Surge in bookings for Chesterfield Canal tripboats

Hundreds of passengers are enjoying the sights along Chesterfield Canal since tripboats resumed operation after lockdown.
By Gay Bolton
Published 12th Aug 2021, 12:02 BST
Madeline operates from Hollingwood Hub, near Staveley.Madeline operates from Hollingwood Hub, near Staveley.
Madeline operates from Hollingwood Hub, near Staveley.

Rod Auton of Chesterfield Canal Trust said: “All our trips have been busy since we restarted. We’ve already carried several hundred happy passengers.”

The trust runs public trips from Tapton Lock, on John Varley II, on Tuesday and Sundays and from Hollingwood Hub on Madeline, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays throughout August. After that time, the trips are run at weekends only.

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Rod said: “The most popular trips are the Strawberry Cream Tea cruises on John Varley ll on Friday afternoons. So popular that there is only one space left on one cruise! However Madeline also does Cream Tea cruises on Wednesday afternoons.”

Charters run throughout the year and can be booked at any time on any days when the boats are not involved in public trips.

In a normal year, the trust start trips at Easter and carries on to the end of September (Madeline) and October (John Varley ll).

Santa Specials on the weekends before Christmas are incredibly popular. In 2019 John Varley ll and Madeline carried more than 1300 passengers on Santa Specials between them.

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The period between Christmas and Easter is used to service and rerfurbish the boats.

Chesterfield Canal Trust has an information centre and shop at Hollingwood Hub, where there is also a cafe.Chesterfield Canal Trust has an information centre and shop at Hollingwood Hub, where there is also a cafe.
Chesterfield Canal Trust has an information centre and shop at Hollingwood Hub, where there is also a cafe.

John Varley tripboats have been running from Tapton Lock since 1992. The current boat, John Varley II, was brought into use five years ago to replace the original vessel.

Madeline has been running at Hollingwood Hub since 2014. At Hollingwood Hub there is also Katey’s Coffee Shop and the trust’s own information centre and shop.

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