70 November 2017 Canal Boat canalboat.co.ukErewash excursion
wildlife to be seen as it continues its
lock-free and almost entirely rural course
along the contours of the valley side,
providing good views across the valley
as the River Erewash (and Erewash
Canal) gradually drop away.
The path deviates briefly from the
canal to avoid a missing aqueduct over
Coronation Road, but generally the canal
survives in good condition (albeit it
would take an optimist to propose
restoring it) as it continues generally
south, but takes a couple of large
meanders eastwards where side valleys
join the Erewash.
Look out for a couple of side arms
branching off east: one of these (near
Cossall), built to serve a long-vanished
colliery, can be accessed by a footbridge
and followed for several hundred yards
as it gradually becomes more overgrownand the path peters out. A mile or so
beyond this arm, look out for a footpath
sign (opposite a seat set in the infilled
canal bed) half hidden in the bushes,
indicating a ‘short cut’.
This is where we leave the canal –
although the towpath trail continues for
a couple more miles to the outskirts of
Nottingham, while dedicated explorers
of derelict waterways will enjoy tracking
down the surviving remnants beyond
there of the descent via Wollaton Locks
to meet the Beeston Cut at Lenton, on
the west side of the city centre.
Take this side path, which crosses a
bridge over a railway to meet the A609
main road. Bear right, and in a few
minues you will arrive back where you
started, at Gallows Inn Bridge.EAT AND DRINK
Gallows Inn, Ilkeston DE7 5BN
0115 944 1052
The Junction Cafe, Station Road, Ilkeston
DE7 5TE 0115 998 3816
Bridge Inn, Cotmanhay DE7 8RD
0115 930 0596
The Great Northern, Langley Mill
NG16 4AA 01773 719886 We recommend the Ordnance Survey’s Explorer map
260 Nottingham to accompany this walk. ©Crown
CB copyright 2017 Ordnance Survey. Media 014/17A former swingbridge survivesJunction with an old arm of the Nottingham Canal