Ilkeston - A Bit Of The Erewash Canal
w/e 19 January 2025
All of this week's
pictures were taken with a Nikon D3300
One of the first rules of photography
is to always have the sun behind you, but apart from the first
and last images below, I broke that rule. You may say that in
hindsight we should have walked along the Erewash Canal from
Gallows Inn Lock to Green's Lock but that wasn't an option as
this was the middle bit of our walk. The alternative would have
been to walk backwards and risk tripping on the uneven towpath
and ending up to my neck in canal water - definitely something
I didn't want to do!
So after crossing over the canal bridge at Green's Lock we joined
several other walkers taking advantage of the brief mild spell
- one day - and turned right towards the sun. For the first time
since the turn of the year the milder weather meant that we could
go out without fear of returning home with frostbite!
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Industrial units on Furnace Road run all the way down the left
hand side of the canal to Nottingham Road.
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On the opposite side of the canal there is no towpath but at
Erewash Square a green open space slopes down to the water's
edge.
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For most of the way between the two locks the towpath is shielded
from the industrial site by the trees and hedges and after Erewash
Square it's mainly trees shielding dwellings on the other side.
Closer to Gallows Inn some property owners have extended their
rear gardens a little way to create attractive areas on the canal's
edge.
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As we neared Gallows Inn the noise from the industrial site increased
with lots of clanging and banging. We could see heavy machinery
moving among piles of bricks and other rubbish where some of
the industrial units have been demolished.
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With a cacophony of noise we continued around a bend in the canal
as we approached Gallows Inn and Nottingham Road.
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For most of the walk we had been dazzled by the bright sunshine
but as we rounded the bend we became more aware of the reflections
in the still water.
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Also with the sun in a more favourable position, some of the
attractive extended gardens were easier to see.
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This middle bit of our walk concluded after we passed through
the barrier at Gallows Inn Lock.
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And finally, with the sun behind us again we could take one last
look at the lock before continuing on our way.
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