Ilkeston Town Walk - Stage 29 - Duke
Street & The Erewash Canal
w/e 26 December 2004
All this week's
pictures were taken with a Kodak DX6490
  Leaving
the Cotmanhay Linear Park at Duke Street (above), our walk now
turns right to reach Awsworth Road opposite the Bridge Inn (left).
It doesn't seem so long ago that Duke Street was an unadopted
track but now the majority of it has been surfaced with tarmac
although near its junction with Awsworth Road, it is still in
a poor state of repair. Passing the Blue Pig, we cross
the bridge over the canal (right).
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From the bridge here are two
views both in a northerly direction. The top one is almost due
north and shows one of the fifteen locks on the Erewash canal
between Sawley and Langley Mill. The lower of the two images
is to the east of the top one and is along Awsworth Road - Awsworth
Village being on the horizon. It also shows the New Manor Ground,
home of Ilkeston Town Football Club. The club currently play
in the Unibond Northern Premier League, First Division, and as
we ease towards the new year, about half way through the season,
they are sitting in a good position near the top of the league.
|
|
Team |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
|
1 |
North Ferriby Utd |
22 |
13 |
4 |
5 |
47 |
27 |
43 |
|
2 |
Ilkeston Town |
21 |
13 |
3 |
5 |
38 |
24 |
42 |
|
3 |
Gresley Rovers |
20 |
12 |
4 |
4 |
28 |
16 |
40 |
|
4 |
Willenhall Town |
20 |
10 |
6 |
4 |
35 |
23 |
36 |
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Our route though as we begin our return
journey to the town centre is in the opposite direction to the
football ground and along the towpath of the Erewash Canal. As
we turn to walk along by the side of the canal, we get a good
view of the single track hump back canal bridge with its very
narrow footpath. Visibility from the road either side of the
bridge is very limited and drivers have to proceed with extreme
caution. The steepness of the approach to the bridge is evident
in this image. (Since capturing the above image, traffic lights
have been installed to ease the flow of trafiic over the bridge).
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The Erewash Canal was built
in 1778/9 at a cost of £21,000 - it would probably cost
that much today to fill in the potholes along just a short stretch
of the canal! The canal became very successful transporting coal,
bricks and iron along its length of almost twelve miles to such
an extent that at its height, a £100 share was worth £1300.
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Looking back towards the rear of the Bridge Inn we can see the
outbuildings where horses that worked the canal towpath were
stabled overnight whilst their handlers slept alongside them.
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Today of course the canal trade has disappeared and the Erewash
Canal is used almost exclusively for leisure purposes. Whether
it be walking, boating or fishing or just stopping off whilst
passing nearby to watch the wildlife, the entrepreneurs of the
eighteenth century have left us a legacy that can still be admired.
Even on a cold frosty morning in December, with mist rising from
the semi-frozen water the views have a certain charm and beauty
all of their own. Our walk along the Erewash Canal this time
though is but a short one as we'll cross back at the next bridge
to conclude the "Cotmanhay Loop" and return to the
main route of the "Town Walk".
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