knew there was a problem somewhere and he had gone in under caution, as usual line speed going in was 70 mph. That all happened in about 1994, so safe to use now. We are all retired now. It was the same driver who was confronted on the rail bridge over the river Medway, who after the Gale of 1987 was met by a shed, intact, in front of him on the track. Its about 60 feet above the river.

There is the Butterly tunnel problem but also the aqueduct which crossed what is now the A610 which was demolished in the 1970/80’s. Sadly, I will not be around to see much of this but I wish you all the best with it and I hope it comes off. John Greatorex

Thanks. Very interested in this restoration. I will continue to follow. Happy new year. John Greatorex.

A very interesting video, especially as I am a local. Just to say that the River Erewash is pronounced as 'erry-wash' and not 'air-wash. Great video, though.

There’s another reservoir in Ironville next to the disused Cromford, just before the Butterly tunnel. The wildlife is quite amazing on this stretch with Kingfishers, Herons and recently, an Egret has even taken residence along with the locally famous Terrapin that can be seen basking in the reservoir in the summer. So in some ways, the restoration will be negative for the wildlife. I pick watercress from there sometimes too. It’s just a shame the area is blighted by litterers and fly tippers.

They should turn HS2 into a Canal.

Excellent video very informative and exciting. Don;t worry about your speech and mispronunciation, folk will understand you, its the information you are providing that is the important bit. Thanks for uploading.

This is so cool, special, wonderful, fantastic!! Such an endearing feat of beauty and elegance!! More please

Thank you for the construction tour today. Always a pleasure to watch. See you on the next, Steve! Cheers mate! ❤😊

The Butterley tunnel runs past my property and I had no idea they really intended to restore it. The western end runs under a new housing estate.

It’s pronounced Erry-wash not ear-wash

It’s Nottingham, not ‘Nottnenum’. Great video, really liked it. I may be old, or a bit ‘mute & jeff’, bit I really struggled to decipher your accent. Please, go at tick over and breath… again, great video!

Are they hoping to join this up to Cromford canal? Butterly tunnel would cost a fortune to fix. Also Cromford canal has become something of a wildlife reserve.

Thanks!

thanks for the update. have been to the marina a few years ago from the trent and mersey.

You speak too quickly.

Your diction early on in the video is unintelligible ! Please speak more clearly, as not everyone watching this is going to be too familiar with spoken English with an accent like yours.