The Erewash Canal tracks along the border of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. With some parts urban and some rural, the canal plots a course through the area’s natural and cultural heritage. This trail covers the top section of the canal, heading from the village of Langley Mill through to Ilkeston as it passes through the Erewash Valley.
Popular with walkers, horse riders, and cyclists, the Erewash Canal also makes for an excellent paddle, combining countryside views with urban heritage.
The industrial estate opposite Hallam Fields Lock represents the beginning of a huge area that was Stanton Ironworks. Established in the 1700s, the works were once Ilkeston’s main employer. The site’s final closure came in 2007, and the area is currently under redevelopment.
At Pastures Lock, the village of Sandiacre begins to replace open countryside. The village was once a small, rural settlement but grew with the development of the textiles industry (partly facilitated by the canal). Springfield Mill is the first of several mills lining the canal through Long Eaton and has now been converted into apartments, securing its future.
Although the canal now runs through an urban setting again, it still holds charm, passing by pocket parks and washlands on the River Erewash’s flood plain. The basin is actually the previous convergence point of the Derby & Sandiacre Canal, which was fully closed in 1964, with much of its route now surviving as a public footpath. The canal has an active restoration campaign, led by the Derby and Sandiacre Canal Trust. The attractive cottages at the lock were restored and rejuvenated by another canal society, the Erewash Canal Preservation and Development Association (ECP&DA), who also restored the basin at Langley Mill. They are often opened as tea rooms or for events and serve as the base for the association.
Long Eaton, in contrast to Springfield Mill, still feels in the process of decline rather than rejuvenation—a reminder that much of our industrial heritage still needs to be saved for future generations.
Trent Lock marks the convergence of the Erewash Canal, the Soar Navigation, and the Trent Navigation, carrying goods to and from the Humber and beyond.
Facilities at Gallows Inn:
- There is a pub, recently reopened, next to Gallows Inn Lock.
Facilities at Trent Lock:
- There are a variety of places to eat and drink at Trent Lock, all of which can be found online, including:
