Enjoy live folk music on board whilst cruising along the beautiful Chesterfield Canal.
Wednesday 5th June 2024. Departing at 7 p.m. Return to Tapton at 9 p.m.
Cruise and relax while being entertained by local folk musicians.

This cruise commences from the Tapton Lock Visitor Centre where there are toilets. After winding (turning round), we descend Tapton Lock - following the Rother Valley – down through Wheeldon Mill Lock before descending Bluebank Lock towards Dixon's Wharf where we wind again and return through the locks arriving back at Tapton Lock at about 9 p.m. 
Unlike rivers, canals can go up and down hills! Learn about the working of the 250 year old locks which raise and lower the boats from one level in the canal to another. Locks use a lot of water - each time we use Tapton lock, it takes about 100 cubic metres of water to refill it. That's the equivalent of about 2500 baths! The water isn't wasted though, it eventually finds its way back into the river. If engineering (and sums) isn't your thing, then relaxation surely is. Cruising on water is just such a tranquil and leisurely activity.  John Varley II is a purpose built 36' (10.9m) narrowboat. Built in 2016, designed and licenced to carry 12 passengers, it replaces an older trip boat, also called John Varley, which was retired off after 24 years' service. 

Narrowboat? - John Varley is 6'10” (2.1m) wide and the locks are little more than 7' (2.13m) wide ~ so mind your fingers in locks, bridges and tunnels. Why John Varley? The route of the Chesterfield canal was originally surveyed by canal engineer James Brindley and he employed John Varley as his clerk of works. Brindley died in 1772 and Varley took over as resident engineer. The canal opened in 1777 and ran 46 miles from Chesterfield to West Stockwith on the River Trent. In its heyday, the canal carried malt, hops, gravel, pottery, coal, iron ore, iron products, lead and stone. The boats were all horse-drawn and were called 'cuckoo boats'. Prior to canals, cargoes were carried by horse and cart. The maximum load a single horse could pull in a cart – and remember the roads were rough, muddy and full of pot holes - was about one tonne. The same horse pulling a canal boat could pull up to 30 tonnes. So you can see – canals made good sense. 

All trips are crewed by qualified volunteers of the Chesterfield Canal Trust, and the profits from all trips go towards the restoration of the last few miles of the Chesterfield Canal.