Derbyshire's Canals

This illustrated history in colour features Derbyshire’s seven canals, cut between 1774 and 1805 to play their part in the early stages of the Industrial Revolution. Five of these canals still exist. The book explains when, where, how and by whom the canals were built and for what purposes. The Trent and Mersey Canal, over 93 miles long, was a massive undertaking spanning three counties. The Peak Forest Canal was the last of the Derbyshire canals and the only one to penetrate quarried. The Chesterfield Canal sought to serve heavy industry and the Derby Canal came about because ‘something must be done’ about the town’s poor transport links and coal shortages. The Erewash and Nutbrook Canals were both extensions of the River Trent.