Chesterfield Canal Bridges

The bridges along the canal hold lots of interest, here Rod Auton tells us more.

Devil’s Hole Bridge.

Fountain Hill Bridge by Jan Warsop.

Man Face Bridge.

If you are travelling along a canal, you very quickly seem to enter a different world. You can feel quite disconnected from everyday life – which is of course one of the charms of a canal boat holiday.

However, there are times when you need to know where you are. This might sound odd because many people only see canals in towns, but there are long stretches, especially east of Retford, where there are few villages or locks or even houses. If you are looking for a shop or an overnight mooring or a pub, you will want to know how far away you are. The modern answer is of course to look at one’s mobile phone, but that is very much a 21st Century solution. Previously the best method was to look at the bridges – the most common features.

All the bridges are numbered. Number 1 is Tapton Mill Bridge in Chesterfield, number 85 is Basin Bridge at West Stockwith. Easy? Well not quite. For example, there are no bridges numbered 5, nor 6, nor 8, but there is a bridge 8c!

What has happened over the years is that bridges have been removed and others built. So the old bridge no. 8, Hounsfield Bridge or Steel’s Bridge, was removed in the 1990s, but well before that Works Road Bridge (8c) had been built. Bridge 8a no longer exists (it was in Staveley Works) and bridge 8b, an old railway bridge, was removed in 1969.

Well at least the bridges are numbered logically, so there can be no confusion I hear you say. Well not quite.

I suggest you go for a walk along the canal to the east of Worksop. There you will find Manton Bridge, number 45. This is followed by Manton Viaduct, number 45a and the new bridge to the Severn Trent Water facility which is numbered 45c. A bit further on is Rayton Farm Bridge which is number 45b. Why the STW bridge isn’t 45aa completely beats me, but it makes my point that logic is not always applied.

Very often people do not refer to bridge numbers, they use bridge names. This brings another layer of confusion because many, possibly most, bridges have at least two names, some have three or even four.

The obvious recourse is to check in a guide book. For this article I have consulted five different guides to the Chesterfield Canal. Christine Richardson and Jane Bird’s 1988 guide, Nicholson’s guide of 1997, the Richlow guides of 1994 and 2006-7 and the Chesterfield Canal Trust’s guide, based the Richlow guides, published in 2015 and soon to be updated.

What a mixture we find. Two books name bridge 79 in Walkeringham as Hodson’s Bridge, in the others it is Fountain Hill Bridge. Carr Lane Bridge (74) in Gringley is elsewhere Hewitt’s Bridge, Leverton Road Bridge (58) in Retford is also Clayter’s Bridge.

Swallow Bridge by Jan Warsop.

Woodcock’s Bridge 1920 (Bassetlaw Museum).

On the inside back cover of the Spring 2021 edition of the Chesterfield Canal Trust’s magazine, Cuckoo, is a photo of Thorpe Sidings Bridge (32). Or was it Thorpe Bridge? I thought that this was a simple choice until I came across a Canal & River Trust document referring to Peck Mill Bridge – one and the same.

Everyone who has walked along the canal from Drakeholes knows the very famous Lady’s Bridge (72) which carried the main drive to Wiseton Hall across the canal, so at one time it was called Wiseton Coach Road Bridge. As you would expect, it is very ornamental, the chief feature being the face of a bearded man (on Lady’s Bridge!). Hence it is also called Man Face Bridge or Old Man Bridge. But those who like to walk along by Forest Locks, will be familiar with Lady Bridge (54), which is ten miles away. Watch out for the apostrophe, it makes all the difference.

I managed to confuse lots of Renishaw residents when I arranged to meet at Barlborough Road Bridge (18) for a recent canal clearup. I could not have been more certain of my ground because the bridge sports a plaque with this name erected by Derbyshire County Council which built, owns and maintains it. To my chagrin, I was informed that locally it is known as Main Road Bridge. There is some logic to this in that the road is called Main Road; Barlborough Road being three miles away on the other side of the M1!

Bridge Street Bridge (42) is in the middle of Worksop and affords a fine view, but no access to, Town Lock. Mallinder’s Bridge (27) in Killamarsh is also known as Bridge Street Bridge, which brings us on to another group - those bridges named after people. Other examples are Taylor’s Bridge (71) in Wiseton and Grey’s Bridge (69) and Otter’s Bridge (68) both in Clayworth. The Otter family owned the nearby Royston Manor, built in 1588.

There are bridges with weird and wonderful names. Devil’s Hole Bridge? Sorry, it’s nothing to do with Satan worshippers, it’s an 18th century corruption of Dule Hole. Given that dule means either a state of suffering or misery or a cause of suffering or misery, it’s still not the most cheery title.

Some names tell you what is or was at the site, such as Wharf Bridge (81) in Misterton, Bonemill Bridge (61) in Welham, Cemetery Bridge (54b) in Retford, Stables Bridge (48) in Osberton and Dog Kennel Bridge (31) in Kiveton. They can also give a location such as Townend Bridge (66) on the edge of Hayton and Downtown Bridge (83) in Misterton.

Shaw Bridge (76) in Gringley has an inscribed stone upon it bearing the legend, “W. & GN. 1830”, that has puzzled many people for ages. However recently Ken Redmore from the Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology has come up with the suggestion that it probably refers to two yeoman farmers in Gringley, George and William Newton, who are listed in White’s Directory for 1832. Presumably they were responsible for this fine edifice which may have replaced an original swing bridge.

Cemetery Bridge by Chris Chambers.

My favourite bridge photo?

Easy – the fabulous one of workmen, two policemen and a little girl at Woodcock’s Bridge (55) in Worksop taken in 1920.

My favourite bridge names?

High Hoe Bridge (44a – I’m a Jeff Beck fan) in Worksop and Lecture Room Bridge (64) in Clayworth.

My least favourite name?

Staveley Northern Loop Bridge (12b) – is there no romance or imagination left?

There are many things that I’d love to know, for example why is the beautiful Swallow Bridge (82) in Misterton so called? Was it named after a person, a bird or an unfortunate mishap?

Why Smith’s Bridge (77) in Walkeringham? A person or a forge? Leah’s Bridge (26) used to be in Killamarsh where the canal no longer exists. It was named after local landowners, but after the canal has been restored there, why is the new Leah’s Bridge proposed to be number 26b?

I am sure that lots of you will have similar questions. My advice is to get out on the towpath and see for yourself.

Rod Auton

Rod is the Publicity Officer for the Chesterfield Canal Trust which is campaigning to complete the restoration of the canal by its 250th Anniversary in 2027. For further information go to www.chesterfield-canal-trust.org.uk. All imagery courtesy of The Chesterfield Canal Trust (various photographers).