Canal Chronicles: Erewash Canal

We had a walk along the Erewash Canal near Sandiacre, Derbyshire, UK today. We set off along the towpath that is also used by cyclists and horse riders and made our way towards the Grade II listed Canal Bridge, by John Varley, which was built in 1779. SourceYou can see the Church of St.Giles in the background.

Mills Dockyard looked particularly pretty in the sun with the reflections in the water.

This is Harrington's Mill now derelict. It was built back in 1885 for the Silk Industry. Source

Springfield Mill, was built in 1888 as a lace factory. Source The building has now been converted into flats. I'm pleased it was repurposed instead of just getting demolished.

The resident swans had built quite a large nest. It can take a couple of weeks to actually build a nest. Once the eggs have all been laid, the female (pen) will sit on the nest for approximately 6 weeks before the eggs hatch.

If you want refreshments you can call in at Beeston Marina that provides different services and facilities, including the award winning Boathouse Cafe owned by Sandie and Tony, which is open 7 days a week.

The canal was used to transport coal, stones from the quarries, bricks, and metal until this was taken over by the railways in the 19th century. Source
This made for a really interesting walk. Especially seeing the canal's industrial history running alongside nature.