Spondon

Walk the canal route at Spondon Virtually

Andy Savage at www.derbyphotos.co.uk is a supporter of the DSCT and produced a virtual walk in April 2021 of the canal route from Station Road, Spondon to Rovings Drive here.

The Route

The Derby and Sandiacre Canal Trust has enjoyed working in partnership with the very active community in Spondon. Many local residents recognise the benefit that canal restoration would bring to their part of Derby and they worked with us to prepare the way..

When following the canal line into the city from Borrowash there were several points around Spondon where the route had become overgrown or was interrupted by impassable scrub land. The restoration re-introduced a high-quality waterside path connecting East Derbyshire with Derby so that it can be used by cyclists and walkers. The path runs parallel to what will become some very idyllic sections of canal. This route is a “green corridor” running into the city, enhancing the environment and re-introducing wildlife habitats..

It is clear from looking at other recent canal restorations in the UK that the houses close to the canal line in this area will become highly sought after due to their proximity to the water and so could expect to see an increase in the value of their property of up to 20%.

This part of the city has been earmarked by the city council for further residential expansion. A Canal restoration such as this would mean that any future developments would be well balanced with a waterway, accentuating the area’s character and distinctiveness.

One particular feature along this section is the original winding hole at Spondon which has already been partially restored by the Trust. Once fully restored, waterfront pubs and businesses would expect a step increase in the number of customers visiting their premises. In Spondon there are plenty of further opportunities for entrepreneurs to make the most of waterside development opportunities.

Restoration

A new Wheeldon Brothers housing development in Spondon, just next to the Clock Garages (now Stoneacre, Derby) has been completed. In partnership with the Derby and Sandiacre Canal Trust (D&SCT), 300 metres of Canal were rebuilt to act as drainage for the new estate.

On Friday 15th February 2019, the city council transferred ownership to DSCT of a few hundred metres of the canal line, to be added to the developer’s section for use as the natural attenuation pond. We started work immediately by clearing these sections of litter and overgrown patches of ground, and removing some trees from the canal line.

During the pandemic shutdown in 2020 the developers moved in with diggers to clear and dig out the canal line and construct weirs and connections to the drains. DSCT have now taken over responsibility for its upkeep. We returned the area to nature in a controlled manner, planting new trees and hedges, creating replacement habitats and doing our best to create alternative wildlife accommodation – including a number of Bug Hotels.

Interested in helping out?

Please feel free to come along to one of our Working Parties in the area, see the Volunteer page for more details.

This page last reviewed August 2025