The Missing Pieces Of This Canal Are Finally Joining Up | Chesterfield Canal Restoration

This month we return to Staveley for another Chesterfield Canal Restoration update, and for the first time it feels like the different parts of this huge project are beginning to come together.

Over the last year we’ve followed the construction of the Keith Ayling Lock, the new canal channel through the former railway bridge abutments, Bellhouse Basin, Bellhouse Narrows and the surrounding infrastructure. Until now, much of the work has felt like a collection of separate construction sites scattered along the route of the former canal.

But things are changing.

On this visit we explore the latest progress at the Keith Ayling Lock, where the balance beams and paddle gear have now been fitted, take a look at the excavation and concrete works linking the lock to the next section of canal, and examine the ongoing construction around Bellhouse Basin. We also investigate the bright white geosynthetic clay liner that has appeared across parts of the site and discover how it helps create a watertight canal.

Along the way we uncover traces of the area’s railway past, including foundations from the former Great Central Railway bridge that once crossed this route, highlighting the close relationship between the Chesterfield Canal and the railways that later transformed the landscape.

The Chesterfield Canal is one of Britain’s most ambitious canal restoration projects. While there is still a long way to go before the canal is fully restored, we’re now beginning to see how these individual pieces will eventually form a continuous navigable waterway through Staveley.

Also featured in this episode is a visit to Killamarsh, where we explore a fascinating surviving railway structure that reveals how the Great Central Railway altered the original canal alignment over a century ago.

Where are you watching from, and how long have you been following the Chesterfield Canal Restoration project? Let me know in the comments below.

00:00 The Pieces Are Finally Connecting
00:50 Introduction From Staveley
02:15 Progress Between The Bridge Abutments
04:30 Keith Ayling Lock Update
08:15 The Canal Route Starts To Emerge
11:00 Great Central Railway Foundations Discovered
13:10 Bellhouse Basin Progress
15:20 What Are The White Sheets?
17:00 George Rogers’ 24-Hour Public Transport Challenge
19:10 Bonus Feature: Killamarsh Railway Retaining Wall
24:30 Why This Structure Exists
27:45 The Bigger Picture For The Restoration
29:00 Final Thoughts

#ChesterfieldCanal #CanalRestoration #IndustrialHeritage #CanalsOfBritain #Waterways #Staveley #Derbyshire #GreatCentralRailway #LocalHistory #Infrastructure

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