Shortly before Bull Bridge, we made our second stop for signing in at the end of this second section of the walk. A little beyond Bull Bridge the canal has been obliterated firstly by Stevenson’s Paint and Dye Works and perhaps more damagingly by a Transco gas distribution depot. The diversion around this area was both convoluted and strenuous but it brought us down to the fantastically picturesque Ambergate to Cromford section. This section is now owned by Derbyshire County Council and extensive work was carried out in the 1970’s by the now defunct Cromford Canal Society. All the structures on this length are in incredibly good condition and are well maintained. The only problem is that there is very little depth of water in the duckweed covered channel. The area is designated as a linear nature reserve and unpowered craft (small dinghies and canoes) are allowed to use it with the consent of the county council. A short distance along this stretch a most welcome refreshment stop was provided by two of the ‘Friends’ in their beautiful back garden. Drinks and home-made biscuits went down a treat along with a quick visit to the in-house pottery studio. There are no locks on this section beyond the tunnel and the towpath from Ambergate to Cromford is very popular especially on sunny Sundays like the one we were experiencing.
Cromford "We look forward to the day when work starts again..." Here we enjoyed an ice cream and a sit down before the remaining ¾ mile to the warehouses at the end of the Cromford canal. The walk took most of us, with stops and the railway journey, 7½ hours and a good time was had by all. It was amazing to see how much of this long derelict canal still remains and apart from a few obvious major obstructions e.g. the tunnel, Bull Bridge aqueduct and the gas depot, there appear to be few other major problems. Once restored this canal will not only be a valuable and beautiful addition to the national network but also will provide much needed development impetus in the Jacksdale, Ironville and Pinxton areas. We look forward to the day when work starts again on the Cromford canal and hope that WRG will have its role to play in this. Steve and Sue Johnson
Beyond Whatstandwell we came to a reed filled ‘wide’ just before Gregory tunnel and after this the Leawood Arm forms a junction to the right. A swing bridge took us across the canal and we walked over the impressive river Derwent Aqueduct. Immediately over the aqueduct is the Leawood pumping station, which was used to pump water from the River Derwent into the canal but only at weekends! The pumping station has its own preservation society that has restored and now maintains the 1846 steam pump and its adjacent boilers. Although open for visits it was, unfortunately, not in steam. It was now only a short distance to the next swing bridge that took us to the interchange sheds and workshops of the Cromford On the towpath at Stoneyford: not much sign of the canal here at the and High Peak Railway. moment. (Brian Dominic)
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