The Erewash Valley
- A Tale Of Two Canals - No 1 The Erewash
w/e 26 October
2003
In the not too distant past,
a couple of booklets were published detailing a dozen of the
"Best Walks In Broxtowe Borough". One of the routes
was titled "New Eastwood Circular Walk" and I found
this somewhat of a misnomer on two counts. The route suggested
in the booklet starts and finishes at a car park in New Eastwood
but the walk itself along the valley of the River Erewash touches
on Newthorpe, Giltbrook, Awsworth, Cotmanhay and Shipley. I would
have expected a walk with such a title to circle New Eastwood.
Secondly, the route as described follows the Erewash Canal to
the west of the river and hence lies within the jurisdiction
of the Boroughs of Erewash and Amber Valley. So part of one of
the best walks in Broxtowe is actually in the neighbouring council
areas. Am I being too pernickety.....?
Approaching
the walk from Ilkeston via Cotmanhay, a farm track and a footpath,
we joined the route approximately three quarters of the way round
at the MFN Nightclub, Shipley Gate. Purposely designed by Malcolm
Allured, a former member of pop group Showaddywaddy, the premises
that used to be a public house are still know to locals by the
former name of "Shipley Boat".
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Close to the
nightclub we joined the walk proper at Shipley Lock.
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Following
the towpath in a generally northerly direction we headed towards
Eastwood. The Erewash Canal along this section actually crosses
via an aqueduct, the river of the same name that forms the boundary
between Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
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The canal was opened in 1779
and was the first canal to be built to Eastwood. In its heyday
it carried coal traffic from Eastwood to the River Trent at Long
Eaton but now is only used for leisure activities. The channel
on the right hand side of this picture is the overflow from the
next lock.
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This is Eastwood Lock
where the towpath crosses a footbridge to continue along the
opposite side of the waterway. Along its total length of almost
twelve miles, there are fifteen locks similar to this one.
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A note in that infamous booklet
prompts walkers to look for a plaque here marking the centenary
of the birth of Eastwood's famous author D. H. Lawrence but despite
extensive searching on both sides of the canal, we were unable
to locate the said plaque.
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Proceeding along the canal bank,
the path diverges to pass under the next bridge or up and over
it which was the route we took to head in the direction of the
Nottingham Canal.
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The Nottingham Canal provides
a complete contrast to the Erewash Canal and will never be navigable
again. It is however a valuable nature reserve being home to
a diverse range of plants and animals.
Click here to continue our walk and return
southwards towards Ilkeston.
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