2023

SJ9754 : Caldon Canal Leek Branch - winding hole

taken 10 months ago, near to Leek, Staffordshire, England

Caldon Canal Leek Branch - winding hole
Caldon Canal Leek Branch - winding hole
The Canal & River Trust sign warns boaters that craft over 45 feet in length must wind (turn) here. It is no great loss; the canal does continue for a few more yards but there are no moorings at the very end.
The Caldon Canal

The Caldon Branch of the Trent and Mersey Canal was completed in December 1778, and opened in 1779, specifically as a transport facility for the limestone quarries at Cauldon, near Froghall. In 1797 a secondary branch was built from the original Hazelhurst Locks to Leek. By 1811 a further extension from Froghall led to Uttoxeter, a further 13 miles, but only lasted until 1845. By 1849 a railway had been built, some of the track using the former canal bed. This was also the fate of part of the original canal near Endon.
A major rebuild and rerouting process near Endon resulted in the raising of the level, and three locks being replaced by the three chamber staircase at Hazelhurst Wood near Denford by 1800. A further major rebuild near Hazelhurst was completed by 1841. This included abandoning the troublesome staircase, and creating three single new locks on another new cut, which led to a reusing of part of the original 1778 route, which then passed under a new aqueduct to accommodate the Leek Branch. Thus Hazelhurst Junction was relocated. That is an awful lot of expensive rethinking within the short time frame of just 63 years!

Due mainly to railways taking most of the trade, the canal became little used and almost unnavigable by the early 1960s.

The canal was reopened in 1974 following enormous amounts of work instigated by the Caldon Canal Society, its volunteers, and the British Waterways Board. The current seventeen miles from Etruria to Froghall are a particularly attractive canal for cruising, despite the seventeen locks ... well that isn't too many, is it? ;-)

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Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Stephen McKay and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Geographical Context: Canals Primary Subject: Canal other tags: Canal Winding Hole Click a tag, to view other nearby images.
This photo is linked from: Automatic Clusters: · Feet in Length must Wind Turn [5] Title Clusters: · Caldon Canal Leek Branch - winding hole [2] ·
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SJ9754, 53 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
Stephen McKay   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Monday, 15 May, 2023   (more nearby)
Submitted
Saturday, 20 May, 2023
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SJ 9799 5494 [10m precision]
WGS84: 53:5.5000N 2:1.8880W
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SJ 9799 5492
View Direction
NORTH (about 0 degrees)
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Image Type (about): geograph 
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