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Chesterfield Canal Trust - Plaque Erected to Honour John Varley

John Varley was the chief on-site engineer for the building of the Chesterfield Canal from 1769 to 1778. - Ref: CHESTERFIELD CANAL PETITION, 1770

John Varley was the chief on-site engineer for the building of the Chesterfield Canal from 1769 to 1778. He is one of the forgotten heroes of the early Industrial Revolution.

Left to right - Cllr. Ann Russell (Mayor of Rotherham), Rt. Hon. Kevin Barron (MP for Rother Valley), Cllr. Pat Russell (Mayoress of Rotherham).

The Rt. Hon. Kevin Barron, MP for Rother Valley, unveiled a plaque dedicated to John Varley on Saturday 28th February in the presence of the Mayor and Mayoress of Rotherham. The plaque is on the wall of The Old School House at Harthill near Rotherham. In a short speech, Mr. Barron praised the work of the Chesterfield Canal Trust and urged support for the final few miles of restoration.

The canal runs between Chesterfield and the River Trent at West Stockwith. During construction, John Varley would have been constantly riding on horseback up and down the 46 miles of canal supervising the works. The most difficult part would have been the Norwood Tunnel. This was more than one and a half miles long. It took four years to dig. At the time it was the longest canal tunnel in the country.

Left to right - Dave Fox, Keith Ayling (both Chesterfield Canal Trust), Cllr. Ann Russell (Mayor of Rotherham), Rt. Hon. Kevin Barron (MP for Rother Valley), Cllr. Pat Russell (Mayoress of Rotherham), Christine Richardson, David Trickett (both Chesterfield Canal Trust).

John Varley later worked on canals in the Nottingham, Leicester and Huddersfield areas. He died exactly 200 years ago in February 1809 and is buried at All Saints Church, Harthill.

The ceremony is part of the build up to the Chesterfield Canal Festival, incorporating the I.W.A. Campaign Rally, that will take place at Kiveton Park from May 23rd to 25th - 2009.

Editors Note: The Act allowing the construction of the Chesterfield Canal was passed in March 1771, to be constructed by Brindley and John Varley. Brindley died in 1772 and the canal was finally completed at the end of the decade by Varley.