Mapping out the original Derby Canal route – Current project
I started this project on 13th April.
Back in 2011 I created a custom Google map of the entire route of the Derby Canal network, I added links to bridges, lock etc and this was very popular but in 2020 I accidentally deleted my Derby canal map. Custom Google maps live in your Google Drive, but I didn’t know that and had emptied the drive out and it was more than 30 days since I had realised this so the option to recover the map from the trash was not possible.
I had a few people contact me to say that links to my map were not working so I decided to recreate the map again, It took 6 hours to get the basic structure in place. This new map is a lot better than my original, better organised, and even more accurate.
Technology has improved so much since 2011, I thought it would be good to go even further with this project, I am a specialist Google Street View contributor, Street View Trusted Photographer and Level 7 Google Local Guide, Keen photographer and Drone flyer so started doing a number of things.
Most of the former Derby Canal route is not on Google Street View, a lot of this is now cycle paths and I thought it would really help if I used my 360 degree camera to survey the entire route for Google Street View, this would mean that people could virtually walk along the old canal route. This would help promote the work that the Canal society have done on the route with regard to restoration and also help visualise where it ran.
Google Street View shows up as a continuous blue line overlaid on Google Maps, it allows you to walk along a route by clicking on the white arrows in 3M jumps, you can also use the cursor keys to do this.
I have been able to accurately mark out the route by using a great website that overlays old maps on Google Maps with a sliding fader so you can work out the precise route the Derby canal took. I used two computers next to each other with two large screen and marked out the custom route on one while moving the other map and fading between the old and new maps so I could transfer my location data onto the other computer.
https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=18&lat=52.90211&lon=-1.31629&layers=6&b=1
I started surveying the Derby Canal on 16th April, the section between Borrowash and Spondon. Then I thought it would be handy to also use my drone to fly the route to make an informative video. It’s a lot clearer from up in the air to see the route of the Derby canal and where it used to flow.
One of my Derby Canal series videos :
So what started out as just recreating my map has now ballooned into a very large project that will take a few months to complete but it’s a great project to work on, helping promote the restoration of the Derby Canal.
As of 25th April I have surveyed the entire route for Google Street View from Sandiacre lock all the way to Station Road, Spondon. That’s 6 Miles worth so far. There is just a small section between Ullickers bridge and Rovings Drive that needs to be redone as its not showing with a blue line yet (most likely poor GPS data due to trees).
As well as Google Street View I have captured lots single 360 degree photographs in certain places, these are known as Google Photo Spheres and show up on Google maps as a single blue dot.
And then I realised I could create high resolution 360 Google Photo Spheres using my drone, I use my drone to take 26 photographs in a sphere and stich them together to make a high-resolution photograph 399 foot in the air above the canal, these really help show off the route of the Derby Canal.
One of my amazing 400 foot high 360 degree views over the canal :
My intention is to carry on with my mapping project until I have completed the entire Derby Canal route including the Little Eaton branch. Obviously, there are large parts in the Centre of Derby that I won’t be able to survey as they are built over. And things have been demolished such as Long Bridge over the river Derwent.
So if your interested in discovering where exactly the Derby Canal used to run then check out my interactive Derby Canal map. I have marked every single lock, bridge etc. I have a large and ever-growing collection of 360 degree photographs along the route allowing you to look in all directions.
To keep up to date with my Derby Canal mapping project, follow me on Twitter and Subscribe to my YouTube channel.
My Derby Canal mapping links :
My accurate interactive Derby Canal Map of the original route
My YouTube playlist of Derby Canal videos, Flights and Then and nows.
Thanks
Andy
