The new bridge being installed that will carry the Trans Pennine Trail (TPT) over a currently derelict part of Chesterfield Canal at Hartington. The bridge creates a new link for the TPT and will enable restoration of the canal below.
Image courtesy of Chesterfield Canal Trust.
The bridge has been designed and delivered by the trust as part of their £6 million restoration project at Hartington. It is built on our land and will carry the Trans Pennine Trail (TPT) above the valley floor, so enabling restoration of the derelict part of the canal beneath. The bridge is critical to the restoration as otherwise the new canal would sever the TPT at this point.
Now completed, the bridge will be adopted by us and the route of the TPT across it designated as a bridleway open to walkers, horse riders and cyclists.
It is the first phase of the Canal Trust’s £6 million canal restoration scheme. Most of the money will come from the Staveley Town Deal, a £25.2 million investment in Staveley through the government’s Towns Fund, covering 10 projects in all. It cost the Canal Trust £0.55 million from their £6 million budget to construct the bridge and its associated structures and of this £0.17 million is payable to us as a contribution towards the future maintenance of the bridge.
Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Environment, Councillor Carolyn Renwick said:
“Supporting the Chesterfield Canal Trust with further restoration of the canal has meant that together we can maintain and improve a part of the Trans Pennine Trail for which we are responsible.
“Without the bridge the trail would have been severed by the canal restoration and we would have lost the continuous off-road cycling route between Chesterfield and South Yorkshire.
“Now we have an improved part of our Derbyshire cycle network which I hope will encourage more residents to take up cycling and help to reduce carbon emissions in line with our Net Zero ambitions for the county.
“It is also gratifying to see the excellent progress being made by the trust to restore the canal and to create more leisure opportunities for residents and visitors alike.”
Rod Auton, Publicity Officer for Chesterfield Canal Trust, added:
“This is an incredibly important achievement for the trust and a great collaboration with the county council who will maintain the bridge. It proves to our supporters and to potential funders that we can take on huge engineering challenges and bring them to fruition. We owe a debt of thanks to all those involved.”
Ivan Fomin, Chair of the Staveley Town Deal, said:
“This is not only a huge milestone for the Chesterfield Canal Trust but also for the Staveley Town Deal. Work to restore the canal is one of our key projects and will help attract more visitors and improve outdoor facilities for residents. There has been a lot of hard work to get to this point and I want to thank all the staff and volunteers at the trust for their efforts.”
The Trans Pennine Trail is a multi-user, long-distance trail that connects the west coast to the east coast of England and this year marks its 35th anniversary. There is a spur running north to south that connects Leeds to Chesterfield. As well as carrying this spur, the TPT at Hartington also carries Sustrans National Cycle Network Route 67 and is part of our Key Cycle Network. The TPT at the location of the bridge therefore has local, regional and national significance.
Restoration of Chesterfield Canal in Derbyshire began in the 1990s. We own and maintain the waterway and, as part of the Chesterfield Canal Partnership, are committed to working towards the aim to fully restore the canal and its connection to the national canal network.
In 2021, planning approval was given to Chesterfield Canal Trust to restore 2.6km of canal between Staveley and Renishaw. They had secured £6 million for the project. The new bridge is part of the first phase of this restoration at Hartington. It also includes another bridge, a new lock, a pumping system, a new canal channel and 2.5km of upgraded towpath.
Visit the Trans Pennine Trail Blog.