Appeal to finish Chesterfield Canal restoration
THE Chesterfield Canal Trust has launched a new appeal for funds to finish the restoration of the canal.
Its last two appeals raised a combined total of over £100,000 that went a long way in its restoration.But now the aim is to complete the last nine miles of restoration by 2027 which is the 250th Anniversary of the opening of the waterway in 1777.
Directly towards restoration
All the money donated will go directly towards to costs of restoring the canal, with six ways to contribute:
* One-off Donation, which can be done by cash, cheque or online.
* Monthly payment, which can be done by Standing Order.
* Certificated Donation, which is for larger donations, which will be acknowledged by a formal certificate. There are four levels—Silver (£100), Gold (£500), Platinum (£1,000) and Diamond (£5,000).
* Legacy—increasing numbers of supporters are leaving legacies in their wills.
* Major item sponsorship—this could be major pieces of infrastructure such as lock gates, footbridges or lengths of towpath.
* Corporate Social Responsibility—the Trust is very happy to discuss opportunities with both public and private sector organisations.
Full details are available on the Trust’s website—search for Chesterfield Canal Trust.
12 miles restored
In 1989, the 20 miles of canal from Worksop to Chesterfield were derelict. Since then, 12 miles have been restored along with 37 locks, 11 major road bridges and two marinas.
The Trust is finalising plans for the restoration of the remaining section between Staveley and Kiveton Park. Between 1996 and 2003 a new marina was built at Shireoaks and the restoration of six miles of canal, several bridges and 31 locks extended the head of navigation from Worksop to the Norwood Tunnel.
Five miles and five locks
At the isolated western end, five miles and five locks from Chesterfield to Mill Green were made navigable between 1990 and 2002. Staveley Town Basin was opened in 2012, the new Staveley Town Lock was opened in 2016 and Hartington Harbour was in water in 2018. Much of this work was done by volunteers.
A new terminal basin is the centrepiece of the £350 million Chesterfield Waterside complex currently under construction.
Full time development manager
The Chesterfield Canal Trust has recently appointed a full-time Development Manager, George Rogers, who is working with partners, including the Canal & River Trust and Derbyshire County Council, to realise the Trust’s bold ambitions for 2027.
The Trust’s Restoration Committee Chairman, Mark Potter, explained:
“These are very exciting times for the Chesterfield Canal. We hope that the public will respond generously to our new appeal, as they have in the past, so that we can realise our dream of the canal being fully restored by its 250th Anniversary in 2027.”