Dearne and Dove Canal
| Company type | Canal company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Transportation (Canal) |
| Founded | 1793 |
| Founder | Shareholders of the Don Navigation Company |
| Fate | Canal closed in 1961; restoration efforts ongoing |
| Headquarters | South Yorkshire , England |
| Products | Canal transportation of coal, pig iron, glass, lime, oil products, and goods |
The Dearne and Dove Canal stretched nearly ten miles across South Yorkshire, England, connecting Swinton to Barnsley through nineteen locks, achieving a total elevation gain of . It included two brief branches—the Worsbrough and Elsecar branches—each approximately two miles in length and terminating at reservoirs; the Elsecar branch contained six additional locks. A tunnel on the route was replaced by a cutting in 1840.
Constructed mainly to facilitate coal transportation from nearby mines, the canal also conveyed pig iron, glass, lime, oil products, and various goods. The rise of railway competition alongside ground subsidence caused by mining activities contributed to its decline, leading to closure in 1961. After the coal industry collapsed during the 1980s, restoration initiatives commenced under the Barnsley Canal Group, supported by the disuse of the railway that had supplanted it.
Creation and early years
The idea of creating a navigable route from the River Don to Barnsley along the course of the River Dearne originated in 1773 with Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham, but no action was taken until 1792 when shareholders of the Don Navigation Company proposed a canal extending from the River Don Navigation into Barnsley. At the same time, the Aire & Calder Navigation company explored plans for a canal linking Wakefield to Barnsley. On 20 October 1792, representatives from both companies met in Barnsley and agreed to connect their canals south of Barnsley, advancing complementary projects—the Dearne and Dove Canal and the Barnsley Canal—to access coalfields near Barnby Bridge and Haigh Bridge.
The canal was authorized by the Dearne and Dove Canal Act 1793 (33 Geo. 3. c. 115) on 3 June 1793, which established the Dearne and Dove Canal Company with 211 shareholders empowered to raise £60,000 through shares and an additional £30,000 via mortgage if necessary. Initial surveys were conducted by chief engineer Robert Mylne; construction was overseen by John Thompson until his death in 1795 and subsequently by Robert Whitworth until 1799. The canal reached Elsecar by 1798 and was fully operational by November 1804 at a cost just under £100,000.
To address budget overruns, a second legislative act—the Dearne and Dove Canal Act 1800 (39 & 40 Geo. 3. c. xxxvii)—was enacted on 30 May 1800 permitting conversion of mortgage options into shares, authorizing a £10,000 mortgage loan, and allowing increased toll charges. The construction included two reservoirs (Elsecar and Worsbrough), tramways linking Elsecar basin to ironworks and a colliery featuring inclined planes, as well as a cut-and-cover tunnel near Swinton. The main line ascended through nineteen locks totaling . Despite short closures during summers of 1805 and 1806 caused by water shortages, the canal thrived; by 1830 it transported 181,000 tons of coal annually.
In the early 1820s, plans for additional tramways and reservoirs faced opposition from rival canals. A proposal for a Wentworth Castle reservoir above Worsbrough was abandoned after objections that required surrendering exclusive tramway rights to local collieries. Instead, Worsbrough reservoir's water level was raised by , expanding its surface area to , with completion in 1826.
Railway competition
The North Midland Railway, operational since 1840 and linking Leeds with Derby, emerged as a considerable rival to the coal transportation dominance held by the South Yorkshire navigations. Certain railway stretches paralleled the canal route; notably, at Adwick upon Dearne, a substantial cutting necessitated demolishing the canal tunnel and rerouting the waterway to share this cutting. The canal company leveraged this situation by establishing interchange facilities connecting with the railway.
In response to railway rivalry, the Don Navigation Company acquired the Barnsley Canal and initially leased the Dearne and Dove Canal, completing full ownership by January 1847 for £210,000. Although acquisition of the Barnsley Canal was unsuccessful, toll reductions of 60% in 1846 and allowing empty boats to travel free from 1847 caused a significant shift in coal traffic from the Barnsley Canal towards the Dearne and Dove Canal. The South Yorkshire, Doncaster and Goole Railway Company received authorization in 1847 and merged with the Don Navigation Company in April 1850 after securing half its capital. Their railway lines launched between 1849 and 1850, including branches that affected canal infrastructure at Elsecar, where a portion of the canal was infilled to accommodate railway expansion. While some Don Navigation traffic benefited from these developments, overall tonnage on the Dearne and Dove declined.
