The Woodeaves Canal (sometimes hyphenated as Wood-Eaves) was a short, privately owned canal near Ashbourne, Derbyshire, England. It was a short waterway, isolated from the rest of the United Kingdom canal network.

Woodeaves Canal
Specifications
Length1.25 miles (2.01 km)
Locks0
Statusinfilled
History
Date completed1802
Date closedc. 1846
Geography
Start pointWoodeaves Mill
End pointBradbourne Brook

In 1784 a cotton mill was constructed near Fenny Bentley, about 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Ashbourne. The mill owners, Philip Waterfield, John Matchitt and John Cooper, negotiated a lease with landowner, Samuel Haslam, to construct a canal from the Bradbourne Brook to the mill.[1] The canal was primarily designed to provide a water supply for the mill but under the terms of the lease, the mill owners could dig for limestone along the line of the canal and the waterway was used for transporting the stone.[2]

The canal opened in 1802[3] and was approximately 1.25 miles (2.01 km) in length.[2] Although the mill continued in operation until 1908 the canal was believed to have fallen into disuse by 1846.[4]

References

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Notes

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  1. ^ Sprenger (2013), p. 119.
  2. ^ a b Farey (1817), p. 451.
  3. ^ Noble (1829), p. 270.
  4. ^ Sprenger (2013), p. 120.

Sources

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  • Farey, John (1817). General View of the Agriculture of Derbyshire, Volume 3. London: Sherwood, Neely & Jones.
  • Noble, Thomas, ed. (1829). The History, Gazetteer, and Directory of the County of Derby. Derby: Stephen Glover.
  • Sprenger, Howard (2013). Rails to Ashbourne. ISBN 978-1-905505-29-6.

53°03′09″N 1°43′03″W / 53.0525°N 1.7176°W / 53.0525; -1.7176