Yorkshire Ring facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yorkshire Ring
Aldwarke Lock on the River Don was enlarged to take 700-tonne Eurobarges in 1983.
Specifications
Locks	48
Status	incomplete
Navigation authority	British Waterways

The Yorkshire Ring is a special route made of different canals in South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire, England. It was finished in 1905 when the New Junction Canal was built. However, it only stayed open for about 30 years. Parts of the Dearne and Dove Canal and then the whole Barnsley Canal were closed. Today, people are working to bring both of these canals back to life.

What is a Canal Ring?

Connecting Waterways for Fun Trips

The idea of a "canal ring" started in 1965. This was part of a big effort by the Inland Waterways Association. They wanted to stop the Rochdale Canal from closing completely. At first, they called one route the "Cheshire Canal Ring." Soon, it was just called the "Cheshire Ring."

Explore Without Going Back

A canal ring is a group of canals that connect to each other. You can travel around the whole loop, usually in one or two weeks. The best part is you don't have to go over the same section twice! This idea has been used for many other canal routes since then.

Bringing the Yorkshire Ring Back

The Yorkshire Ring is part of a similar effort to save canals. The Barnsley Canal Group started in 1984. Their first goal was to fix the Barnsley Canal. This canal runs from the Aire and Calder Navigation near Wakefield to the town of Barnsley.

As the group grew, they realized how great it would be if the canal was part of a longer route. In 1986, they thought about restoring the Dearne and Dove Canal too. This canal had some extra challenges. Many parts of it had been destroyed by new buildings after it closed.

Luckily, a railway line from Mexborough to Barnsley was no longer used around that time. This old railway path offered a way to build new parts of the canal. These new sections could replace the parts that couldn't be fixed. So, the idea of fixing both canals and creating the Yorkshire Ring was born!

Key Dates for the Yorkshire Ring

Building the Canals

• 1793: People first imagined a complete canal ring. This happened when the Barnsley Canal and the Dearne & Dove Canal were both approved by laws on the same day.
• 1804: The Dearne and Dove Canal was finished. This was five years after the Barnsley Canal. Only a small part of the ring was left to build. This section was between the Stainforth and Keadby Canal and the Aire and Calder Navigation.
• 1888: The Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation Company was created. They eventually took control of several canals. These included the River Don Navigation, Stainforth and Keadby Canal, Dearne and Dove Canal, and the Sheffield Canal. They took them over from the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway Company in 1895.
• 1891: The Aire and Calder Canal company got permission to build the New Junction Canal. This project was to be paid for and owned by both companies. It could not start until the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation had control of their waterways. So, building began after March 1, 1895.
• 1905: The New Junction Canal was completed. This also meant the Yorkshire Ring was finally finished!

When the Canals Closed

• 1934: The ring was broken again. The middle part of the Dearne and Dove Canal closed. This happened because of problems caused by mining. When mines dug underground, the ground above could sink, damaging the canal.
• 1953: The Barnsley Canal was officially closed.
• 1961: The Dearne and Dove Canal also closed.
• 1984: There was new hope for the complete ring! The Barnsley Canal Group formed. They wanted to restore both the Barnsley and Dearne & Dove Canals.

Places of Interest Along the Ring