The Historic Abandoned Leawood Arm of the Cromford Canal

Welcome to the Derwent Valley in Derbyshire, a UNESCO designated world heritage site. We're here to look at a long abandoned and derelict branch of the historic Cromford Canel - the Leawood Arm or Nightingale Branch as it was also known.
This short branch was built in 1802 by Peter Nightingale, great uncle of the famous Florence. It runs from near the Derwent Aqueduct to the village of Lea Wood.
We start our video today at the former workshops of the Cromford & High Peak Railway, or High Peak Junction as it is known as these days. We walk down the restored Cromford Canal past the Leawood Pump House. It opened in 1850 as a way of topping the canal up from the River Derwent below it. Still in working orders today thanks to a dedicated team of voluenteers who have restored the steam workings.
We cross the impressive aqueduct over the Derwent and pass a swing bridge before coming to the little cottage on the far banking. Aqueduct Cottage was originally built for the lock keeper at the entrance to the Leawood Arm. It fell into ruin after the 1960s before being restored in the last few years. this is the start of our disused canal arm today, which opened in 1802. The first short section is still in water, although un-navigable until we reach a missing former iron-trough aqueduct that carried the canal over the Midland Railway just by the entrance to Leawood Tunnel.
From here the canal cutting is abandoned and dry, so we can see the construction on the embankment in clings to before we reach the wharf where the canal terminated from 1819, There are remains of the foundation for the old crane on the wharf side. Originally the Lea Wood Canal extended as far as the village of Lea Wood, but this only lasted 17 years.
Leawood Arm - www.cromfordca...
Leawood Pump House - www.cromfordca...
Aqueduct Cottage -vwww.cromfordca...
#aquaduct

[@psychicspies673]

I loved this one! Great little hidden gem to cover. Particularly liked the sped up walking tour at the end. Gave a great feel for it. Another place to explore on my list 😊

[@WobblyRunner]

You could combine it with a stretch up Sheep Pasture Jon ;) I keep meaning to walk all the way back to Ambergate. A great one for the train.

[@martinmarsola6477]

Thank you for the walking tour this day. Very pleasant and easy to understand the trip. Always an interesting trip to see. Thank you, Paul for today’s walking tour, and see you on the next. Enjoy your weekend! 🇬🇧🙂👍🇺🇸

[@WobblyRunner]

Thanks Martin. Glad you enjoyed it 👍 🇺🇸

[@desmo750f1]

I was there last weekend, Google is watching me. Yes, Leawood pump house still runs on steam.

[@WobblyRunner]

😄 google knows everything ;)

[@andrewmarriott4033]

Fantastic area never tire of walking around there many years ago my dog jumped into the canal viaduct over the derwent when she spotted a bird stood on the green algi at the time great memories 👍

[@WobblyRunner]

😄 that sounds a familiar dog related scenario Andrew

[@robertsimmonds1160]

The old Loch Gate is due to go in this month, after years of it being stored and restored

[@WobblyRunner]

👍 I've been following the progress of the lock gate on the Facebook pics. Great to see it. I hoped to get down to see some of the progress

[@Carolb66]

Hi Paul love this area of Derbyshire. Must get to visit again its years since i last visited. Did i see trees growing out of the roof on the old lockeepers cottage? 🤔 what a fab restoration its had. I would love to do the exact walk you have done & spend a full day there so much history & things to see. Fab video this Paul. ❤😊👍

[@WobblyRunner]

Thanks Carol. You're right, it's a great area isn't it. So much to see and so many different walks

[@Carolb66]

@@WobblyRunner 🥰❤👍

[@wideyxyz2271]

❤💥💫

[@chrischapman7514]

A good video something different great work Paul.

[@WobblyRunner]

Thanks Chris. Enjoyed making this one.

[@john-pu5uy]

Good walk Paul mate--- keep the great content going ? you going to film on your jollies again this year ?

[@WobblyRunner]

Cheers John. Yep. Well.....as long as I can stay out of hospital long enough this time :)

[@eggy77]

Very interesting. I didn't realise that was a canal, just thought it was a feeder for the Cromford Canal 🤦

[@WobblyRunner]

Doh!!

[@gaz11h]

Always interesting to see a good video of an area you know ,was there recently when the cottage was open certainly a great restoration from what it was and it's a nice circular walk from the Lea Bridge car park to, only about a mile which takes on the cottage the Nightingale arm and the High Peak workshops

[@WobblyRunner]

Great stuff. It must be one of the best areas for the amount of historical interest in such a small area.

