Page:Rivers, Canals, Railways of Great Britain.djvu/195

Rh from the Crich Limestone Quarries. Near Codnor Park Iron Works, a branch from the Mansfield and Pinxton Railway communicates with this canal; and about half a mile north-west of this junction, a cut called the Pinxton Branch of this canal, proceeds from the main line to Pinxton; and at the basin, at its termination, the main line of the Mansfield and Pinxton Railway commences. At the place where the canal crosses the River Erewash, a short railway is laid from it to the collieries lying east of the village of Codnor, and at Langley Bridge, communicating with another railway from the coal works near the village of Heanor.

This canal is eighteen miles in length; in the first four miles of which, to Codnor Park Iron Works, it rises 80 feet; the remaining fourteen miles, and the Pinxton Branch of nearly three miles, are level. It is, in a great measure, supplied with water from a stream taken in by means of a feeder at the Cromford End, assisted by reservoirs; one of which, near the tunnel at Butterley Iron Works, is fifty acres, and, when full, will contain two thousand eight hundred locks of water; besides this, there are other reservoirs of smaller capacity; one of which is situated at the eastern end of the Great Tunnel, and another where the Pinxton Branch commences. The head level of the canal of fourteen miles in length, acts also as a reservoir, in consequence of being made 1 foot extra depth of water.

Mr. William Jessop designed this canal for narrow boats drawing 2½ feet only, the tunnels being 9 feet wide at the surface of the water.

The act authorizing the execution of this canal, is entitled,  'An Act for making and maintaining a navigable Canal from, or from near to, Cromford Bridge, in the county of Derby, to join and communicate with the Erewash Canal, at or near Langley Bridge; and also a collateral Cut from the said intended Canal, at or near Codnor Park Mill, to or near Pinxton Mill, in the said county.' 

The original subscribers were seventy-eight in number, amongst whom were the Duke of Newcastle and Sir Richard Arkwright, who were incorporated by the name of "The Cromford Canal Company," with power to raise among themselves the sum of