Readers of the Worksop Guardian will be familiar with and no doubt interested in the canal, as it takes in both Rother Valley and Worksop. Opened in 1777 and designed by the famous engineer James Brindley, it was built to connect Chesterfield, Worksop, and Retford to the River Trent so as to facilitate trade. The canal was a great success, in large part to the transportation of our region’s famous coal. Remarkably, local Anston stone was shipped along the canal to be used in the construction of the Houses of Parliament – a fantastic local connection to Westminster about which I never fail to remind my colleagues in the Commons. The canal finally closed in 1961, but it has undergone extensive restoration in recent years.
However, 9 miles remain to be restored, from Staveley to Kiveton Park, the latter of which of course is in Rother Valley. I am fighting to make the Rother Valley portion of the canal the focus of this renewal project, to the immense benefit of our area. Firstly, I want to see the canal fully navigable from start to finish, as was intended when it was constructed. Secondly, I am backing a new marina at Kiveton Park, just as two new marinas have been built along the canal already as part of the work. The Kiveton Park Marina will serve as a recreational hub for our area - a starting point for use of the canal - replete with high-quality leisure and exercise facilities, bars, cafés, and restaurants, and an educational and heritage centre.
Thirdly, I want the Rother Valley Link to become a reality. This would connect the Chesterfield Canal to the rest of the waterways system, unlocking many more possibilities than a 46-mile stretch of canal alone. It would create a cruising ring of the Chesterfield Canal, River Rother, River Don Navigation, Stainforth & Keadby Canal, and the River Trent.
The building of the Kiveton Park Marina and the Rother Valley Link and the reopening of the 9-mile stretch will, taken together, transform the Chesterfield Canal in Rother Valley from a moribund and forgotten industrial hangover to a vibrant and dynamic leisure space. There will be provision for exercise and hobbies, physical and mental health, education and skills, business and employment, and tourism.
The Chesterfield Canal restoration is one part of my ‘Rother Valley Leisure Arc’, stretching from Treeton Dyke, through Rother Valley Country Park, via Gulliver’s Valley Theme Park, taking in award-winning Waleswood Caravan Park and family favourite Aston Springs Farm, to Kiveton Park Marina and finally the canal itself. The Rother Valley Leisure Arc aims to make Rother Valley the heart of tourism in South Yorkshire, bringing jobs, wealth, and fun to our area.
I believe the Chesterfield Canal project is a crucial piece in the wider puzzle for a cleaner, healthier, more pleasant Rother Valley. If you support my campaign to restore the Chesterfield Canal, please email me at [email protected].