From June 1864, both railways and canals were leased to the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway under a 999-year agreement, which evolved into full ownership by 1874, bringing canals into a larger corporate structure. Discontented with steep tolls and stagnation under railway management, canal users formed the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Canal Company in November 1888. They obtained an act of Parliament on 26 August 1889 to establish the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation Company, endowed with £1.5 million authorized capital and statutory powers for compulsory acquisition if necessary. The transfer concluded in 1895, incorporating the Dearne and Dove Canal into the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation network alongside the Sheffield Canal, River Don Navigation, and Stainforth and Keadby Canal.
Decline
The Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation Company sought to modernize the system to accommodate vessels of 300-400 tons and facilitate use of compartment boats. Plans included transferring coal from collieries onto larger boats at a new handling facility proposed for Keadby. However, failure to secure sufficient funding to fully purchase canals from railway ownership hindered these upgrades. The Dearne and Dove Canal emerged as the least lucrative section, burdened by costly maintenance driven by mining subsidence. In 1884, subsidence caused collapse of a portion of the Worsbrough branch, resulting in £19,000 repair expenses and six months of restoration work.
The Worsbrough branch ceased operations in 1906 due to escalating upkeep costs but continued functioning as a water feeder. Water depth at the upper canal end dropped from to , while mining beneath was authorized in 1909. The Elsecar branch closed in 1928 for similar reasons. The final boat passed along the central main line in 1934; no formal abandonment order was pursued owing to anticipated resistance. Subsequently, water levels were not maintained deliberately to reduce subsidence-related maintenance; only short stretches at each end remained operational with maintenance efforts focused there. Traffic terminated at Barnsley in 1942 and from Manvers Main colliery in 1952. Despite advocacy campaigns by the Inland Waterways Association and Protection Society during the late 1950s, official closure occurred in 1961 under the British Transport Commission Act 1961 (9 & 10 Eliz. 2. c. xxxvi). A mere half-mile (0.8 km) segment serving Swinton glassworks—with four locks operated by pumps—was preserved. The last vessel called there in 1977; since then, the lower section has become part of a boatyard while the upper section remains filled but inaccessible due to lock gates replaced by a dam.
Following closure, ownership of canal land transferred to local authorities. Safety concerns arising after several child drownings in the 1960s led to infilling parts of the canal near Swinton and Wath-upon-Dearne. Much of what remained deteriorated, frequently overgrown with reduced water levels. Into the early 1980s, extensive sections were still identifiable featuring roads crossing historic sandstone hump-back canal bridges; however, later road development projects removed many disused bridges and repurposed former canal beds for new road construction.
Restoration
On 1 April 1984, a group of twelve individuals established the Barnsley Canal Group with the goal of reversing the waning enthusiasm for local waterways. They launched initiatives to safeguard and rehabilitate the Dearne and Dove and Barnsley canals. From the late 1980s onward, the group has actively intervened in local planning matters to prevent obstructions from encroaching on the remaining canal bed.
Restoration efforts commenced in 1991 at the upper section of the Elsecar branch, coinciding with projects at the Elsecar Heritage Centre. A feasibility assessment confirmed that although expensive, restoring this portion was achievable. In 2000, the organization adopted a new name, becoming the Barnsley, Dearne & Dove Canals Trust.
Preservation
| Section | Obstructed | Filled In | Dry (Not in Water) | Water-filled |
| Main line | 1.3 (13%) | 6.5 (67%) | 1 (10%) | 1 (10%) |
| Elsecar Branch | None | 0.1 (6%) | 1 (47%) | 1 (47%) |
| Worsbrough Branch | None | 1 (50%) | 0.9 (44%) | 0.1 (6%) |
| Entire Canal | 1.3 (9%) | 7.6 (55%) | 2.9 (21%) | 2.1 (15%) |
Due to their rural settings, the two branches have remained in better condition than the main line, which has suffered considerable obstruction and neglect, particularly around Wath-upon-Dearne, Wombwell, and Stairfoot. Here, road construction and land reclamation have removed several miles of canal bed.
