A product of the pioneering years of the Canal Age and the Industrial Revolution, after the Chesterfield Canal has for 230 years been a distinctive thread running through and linking the contrasting landscapes of Derbyshire, Rotherham and Nottinghamshire.
It has a complex social and industrial history which has left a rich heritage of structures and monuments. At the same time its long peaceful decline and semi-abandonment has allowed it to develop a diverse range of semi-natural habitats containing a unique flora and fauna.
Restoration will protect and preserve the natural and historic environment of the canal. The Partnership will work with local communities to:
- Protect the nationally important built heritage of the canal and the canal corridor.
- Explore the history of the canal and the industries and communities which it served.
- Foster a sense of place and pride in local community.
- Enable communities to preserve their history through local archives and present their history to a wider audience.
- Protect and enhance the nationally important natural environment of the canal.
- Develop the canal as a significant wildlife refuge and a green corridor linking a number of different habitats and wildlife reserves.
- Create new wetland habitats which are being lost elsewhere in the region.
- Provide a model of integrated planning which incorporates cutting edge engineering, social and environmental design.
