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Discovery days at Cromford Canal

This section of the Cromford Canal is the longest stretch of waterway within a World Heritage Site in England.

The Friends had a series of displays based in and around the warehouse at the terminal basin of the canal at Cromford Wharf, adjacent to Cromford village and Arkwright’s Mill. Along with the society’s own stand and its extensive historic photographic display – one of the best of any waterway voluntary group – there was a display and demonstration of traditional painting and other skills by the Waterways Craft Guild.

Other local groups supported the society’s display and outside there was a fascinating demonstration of rope spinning on a portable rope walk. On the other side of the basin in the other converted warehouse the Arkwright Society’s café provided welcome refreshments for a cold but generally fine weekend which brought a considerable number of visitors to the Cromford Canal.

Further down the canal – by the elegant aqueduct over the River Derwent – visitors were able to see the historic Leawood Pump in steam.  To solve a number of complicated water problems affecting the 1793-built canal it was found necessary to have a pump to extract water from the Derwent and the steam powered Leawood Pump began operating in late 1850.

Housed in quite a restricted space, a powerful pump was required because of restrictions placed on hours of use and Leawood is capable of lifting almost four tons of water at each stroke into the canal at a rate of seven strokes per minute.  The whole piece of machinery and its vast scale is amazing to see in action, but visitors are particularly fascinated by the complexity of the valve gear, which is based on the Cornish type but unique to Leawood.

The engine has been restored and is maintained and run by a dedicated group of volunteers who are also involved in the restoration of the adjacent Cromford & High Peak Railway Middleton Top Engine.  Leawood is steamed about 12 days a year and entry is free.

•For details www.middleton-leawood.org.uk or Tel: 01629 823204