Nutbrook Canal.

As it's still the school holidays and we like to avoid the more crowded footpaths if we can, Malcolm and I thought we would take a look at what's left of the old Nutbrook Canal. In truth, there isn't a lot left of it to explore, but we started at a familiar landmark which we know as 'graffiti bridge' - for obvious reasons.

The upper level of the bridge, used to carry the Mapperley Branch of a mineral railway line and close by, in what is now an area of scrub (just off to the left in the photo above), the line split at what was Mapperley Junction. A huge number of railway lines in the area, formed the Nutbrook sidings and the Heanor Branch line.
Close by the bridge, you can still see the stone remains of an old lock. The lock and indeed the whole canal, was still in use on the 1880 maps, but disused by the 1915 edition.

It's all a bit overgrown now, but the water flows over the stone-built bottom of the canal...

the construction of which can still be seen in places.

The path we were on, runs along what used to be the 'Union and Municipal Borough Boundary'.

Over the far side of the canal, where trees and birdsong now dominate, the West Hallam Iron Works once belched fumes and noise. It is remarkable that still nothing will grow where the Iron Works were demolished over 100 years ago. Makes you wonder what's still poisoning the ground all this time later.

It's all much more peaceful now - thank goodness. And this morning, even a pair of Mandarin ducks could be seen (if you look carefully) paddling along. You certainly wouldn't have seen that 100 years ago!

Soon, the path opened out onto farmland. The area is farmed by nearby Head House Farm but on the 1880 maps, over to the right around this area, the Nutbrook Colliery is marked, along with its associated branch lines, engine house and air shafts.

Leaving behind the open fields, we were soon back into the trees where we had to do a slight 'dog-leg' as we crossed a small drainage channel where it joins the canal.

Then, it was along to our last point on the canal for today. We know this area somewhat affectionately as Vole Bridge (we've watched Water Voles here before), but on the old maps it's marked as Parker's Bridge. By now, the canal looks more like a long, thin pond as it slowly gets taken over by vegetation.

So, that's a stroll through some local history!