Cromford Canal Heritage boat trip with Leawood Pump House steaming day

Join us on a heritage day at Cromford in Derbyshire as we discover how things used to be when we visit Cromford Canal with a Heritage boat trip when Leawood Pump House has a Steaming Day

There are many things to do at Cromford Wharf, and we have coincided todays visit with one of the few days when Lea Wood Pump House has a steaming day.

The Plan: we aim to arrive in time for refreshments before our canal boat trip on Birdswood. This is when we will have chance to see Leawood Pump House in steam and Aqueduct Cottage. The boat trip takes around 2 hours and includes an automated commentary about the Canal and Birdswood with a guided tour of the back cabin and history of the boat. Back in Cromford Wharf, we can have lunch at their café.

Cromford Canal was built in the late 1700s and part of it was dredged to allow boats to navigate it. A section that we use if classified as an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) as it is rich in wildlife. 

Birdswood in an historic narrow boat built in 1938 in Cheshire for the LMS Railway Company. It originally had a 25 tonne open cargo hold but has now been renovated and converted into a leisure boat. The passenger part is covered should we need it.  

Leawood Pumphouse was built in 1849 to pump water from the River Derwent into Cromford Canal.

It is now well over 150 years old but remains in pristine working condition thanks to the dedication of the Middleton Top and Leawood Pump Volunteer Group. Experience the power of this great steam engine as it pumps four tons of water into the canal with each piston stroke. Leawood Pumphouse has regular steaming dates throughout the year and this is one of them!

Please note: this won’t be a Spice exclusive tour as there will be some members of the public in the boat.

Leawood Pumphouse was built in 1849 to pump water from the River Derwent into Cromford Canal. It is now well over 150 years old but remains in pristine working condition thanks to the dedication of the Middleton Top and Leawood Pumphouse Volunteer Group. Experience the power of this great steam engine as it pumps four tons of water into the canal with each piston stroke. On ‘In Steam’ days the boilers will be fired up and the pump fully operational 12 noon to 4.30pm. Admission is free, but donations are welcomed, especially in view of the huge increase in the price of suitable specialist coal for the boilers.

Aqueduct Cottage is a Grade II listed building situated on the beautiful Cromford Canal at its junction with the Lea Wood Arm. It is a significant asset of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. Situated between our Lea Wood & Derwentside Nature Reserves along the Cromford Canal, a rejuvenated Aqueduct Cottage affords us a unique opportunity to share the importance of Lea Wood and our vision of a more biodiverse Derwent Valley as part of the Trust’s vision of a 30% re-wilded Derbyshire. The Cottage’s location, in the beautiful setting of the Derwent valley, is an ideal site for a visitors centre to tell the rich history of the Cottage and the surrounding area. Opening is subject to the weather and volunteer availability.

Please note: Dry weather, water leaks and or water supply problems sometimes affect water levels in the canal, and this may mean that the boat will not be able to travel through the swing bridge to the Leawood Pump House: in this case it will be the Master of the day’s decision whether the trip to Leawood will be possible. If it is not possible, then for the comfort of both passengers and crew instead Birdswood may moor-up at High Peak Junction (HPJ) for a period of up to 30 minutes. During this time, passengers will be able to disembark and view the historic Cromford and High Peak Railway workshop, reputedly the oldest in the world, get a drink or snack from the kiosk, or simply sit under the umbrellas and relax. The more energetic passengers can take the approximately 10 minute each way walk to view the Pump House and Aqueduct Cottage. After passengers have re-boarded at HPJ, Birdswood will return back to Cromford Wharf: overall we aim to keep to the planned 2 hour round trip time.