In 1889, subsidence temporarily closed the full 3,063 yards (2,801 meters) of Butterley Tunnel. Further subsidence in 1900 closed the Tunnel permanently. Most of the canal was abandoned by 1944 except the last half-mile (800m) stretch to Langley Mill, though it too was abandoned in 1962.
The Bullbridge Aqueduct was removed in 1968 when the Ripley Road was widened. In 1985 the Codnor Park Reservoir was lowered by six feet (1.8 m) and a lock was removed as part of a flood prevention scheme.
Butterley Tunnel
At 2.7km long, when it was opened it was the third longest canal tunnel in the world. It included an underground wharf where coal could be loaded directly into the narrow boats via a horizontal tunnel from Butterley Carr Pit. It was the mining that led to the end of the tunnel. Subsidence closed the tunnel to traffic in 1900.
Fisheries and nature reserves
William Jessop also built three reservoirs to feed his new canal. Butterley Reservoir is the largest, the others being the Codnor Park Reservoir and Butterley Park Reservoir, which was dismantled in the 1930s. The remaining reservoirs are still very much in use as local fisheries.
Today, the Cromford Canal and the reservoirs provide a haven for wildlife including some important and rare species. The Ironville section in particular is an important stronghold for the endangered white-clawed crayfish. Water voles are also increasing in numbers there too.
A further six mile (9.7 km) long section between Cromford and Ambergate is listed as a Biological Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Friends of Cromford Canal
Supporting the ongoing restoration of the canal are the Friends of Cromford Canal. In 2014, the group adopted two sections of the Canal - the Lower Hartshay section and the stretch from Codnor Park Reservoir through Ironville to Lock 5.
They run regular work parties on the canal and around Codnor Park Reservoir, which include litter management, scrub/vegetation control, fence repair and painting canal features. The group also runs a short boat trip onbaord 'Birdswood', between Cromford Wharf and Leawood Pump House.
