History
South Yorkshire Navigation Canal
It's history started from 1697 when attempts to connect land-locked Sheffield to the sea began. The first attempts, to make the River Don navigable were unsuccessful.In 1721, proposals were published for making the Don navigable as high as the borough of Doncaster, for vessels of thirty tons burden, and as high as Sheffield, for craft of twenty tons. During its progress through the house, opposition was made by the Lord Howard, and other landed proprietors and the merchants of Bawtry and Gainsbrough. Following Acts passed in 1726 and 1727, work began; the Company of Cutlers of Hallamshire, were empowered to make the river navigable, and commissioners appointed. By 1731 boats had reached Aldwark, below Rotherham. They had access to Rotherham in 1740, and in 1751 the uppermost section to Tinsley was opened. From here a toll road connected with Sheffield. The Navigation prospered, and in 1793 two independent canals were joined to it - the Dearne & Dove and the Stainforth and Keadby.
Rates and duties of tonnage was to be decided by the Company of Cutlers, but not exceeding 2s. 6d. for every fodder of lead or lead ore, or 3s. for every customary ton of iron, steel, horns, hoofs, bones, or box-wood ; or 3s. 6d. for every ton of deals, boards, or timber of foreign growth, cheese, salt, corn, cutlery-wares, iron-wares, groceries, or other mechandise; or 6d. for every ton of lime or limestone, brought to Tinsley or 3d. for every ton of lime or limestone carried up or down, or down the river to Doncaster Wash, or any other place between Aldwark Wash and Doncaster; or for every ton of coals, stone, iron-sough metal, wood, and timber, carried from the head of the navigation, or any part of the Lordship of Tinsley, down to Holmstile or Doncaster, or from Doncaster or Holmstile up to Tinsley, (except wood and timber of English growth, for which 1s. 6d. per ton was to be paid, and from Rotherham to Holmstile, no more than 1s. per ton,) not exceeding 2s. 6d.to and from Rotherham, not exceeding 2s. on any part between Rotherham and Kilnhurst Works, and thence to Denaby, Mexbrough,and Conisbrough, not exceeding 1s. 6d.; or on any part between Conisbrough and Holmstile, not exceeding 1s.
Managers of boats had to give account of their goods and were answerable for their boatmen. The owner's name was to be on the outside of every vessel. Owners of land could use pleasure boats on the river. Locks were opened on demand for free passage. Lords of Manors, and owners of land were allowed to build warehouses etc. on their own ground.
After the Napoleonic Wars the Sheffield Canal was built from Tinsley to Sheffield but it was financially unsuccessful. The Sheffield Canal was a 3 mile, 12 lock, broad canal from the River Don at Tinsley to Sheffield. In July 1813 William Chapman reported his proposals for the canal from Rotherham to Sheffield having surveyed lines north and south of the river.
The Sheffield and Tinsley Canal was opened in 1814 to carry boats between the navigable River Don at Tinsley and a new basin close to the heart of Sheffield. Before this date, goods had to be carried over poor roads to Tinsley Wharf on the River Don. By 1819 The Cutlers Company of Sheffield managed to get a canal into the city centre and on February 2Sth 1819 the 'Industry' was the name of the first vessel which entered the basin of the Sheffield canal.
The coming of the railways brought an amalgamation in 1850, and ownership by the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway Company in 1864.
Later the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation Company was established to remove the entire Don-based waterway system from railway interests, but it was never able to raise sufficient capital to purchase the majority interest in the waterways, and improvement was not possible.
In 1905 however, the New Junction Canal was built to connect with the Aire and Calder Navigation, and provide access to the port of Goole.
In 1961 a new terminal at Rotherham was built and in 1974 British Waterways was authorised to upgrade the navigation between Doncaster and Rotherham.
Sheffield Canal Basin, now known as Victoria Quays, is at the head of the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal, close to Sheffield City Centre. The whole area received a new lease of life in the 1990s, when the warehouses were restored and new buildings were added. The Sheaf works were turned into a pub, the derelict railway arches were converted into shop units and a marina was created on one side of the basin.
The canal is now 42 miles long, from Sheffield, to Keadby Lock, where it joins the River Trent
See also our feature and images of the River Don and Rotherham Lock
Dearne & Dove Canal
The construction of the Dearne & Dove Canal received Royal assent in June 1793 and connected with the Dun Navigation at Swinton. Completed in 1804, it principally aided the exploitation of coal deposits in the area around Barnsley and opened at a cost of £100,000. Severe subsidence problems resulting from the extensive underground working made maintenance a constant and costly problem. The Dearne & Dove eventually passed into the control of the Dun Navigation in 1844 and then on to Railway control in 1850. The last vessels to pass along its length were in 1934, although its lower end served the Manvers Colliery until 1952.
Chesterfield Canal
In 1777 the Chesterfield Canal (46 miles) was completed. Using designs by John Varley (1740-1809). It follows the line of the Rother and provided transportation of coal and iron in large quantities to the River Trent.