The Erewash Canal

 

You know you're nearly at the junction when you see the ubiquitous Radcliffe Power Station again!!

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Just in case you don't know where you're going, they've nicked the A road signs!!

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and through the flood gates.

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Turn right

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and into Trent Lock.

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It's where the locals come for their Sunday afternoon out - so there are two pubs and a tearoom!
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The Erewash varies from the pretty to the pretty industrial but on the whole was a pleasant experience.

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We were lucky enough to lock up most of the way with Mike and Carol Golds - big names in the preservation society, so we had the guided tour as well.

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When we arrived at the terminus, we were invited to more in the basin, thus we had travelled on the Erewash, Cromford and Nottingham canals all within space of a few metres.

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The lock is the first on the Cromford Canal - derelict now but hoping to be restored.

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and the basin is on the top end of the Nottingham canal - derelict and likely to stay that way as far as we could make out.

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We did the D.H.Lawrence thing in Eastwood - it reminded Susan of A level English (The kitchen was straight out of Sons and Lovers.) Nick found out how cramped it was in a coal mine (and we had some lovely baked spuds in the cafe.)

 

 

 

 

 

In the picture below is the swing bridge, carefully brought from the Nottingham Canal, restored and placed at the entrance to the basin in which we were invited to moor.

What did we do? We broke it!!

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Well you see guv, it was like this. Mike had very carefully shown us how to operate the bridge, making sure that we swung it enough to close it completely and allow it to be properly locked. Bearing this in mind, we opened it, Alan took B-Hive through and was turning to go into the lock. Susan thought it would be a good idea to enlist the help of a couple of likely looking gongoozlers, who were chatting about acquiring a boat of their own, to help shut it. They readily agreed and put all their weight behind the push on the cast iron handle. Just as we were making sure it really would shut - THE HANDLE BROKE and we stood around like lemons for a second or two wondering what had happened.

Luckily for us, Pete from the boatyard came to our rescue with a crowbar to shut the bridge. The two helpers had disappeared from view - I wonder whether we put them off boating for ever. As we were working our way down the lock, the we saw Pete strolling along the towpath with the bridge handle casually tucked under one arm.

SORRY!!