Sheffield and Tinsley Canal
The Sheffield & Tinsley Canal is a canal in the City of Sheffield, England. It runs 3.9 miles (6.3 km) from Tinsley, where it leaves the River Don, to the Sheffield Canal Basin (now Victoria Quays) in the city centre, passing through 11 locks.
1815 the Sheffield Canal Company was formed by Act of Parliament in order to construct a canal to transport goods from the Upper Don area in Sheffield to the navigable part of the Don which stretched down-river from Tinsley onwards, to the Ouse and Humber. The Duke of Norfolk and Earl Fitzwilliam were the major subscribers to the cost of this “missing link” in navigation.
William Chapman (1749-1832) surveyed the route and became Engineer for the project.
1819 The Sheffield and Tinsley Canal opened on 22 February 1819. A general holiday was called in Sheffield and it’s said there were 60,000 spectators gathered to watch a flotilla of 10 boats arrive the 4 miles from Tinsley. Shortly regular services would run from the city, including a regular “fly boat” to transport Sheffield people by fast boat all the way through to connect with Hull and London services.