Hugh

Yes, true, but only from 1849 when Leawood Pump was built. The original sources were Bonsall Brook (and still is today) and Cromford Sough (lead mine drain). The latter dried up when the deeper Meerbrook Sough was built, hence necessitating Leawood - which is still in steam one weekend a month. Catch it next on 1st or 2nd May.

Paul If you send me a message with your contact details on I will pass it on. Hugh

Thanks for that, Pete. It's good to know that the information is recorded already.

Having just returned from crewing on narrowboat Birdswood that operates between Cromford Wharf and Leawood Pump . . . The original canal and warehouse is the one on the right in the photo that I hope I have attached Thirty years after the canal opened, the second (left-hand) arm was opened to serve limestone quarries and also to take the feed water that had originally arrived via a culvert. The water came from the Bonsall Brook and Cromford Sough (a lead mine drain). When the latter dried up, they were short of water so built Leawood Pump in 1849 (story rather shortened!). The brook/sough water first of all fed Arkwright's mills, the goes via the weir in the mill yard under buildings and the road to pop up in the feeder. This is the regular supply of water today and is sufficient for most of the year. Leawood Pump is restored and pumps over 4 tons per stroke from the River Derwent to the canal. And yes, you are seeing a horse boat - offering public trips today and tomorrow, and every day that Leawood pump is in steam. Check out our new web site for more details: https://www.birdswood.org/

Perhaps an approach by a researcher to photograph the documents before sale for the purpose of recording the information in them for posterity rather than acquiring an original might be well received by the seller? I have found this works with Cromford related stuff when you approach with an 'Archivist' hat on.

Inspired by this thread, a report in the latest Waterways World that the traffic is about to finish (no date given), and some unscheduled dry weather yesterday, I got my bus pass out and went to see if there was anything happening at Attenborough. I was delighted to hear, when I reached the 'Nature Centre', the sound of a Bantam pushing a full pan of aggregate. Remarkable frequency of service - must have been something like three loads per hour with two tugs working. There is a great cafe in visitor centre (seen in picture - little changed from 2009 I see) where you can watch them go by whilst demolishing coffee and cake after an exhilarating walk around the 'lakes' chasing the boats!

Check out the centrespread of NarrowBoat Summer 2014 where full details are given!

Fantastic responses - thanks so much! I will pass them all on. May be I will be able to post a photo of the completed garden in a year of so . . . Cheers Hugh

A group of locals around Ironville and Codnor Park have had the idea to re-create a 19th century lock-keeper's garden alongside one of the surviving of 6 locks of the Ironville flight of the Cromford Canal. The question is: what would he be growing at that time. I don't think I have ever seen anything about the subject (probably he would grow what anyone else with a small garden would grow at the time), and then Monty Don did some research on this some time ago (http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Canalside+garden's+television+makeover%3B+LOCK-KEEPER'S+GARDEN+BLOOMS...-a069042502) But if anyone has any ideas or suggestions, I will be happy to pass them on. Hugh

Sorry if I sound like Eeyore, but do you think anything will ever attract boaters back to the far reaches of the BCN? Wonderful dredging work carried out by BW/CRT yet how many boats use the Walsall Canal which is a through route from the W&E to the Main Line? Would restoration of other routes really increase numbers significantly? (Now, I'll stand back and take cover)

Here is a sample of a Cromford Canal 'Permit Book' entry. The toll ticket given to the boatman to show that he had paid would have been cut off from the right hand side.

For many years a 'Fox' was owned by John Pyper, often crewed by Reg Barnett and on several occasions towed the Skinners around to rallies etc. The tales are recorded in past issues of Waterways World (search for John Pyper as author in online index) and also in 'The Last Number Ones' (published by Waterways World in 2007). Quite a few pictures in those. Is that the same boat?

Sorry to hear that, Pete. Your definitive information will be sadly missed. Hugh

I'd take a stab at Trent Lock (bottom of Erewash Canal) Hugh

Was it this? http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=68259#entry1363362

Brilliant bit of film. If we use the towpath tractor instead of the electric motor on Birdswood on the Cromford Canal (http://www.cromfordcanal.info/boat/trips.htm), we'd be able to do twice as may trips a day!

I believe this was taken at the bottom of Runcorn Locks - it has appeared as a postcard. Hugh

Paul You wouldn't happen to know when this was, would you? Hugh

It was owned by Cecile Dorward, whose wonderful book "Anything But Ordinary: The Nine Lives of Cecile Dorward" recounts how she bought if off Aickman and of her travels around the country from 1948 to 1955. Her voyage across the Wash was reported in the Manchester Guardian of August 1955. Soon after her husband died in December 1956 she sold it "to some American physicists". The story of her early voyages was published in the Waterways Journal (Boat Museum Society) Vol 9, 2007. I'm currently working on a follow-up, hence the details - but I am grateful to know where that photo was taken as there is a very similar black & white one in her photo collection. Hugh

And it only comes out 4 times a year . . . Yes, they will be in an issue soon, but we probably won't have space until the Spring issue next year Hugh

It seems a pity that the resolution available is so low, making it difficult to see what the photos actually portray - hopefully that can be rectified even if a 'watermark' is added to prevent unauthorised copying. Also it would be good to have the ability to offer feedback regarding the photos as some are incorrectly captioned.

Quite by coincidence, and if you will excuse the blatant plug, the Getty image will be appearing as the centrespread of the Summer issue of NarrowBoat magazine as part of Chris Jones' article about (narrow)boating in WWI. We cannot usually afford to use these agency images but in this case Getty were generous enough to charge a price we could afford! The boats were Mascot and Avon Hugh

This is the cottage owned by the enthusiast who has enabled/encouraged the revealing of the Nynehurst Lift structure and its recording and preservation and is a stalwart of the local restoration movement. Being a believer in the restoration movement he encouraged all those enthusiasts to crawl all over his land and has always welcomed interested visitors. I've visited the site a couple of times and do not recall any industrial site nor intrusive noise from the railway. Not that I am on commission from the estate agent. . .

There is a photograph of a similar arrangement on a Severn & Canal boat in the Railway & Canal Historical Society's collection. I hope it will display below, but never have much luck trying to get photos to show up . . . http://www.canalworld.net/forums/uploads/gallery/album_535/gallery_886_535_6003.jpg Hugh