Description: Buxworth Basin was the eastern terminus of the Peak Forest Canal where limestone and lime from the quarries in the Dove Holes area was loaded into narrowboats. The connection to the quarries was via the Peak Forest Tramroad, a horse-worked plateway that was in operation from 1796 until the mid-1920s. The canal basin and the eastern arm from Bridgemont (the southern arm terminated at Whaley Bridge) thereafter fell into disuse but from 1968 underwent a long period of restoration, culminating in their reopening to boats in 2005. The basin has been a Scheduled Ancient Monument since 1977.
This view, taken during the restoration period, shows recently excavated evidence of the Peak Forest Tramway in the form of a well-preserved series of stone sleeper blocks. The tramway track consisted of L-shaped plate rails that were secured to these sleepers by means of spikes and oak plugs, the gauge between the rails being a nominal 4ft 2ins. As part of the restoration the sleepers were retained in situ with missing examples replaced by spares found on site. The photographer is here looking east with the roof of The Navigation Inn visible in the left background.