Designs for 'impressive' Chesterfield Canal aqueduct set to be drawn up

Designs for an ‘impressive’ aqueduct can be drawn up in the latest stage of the ambitious multi-million pound Chesterfield Canal restoration project.
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The Chesterfield Canal Trust will now be inviting tenders to design the aqueduct, which will be 37 metres long and stand ten metres above the River Doe Lea, at Staveley.

The cost of the designs will be met with £91k funding from Chesterfield Borough Council, however the group still needs to source the funds for the building project itself, which will exceed £1million.

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Rod Auton, the trust’s publicity officer, said once the structure is complete it will be ‘famous’, adding: “People will come to see it.

Doe Lea Aqueduct by Trudy Roe.Doe Lea Aqueduct by Trudy Roe.
Doe Lea Aqueduct by Trudy Roe.

“It will be really big and impressive.”

He explained that when the canal was first built in the late 18th Century there were just two culverts, or tunnels, built to allow the river to pass beneath it.

When the waterway fell into decline, the Environment Agency made adjustments to the area address flooding issues, which the new Doe Lea Aqueduct will bypass.

The steel structure promises to be a feat of engineering, and Mr Auton said there were challenges that needed to be addressed, such as the lack of nearby roads and the existence of overhead power lines, which will prevent the use of a crane.

Staveley Puddlebank May 1970.Staveley Puddlebank May 1970.
Staveley Puddlebank May 1970.
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“The abutments on either side have got to be really big and you have got to dig down to bedrock, which will be 40/50 feet down, to have supporting pillars for the abutments,” the retired teacher continued.

He said the weight of the water once the canal is operational will also need to be considered.

The group is hoping complete restoration of the 46-mile waterway by 2027, the 250th anniversary of its original opening in 1777.

Mr Auton said their ability to stick to this date was dependent upon funding.

Doe Lea footbridge.Doe Lea footbridge.
Doe Lea footbridge.
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The trust celebrated success earlier this year when they were awarded £5.3million from the Staveley Town Deal, which will go towards extending the canal half a mile from Hartington Harbour onto the Staveley Puddlebank.

They are now hopeful they will be able to get financial backing for the aqueduct build, possibly in the form of sponsorship.

With all the investment currently in Chesterfield and Staveley towns, the group hopes the canal will attract tourists.

They aim to start work in the aqueduct in 2024 in line with the other planned works on that stretch of canal, subject to design and funding.