The Cromford Canal in Old Photographs                    

Hugh Potter

Hugh has been collecting historic images of the canal for many years and has amassed over 4000 from which he has selected the best to show how the canal used to look before its more recent decline and, in places, destruction. Some of the photographs come from his fully illustrated book The Cromford Canal, copies of which will be available to purchase at a special discount price at the meeting.

As a special bonus Hugh will show a unique series of colour photographs taken inside the mysterious and almost 2-mile-long Butterley Tunnel during a canoe trip in the 1970s. These include the Butterley Company’s ‘Wide Hole’ where goods were loaded and unloaded by vertical shafts directly to the works yard above. This feature is unique and has recently been Scheduled by Historic England as an Ancient Monument.