Bridge Inn & Canal Loop - Part 04
w/e 13 April 2025
All of this week's pictures were taken with a Nikon D3300
To conclude this Walking For
Health route, the rest of the walk, apart from the final section
on roads back to the Victoria Leisure Centre, is mainly along
the towpath of the Erewash Canal. When we first walked with the
Monday Strollers some twenty odd years ago the route went straight
past the Bennerley Viaduct but in recent years access has been
created to the Iron Giant and it wouldn't surprise me if the
group now makes a small diversion to at least view the Victorian
structure.
A welcome sign informs that the viaduct was built in 1877-78
to carry the Great Northern Railway across the Erewash Valley
and points visitors to the Friends of Bennerley Viaduct website
for more details.
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The access to the viaduct is via a sloping path or flights of
steps.
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From a bend in the sloping path the whole length of the viaduct
can be seen.
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The deck of the viaduct has been resurfaced since that day when
I scrambled up the bank many years ago and it opened for walkers
and cyclists in 2022. Work started a couple of years later on
a visitor centre and an improved access ramp at the far end but
problems were encountered with some land slippage. Work continues
however to improve the access and facilities for the visitor
and the latest information can be found on the aforementioned
website.
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Returning to the canal towpath for the completion of this walk,
we soon reached Stenson's Lock.
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After the lock the Erewash Canal swings first one way and then
the other passing the Nelson Street housing estate on the other
side of the canal that we walked through earlier.
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The next lock is Barker's Lock immediately followed by the canal
bridge at Awsworth Road.
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Passing under the bridge the towpath continues passing the Canal
Vue Care Home on the other side. The route from here is identical
to that followed in Part
03 of the Cotmanhay Loop.
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We left the canal at Wash Meadow more commonly known as Johnny's
as in the Cotmanhay Loop and again instead of heading for the
far corner we continued straight ahead to Rutland Street.
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It was customary with the Monday Strollers group - and probably
still is - not to return directly to the Leisure Centre but to
divert into Bath Street and stop at a local café for a
coffee. And we ended this walk by walking along Rutland Street
to the far end, crossing Chalons Way to Bath Street - why break
the habit of a lifetime?!
Route
Map
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