Chesterfield Canal Trust Restoration Appeal
This year the Trust is running a Restoration Fund entitled ‘A Place in History' in order to keep up the same level of progress. All monies raised will go towards the costs of plant and materials used by the volunteers.
Three ways to donate:
One-off Donation
This can be done online at the Chesterfield Canal Trust's website or by cash or cheque sent to the Treasurer, Chesterfield Canal Trust, Hollingwood Hub, Hollingwood, Chesterfield, S43 2PF.
Monthly payment
This can be done by Standing Order, see below.
Certificated Donation
This is for larger donations, which will be acknowledged by a formal certificate. There will be a special section in the Trust's quarterly magazine, Cuckoo, listing all Certificated Donors.
There are three levels—Silver (£100), Gold (£500) and Platinum (£1,000).
These donations might be made by individuals, but also by companies or groups—such as social clubs, boat crews, pubs, walking groups etc.
For monthly or certificated donations, see the Trust's website, pick up a leaflet or email:
Restored
In 1989, the 20 miles of canal from Worksop to Chesterfield were derelict. Since then, 11 miles have been restored along with 37 locks, 11 major road bridges and two marinas. Every aspect of the restoration of the remaining nine miles is covered in a 1,000 page document called Next Navigation produced by the Chesterfield Canal Partnership.
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. At the isolated western end, five miles and five locks from Chesterfield to Mill Green were made navigable between 1990 and 2002.
Volunteer Work Party
Four of these locks were restored by the volunteer Work Party of the Chesterfield Canal Society (now Chesterfield Canal Trust). They built the fifth from scratch because the original one had been swept away by opencast mining.
A half-mile stretch at Renishaw was completed in 2009. A further half-mile to the new Staveley Town Basin was opened in 2012. The Trust's volunteer Work Party built a 600 metre wash wall to link Mill Green to the new basin to enable this to happen.
The new Staveley Town Lock was built by the Trust's volunteers and opened in 2016.
Basin centrepiece
A new terminal basin is the centrepiece of the £350 million Chesterfield Waterside complex currently under construction.
The Trust has a history of successful restoration appeals. Its ‘Donate a brick for Staveley Town Lock' appeal raised over £45,000.
If the Trust can raise sufficient funds, in 2017 its volunteers will complete 400 metres of brand new canal east of Staveley Town Lock, including a huge spill weir.