The cessation of mining activities in the region eliminated subsidence problems, while abandonment of the railway line—constructed as a replacement for the canal in 1988—has freed up land for potential canal restoration. This corridor is safeguarded against alternative developments and can be excavated to re-establish a navigable channel; it also forms part of the Trans Pennine Trail.
The Barnsley, Dearne & Dove Canals Trust regards the canal as "a crucial missing link," with ambitions to fully restore it as part of completing the Yorkshire Ring. Restoration is progressing, focusing initially on the Elsecar branch; its uppermost two pounds and lock have been rehabilitated, including installation of a launch ramp financed by the Yorkshire European Community Trust. Lock gates were fitted in May 1999. Meanwhile, other stretches such as the top section of the Worsbrough branch remain in relatively good shape despite limited maintenance.
Portions of the towpath are incorporated into the Trans Pennine Trail, connecting cities including Liverpool, Leeds, Hull, and Chesterfield. The reservoir located at the head of the Elsecar branch has been designated a local nature reserve by Barnsley Council, while the reservoir area on the Worsbrough branch has been transformed into Worsbrough Country Park.
Main Line
The canal originated at a connection with the Don Navigation in Swinton, featuring six locks before reaching a tunnel measuring 472 yards. In 1840, this tunnel was bypassed when the canal was redirected through a railway cutting. The waterway then passed by Manvers Main Colliery and entered Wath-upon-Dearne, running alongside Doncaster Road and traversing the town centre. From there, it curved northwest along an extensive embankment known as the Bay of Biscay. Continuing onward into Brampton, it climbed the hillside encountering four additional locks before arriving at the junction with the Elsecar branch, located between Brampton and Wombwell near the Dearne Valley Parkway and the A633 road.
The route proceeded north of Wombwell town centre and Aldham before reaching the eight-lock Stairfoot flight, where it intersected with the Worsbrough Branch. It then crossed what is now the location of Stairfoot Roundabout towards Hoyle Mill, concluding at a stop lock that marked the boundary between the Dearne & Dove and Barnsley Canals.
Elsecar Branch
Constructed to serve nearby coal mines, this branch began in Brampton, passing Cortonwood Colliery (currently a retail park) and running beneath Hemingfield near the site of the former Hemingfield Colliery, terminating at Elsecar basin. Approximately half a mile beyond the basin lies a reservoir, located past the Elsecar Heritage Centre. Much of its towpath has been incorporated into the Elsecar Greenway, which forms part of the Trans Pennine Trail.
Worsbrough Branch
Departing from Stairfoot, this branch ran through Swaithe, passed underneath the Penistone Line railway, then followed alongside the River Dove to reach Worsbrough Basin. The reservoir associated with this branch lies just beyond the basin.
Proposed restoration route
A 1987 assessment conducted by the Barnsley Canal Group identified significant challenges in restoring the original canal path due to land reclamation efforts by local councils during the 1970s. Consequently, alternative routes have been suggested, including utilizing sections of the River Dearne or converting the disused Mexborough to Barnsley railway line, which was closed in 1988.
In August 2004, a professional engineering consultancy carried out a feasibility study, with findings presented in November 2006. The full restoration of both Dearne and Dove and Barnsley Canals for narrowboat navigation was estimated to cost £127 million, with anticipated economic benefits for the local area amounting to £3.1 million annually. The proposed restoration route would primarily follow the historic alignment through Swinton but would circumvent newer developments such as Dearne Valley College and adjacent call centres by means of an aqueduct situated north of Wath-Upon-Dearne before rejoining its original course. Minor deviations would be introduced on sections approaching Barnsley while keeping close to the initial canal trajectory.
Barnsley Canals Consortium
The Barnsley Canals Consortium is a coalition of interested parties working together to facilitate restoration efforts for both Dearne and Dove and Barnsley canals. Its membership includes:
- Barnsley, Dearne & Dove Canals Trust
- Inland Waterways Association
- Royston and Carlton Partnership
- Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
- Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council
- Wakefield City Council
See also
Bibliography
External links