Near Denford, Leek, Staffordshire
Hazelhurst Aqueduct
Industrial heritage
Place photograph
6.3
Wildland
1–2 hours
Time
Check
Cost
Atmospheric
Feel
Why it's Wildland
6.3An 1841 aqueduct carries the Leek Arm over the Caldon Canal at a junction shaped by successive changes to the canal routes.
Hazelhurst Aqueduct earns its place for a piece of canal engineering with a story you can read in the landscape: here, one navigable waterway crosses another, and the 1841 date stone marks the latest rearrangement of a much older canal puzzle.
Atmospheric · Quirky
Find your way
Open mapNear Denford, Leek, Staffordshire
Opening map…
Know this place a little better?
The experience
Pair a close look at the aqueduct with the IWA’s self-guided Caldon Canal heritage walk. The walk follows towpath and canal-side features that explain the changing routes around Hazelhurst.
Things to do
Find the 1841 date stone
As the IWA walk passes beneath Hazelhurst Aqueduct, look for the date stone marking the final rearrangement of the canals at this location.
Read the crossing in the landscape
Observe how the 1801 Leek Arm crosses the valley on an embankment and passes over the original and later canal lines.
Look for the replica canal milepost
The IWA route notes a replica milepost on the Caldon Canal towpath, replaced in the 1980s by the canal society.
Make a day of it
Quick escape · Check locally; no visit duration is stated in the source.
Quick canal-history stop
- 01
Use the IWA-described canal heritage walk to reach the aqueduct from Denford.
- 02
Pass beneath the structure and look for the 1841 date stone.
- 03
Notice how the Leek Arm crosses above the Caldon Canal.
Half day · The IWA describes a 3.2 km (2 mile) or 5.6 km (3½ mile) figure-of-eight walk; duration not stated.
Caldon Canal heritage walk
- 01
Start outside the Holly Bush Inn at Denford, asking permission before using its car park.
- 02
Follow the canal towpath and look for the replica milepost and remains of the earlier lock arrangement.
- 03
Continue beneath Hazelhurst Aqueduct to see its 1841 date stone and the crossing of the Leek Arm over the Caldon Canal.
- 04
Use the IWA walk directions for the chosen shorter or longer circuit; Deep Hayes Country Park is listed as an alternative parking option.
Verified history
The Caldon Canal was built as a branch of the Trent & Mersey Canal following an Act of Parliament in 1776; its main line was completed in 1778. The Leek Arm was built in 1801 to bring water from Rudyard Reservoir to a lengthened summit level at Denford. About 40 years later, the staircase arrangement was replaced by three locks at Hollinhurst, and part of the original canal line was reused. A new aqueduct was built through the Denford Embankment. The IWA identifies the crossing as one of six places in the UK where one navigable waterway crosses another. The aqueduct carries an 1841 date stone.
Hidden details
The aqueduct’s date stone — The 1841 date stone identifies the aqueduct with the third and final rearrangement of the canal routes in this area.
A layered canal junction — The route’s story involves the original 1778 canal line, the 1801 Leek Arm and a later replacement lock flight; the aqueduct is part of that sequence, not an isolated structure.
When to go
· Not established by the supplied sources.
The supplied sources give no seasonal visiting advice.
Check conditions before visiting; the supplied sources do not describe weather-related access or surface conditions.
The route
- distance
- 3.2 km (2 miles) or 5.6 km (3½ miles), figure-of-eight options
- difficulty
- Leisurely, according to the IWA
- route shape
- Figure of eight
- start point
- Outside the Holly Bush Inn at Denford, according to the IWA route description.
- parking start
- Ask permission to use the Holly Bush Inn car park. Deep Hayes Country Park is listed as an alternative parking option; confirm current arrangements.
- shorter alternative
- Choose the 3.2 km (2 mile) option rather than the 5.6 km (3½ mile) figure-of-eight route.
- Hazelhurst Aqueduct and its 1841 date stone
- The Leek Arm crossing over the Caldon Canal
- The replica milepost on the Caldon Canal towpath
- Remains of earlier canal and lock arrangements
Worth pairing with
Holly Bush Inn, Denford
The IWA walk starts outside the inn and mentions refreshments on return. Ask permission before using its car park and check current opening and food service.
Deep Hayes Country Park
The IWA identifies it as an alternative parking option for starting the canal heritage walk. Current parking arrangements and any charges are not established by the supplied source.
What to look for
- 01
The 1841 date stone
- 02
the Leek Arm crossing above the Caldon Canal
- 03
the canal embankment
- 04
and, along the IWA walk, the replica milepost and the remains of the former lock arrangements.
The story
Industry
Best time to go
Not established by the supplied sources; check conditions before visiting.
No seasonal or time-of-day recommendation is established by the supplied sources.
How long to spend
1–2 hours
Perfect for
Walkers · History lovers · Photographers
Before you go
Address
Listed hours
- Monday: Open 24 hours
- Tuesday: Open 24 hours
- Wednesday: Open 24 hours
- Thursday: Open 24 hours
- Friday: Open 24 hours
- Saturday: Open 24 hours
- Sunday: Open 24 hours
Check before visiting.
Google rating
Practical information
Opening & access
The Inland Waterways Association describes a heritage walk passing beneath the aqueduct on the Caldon Canal towpath. The supplied map pin marks the place, not an entrance or parking point. Check local access and conditions before setting out.
Check before visiting
Parking
The IWA walk starts outside the Holly Bush Inn at Denford; ask permission before using its car park. Deep Hayes Country Park is mentioned as an alternative parking option. Check current arrangements before travel.
Check before visiting
Toilets
Check before visiting.
Check before visiting
Food & drink
The IWA source mentions refreshments at the Holly Bush Inn; verify current availability and opening before visiting.
Check before visiting
Dogs
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Accessibility
Surface, gradients and accessibility are not specified in the supplied sources. Check before visiting.
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Cost
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Water
Canal
Gallery
Place photographsKeep exploring
Around Hazelhurst Aqueduct
Within 50 km · approximate straight-line distances
