The Sheffield & Tinsley Canal opened in 1819 to carry boats between the River Don and Victoria Quays in Sheffield city centre. It is approximately four miles long, with 12 locks along the route.
According to the Canal & River Trust, business was hit badly when the railway arrived in Sheffield just 11 years later, and it was taken over by the Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway in 1848 to become part of the River Don Navigation the following year. In 1900, plans to enlarge the canal and even replace it with a ship canal were announced but this never materialised and it remains just large enough for Yorkshire keels, measuring 61ft long by 15ft 6ins wide.
The canal basin ceased operation as a cargo port in 1970, and the buildings were largely neglected for many years. Victoria Quays was redeveloped in the early 1990s with new offices and leisure space created there.
Today, Victoria Quays is a popular spot, providing a haven of tranquility squeezed in between the busy city centre and the traffic roaring past on Sheffield Parkway. It hosts a monthly market, is home to the much-loved Dorothy Pax pub and is where one of the city’s most celebrated artists, Joe Scarborough, has for many years lived on a narrowboat. Beyond Sheffield, the canal is probably best known for starring in the opening scenes of hit comedy The Full Monty in 1997.
This retro photo gallery shows life on the canal down the years. All the photos are shared courtesy of Picture Sheffield.
1. Lock House
The Lock House at Tinsley Locks, Sheffield Photo: Picture Sheffield/Morgan and Son No. 139
3. Tight squeeze
A boat squeezes its way under Broughton Lane Bridge on the canal in Sheffield Photo: Picture Sheffield
4. Tinsley Rolling Mills
Tinsley Rolling Mills on the South Yorkshire Navigation Canal at Wharf Road in Sheffield Photo: Picture Sheffield