Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation |
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A section of the lock flight up to Sheffield
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| Specifications | |
| Navigation authority | Canal and River Trust |
| History | |
| Original owner | (Took over existing waterways) |
| Date of act | 1889 |
| Date of first use | 1895 |
| Geography | |
| Start point | Sheffield |
| End point | Keadby or Aire and Calder Navigation |
| Connects to | River Trent, Aire and Calder Navigation |
The Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation (S&SY) is a network of waterways for boats in South Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, England. It includes both canals and parts of rivers that have been made suitable for boats.
This waterway system is mostly based on the River Don. It stretches for about 43 miles (69 km) and has 27 locks. It connects important cities like Sheffield, Rotherham, and Doncaster to the River Trent at Keadby. It also links up with the Aire and Calder Navigation through the New Junction Canal.
The S&SY system used to have five main parts. Four of these are still open for boats today:
- The River Don Navigation
- The Sheffield Canal (which was almost forgotten in the 1970s but has been brought back to life since the 1990s)
- The Stainforth and Keadby Canal
- The New Junction Canal
- The Dearne and Dove Canal (this one closed in 1961)
Contents
How the Waterway System Began
The River Don was used by boats as early as 1343. At that time, people were already looking at problems caused by bridges and weirs (small dams). Big changes happened in the 1620s when a person named Cornelius Vermuyden changed the river's path. He made all the water flow north to the River Aire.
After some floods and protests, a new path was dug from Newbridge to Goole. This new path became known as the Dutch River. People started thinking seriously about making the river better for boats in 1691. But groups from Doncaster, Rotherham, and Sheffield couldn't agree on how to do it.
Finally, in 1726, the Sheffield Cutlers (a group of metalworkers) got a special law passed. This law allowed them to improve the river up to Tinsley. Then, Doncaster Corporation got another law in 1727 to improve the river below Doncaster.
New Canals Join the System
The Dutch River was hard for boats to use. So, in 1793, a new canal, the Stainforth and Keadby Canal, was approved. This canal connected the Don at Stainforth to the Trent at Keadby. Even though it seemed independent, the Don Navigation company really controlled it when it opened around 1802.
The Dearne and Dove Canal was also approved in 1793. It ran from Swinton to Barnsley. This canal was also controlled by the Don Navigation because many of its owners also owned parts of the Don. Building a canal from Tinsley into Sheffield took many years due to opposition from the Don Navigation. But it was finally approved in 1815 and opened in 1819.
Railways and Changes in Ownership
By the 1840s, many railways were being planned in the area. The River Don Navigation Company worked to make sure their business would survive. They tried to buy the Barnsley Canal in 1845, which helped them in talks with others.
They bought the Dearne and Dove Canal in 1846. Then, they got the Sheffield Canal in 1848 from a railway company. After long talks, they also took over the Stainforth and Keadby Canal in 1849.
In 1850, they joined with the South Yorkshire, Doncaster and Goole Railway. They became the South Yorkshire Railway and River Dun Company. This company was then rented to the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway for 999 years in 1864.
By the 1880s, people using the canals were unhappy. They felt the prices for moving goods were too high compared to railways. Also, the canals were not becoming modern. For example, steam boats were not allowed, even though they had been used for 50 years on the nearby Aire and Calder Navigation.
With big canals like the Manchester Ship Canal being built, people started thinking about a new, larger canal from Sheffield to the sea. Experts were asked to study if a canal big enough for medium-sized ships could be built.
Their report in 1888 said that the existing locks from Sheffield to Keadby were too small. But they believed the waterway could be made bigger for 300- to 500-ton boats. This could be done by building new locks next to the old ones without stopping traffic. The estimated cost was about £1 million.
The Sheffield and South Yorkshire Canal Company Limited was formed in November 1888. They wanted to make this new plan happen and get the necessary law passed.
The new company got a special law on August 26, 1889. This law created the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation Company. It allowed them to raise £1.5 million. They could also buy the four canals from the railway company. If talks failed after nine months, they could force the railway company to sell.
The goal was to rebuild the Don and the Stainforth and Keadby routes. This would allow 300- or 400-ton barges to be used. They also wanted to build new facilities at Keadby to handle coal. This would make Keadby a rival to Goole on the Aire and Calder Navigation. Also, the Dearne and Dove Canal would be made deeper. This would allow special compartment boats to carry coal, similar to those on the Aire and Calder.
The railway company did not want to sell and tried to stop the new company in court. But in 1891, the courts sided with the canal company. Still, talks went on for a long time.
Meanwhile, an agreement was made with the Aire and Calder Navigation. They agreed to connect the two systems with a 5.5-mile (9 km) canal. This meant the improved Don could use Goole for exporting coal, instead of needing to develop Keadby.
By 1893, they agreed on what the railway company was selling and for how much: £1.14 million. £600,000 was to be paid in cash. The rest could be paid in shares of the new company. This meant the railway company could have people on the board of directors. Because of this, the Aire and Calder company decided not to buy any shares. The new company found it hard to raise enough money.
The new company finally took over the four canals on March 1, 1895. They had only raised £625,000, which was less than the buying price. So, the railway company named half of the ten directors. This meant there wasn't enough money to fund the big plans for making the system modern.
Modern Times and Future Plans
In 1948, the company became part of British Waterways, which was owned by the government. By the 1960s, fewer boats were using the canals. The main part of the navigation officially ended at the new steelworks in Aldwarke, below Rotherham.
In the 1960s and 1970s, there were many ideas to make the system better. The goal was to allow larger boats as far as Rotherham. This plan was finally approved in the early 1980s. The canal was made deeper to 8 feet, and the locks were rebuilt to fit 700-ton vessels.
A new dock and freight terminal were built in Rotherham. Other facilities below Rotherham were also improved. These improvements opened in 1983. Even though they have been used sometimes since then, the upgrade was not as successful as hoped.
By the 1970s, boats rarely went above Rotherham. The improvements in the 1980s did not include the part of the waterway above the town. The locks there remained suitable only for much smaller boats. Over time, parts of the Sheffield Canal slowly became unused and run-down.
In 1990, Sheffield City Council and British Waterways worked together to bring the waterway back to life. This brought boats back to a redeveloped Sheffield Basin. This area is now called Victoria Quays and is used for fun activities and businesses.
Today, the main line of the system is open for boats. This includes the Stainforth and Keadby and New Junction canals. It is mostly used for leisure boating, like pleasure cruises. Some commercial carrying still happens from the quarry at Cadeby and the docks at Rotherham and Doncaster. There is also a busy commercial boatyard at Swinton and a leisure boatyard in Sheffield. In 2008–09, the system carried 290,000 tonnes of goods. Most of this (266,100 tonnes) was limestone from Cadeby.
The Rother Link is a plan to make the River Rother suitable for boats from Rotherham to Killamarsh. A short canal would then connect it to the Chesterfield Canal. This would create a fun circular route for leisure boats. A group is also working to reopen the Dearne and Dove Canal. They have done some restoration work at Elsecar and have asked for a report on how to reopen it.