[@glynlittlewood7538]

amazing, love these little gems mate 👍

[@WobblyRunner]

Cheers Glyn. A great piece of history.

[@andreacoates5732]

Thanks

[@WobblyRunner]

Thanks very much Andrea 👍🙂

[@andreacoates5732]

@@WobblyRunner Anytime 👍😊

[@maestromanification]

Interesting video Paul I take it there are no plans to connect a restored Western part of Cromford canal to the restored network

[@WobblyRunner]

Eventually I believe Russ. There is mention of it on the website. There's a lot of redevelopment on the course though East of Ambergate.

[@mikewood142]

Hello again Paul, Wow!!! What an amazing video and very informative too. I've walked the Cromford Canal once before all the way to Ambergate, but never knew about the walk up to Lea Bridge, so i think again thanks to another one of your lovely videos I'll have to re-do the walk again sometime soon. Did you know that in the same area up in the village, there's a small museum dedicated to Florence Nightingale, I've pasted it a few times when I've been on the bus, but because the service isn't very good, I've not bothered to get off there sadly. Anyway i remember on the day i did the canal walk, the volunteers were just making the fires for the Leawood Pump house for demonstrations for the public which was nice, and also on the same day, at the other end of the canal, the start of it, they were doing canal boat trips and even the Horse drawn canal boat too, which was different, i had an enjoyable day. On another note, it's still nice to see the Canal and Railway running side by side, just like they used to do back in the old days. On another note Paul, when walking down the canal tow path from the start, did you by any chance spot the Dinosaur hidden in the wooded area on the right handside? 😂 It put a smile on my face when I saw it i can say lol 😂 not sure where it came from, but it adds a bit of good fun to the walk. And one last thing, a quick question because I'm sure you'll know the answer to it.? When i got to Ambergate on the day i did the walk, i did notice that the canal disappeared.? Do you by any chance know where the rest of the canal went or goes from there? It'll be interesting to know. Anyway keep up the good work mate, love watching your videos. All the best from. Devon Mike 🚂

[@WobblyRunner]

Cheers Mike. It is a great area isn't it. So much to see. I didn't spot the dinosaur sadly. I'll keep my eye out for it 🙂. Funny you should ask about after Ambergate. I do have another series of videos on the section from Ambergate to the Erewash Valley.

[@mikewood142]

Thanks for the reply back Paul, Yes I agree with you on your comments, it's a lovely part of the Amber Valley I must say. And nice to hear your doing another video on the canal even further, I'll lookout for that one soon. All the best from. Mike.

[@WobblyRunner]

@@mikewood142 cheers Mike. Those videos are already on the channel. Back in 2022. kzbin.info/www/bejne/apW7i6Wqrb2Li7csi=SabdgvhcZ0FRB8GD kzbin.info/www/bejne/bqu7gX2Bn6x3rq8si=u2aRmPXWZ2nKFvKo ...and then the Pinxton one kzbin.info/www/bejne/l2WkkoCmfJaGr7Msi=gh0TBFSoy10pn5UR

[@mikewood142]

Thanks for the info Paul, Sorry yes I do remember that you had done a couple of videos in the past, like I've said to you before, and meaning this in a bit of jokey banter, you've done so many videos it's difficult to remember what you've done and when you've done them!!!!!!! 😆 But that's a good thing about your channel, people can go back to see what you've done and places you've visited. On another note, is there at any time you'll be visiting two local heritage railways in the Derbyshire area? They are: The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway. And the: Steeple Grange Light Railway. If you've already done the videos on those places mentioned, then apologies in advance. Anyway have a nice weekend, the weather looks good, so I'll most probably be out and about on my travels as usual. All the best from. Mike Wood.

[@WobblyRunner]

@@mikewood142 :) ooooh yes. I was meant to visit Ecclesbourne Valley on New Years but came down with illness. So I need to get back there are this summer. I still need to do Steeple Grange. As long I can locate a free day Im off work when they are running. I'm looking forward to doing that one very much.

[@Evilc-dq3kf]

Our favourite place, pity there’s so much weed in the canal. The narrow boat can’t go through the swing bridge and has to back all the way back to it’s starting point.

[@WobblyRunner]

Ah thats a shame. I didnt realise it had got that bad. I assumed it would be cleared by the summer 😞

[@Evilc-dq3kf]

@@WobblyRunner We talked to the boat crew and they said they can’t start clearing the weeds until September.it’s a shame, beyond the swing bridge unnavigable. Plus the depth in some places all along the canal was scraping the bottom.