Description: Looking north along the Erewash Canal from the end of Dale Avenue. To the left is the onetime Vulcan Works in Bridge Street. This was built as a lace machine manufactory but by 1922 it had been taken over by Midland Flexible Metallic Tubing who remained in occupation until about the time this photo was taken. The factory has since been demolished and the site redeveloped for housing. More distantly and also on the left is Britannia Mills, a former lace factory.
The Erewash Canal runs for 12 miles (19 km) from the River Trent via Long Eaton, Sandiacre and Ilkeston to Langley Mill and includes 14 locks. The Canal was engineered by John Varley and opened in 1779 at a cost of £21,000. Serving the industrialised Erewash Valley with its many coal mines, iron works and factories, it remained a useful transport artery well into the 20th century and it was only after World War Two that it began to fall into disuse. The section north of Gallows Inn at Ilkeston up to Langley Mill was declared unnavigable in 1962 and closure was proposed. The Erewash Canal Preservation and Development Association was formed in 1968 and after much restoration work the Canal was reopened throughout. In the 1980s it was duly upgraded from a 'remainder' waterway to 'cruiseway' status.