New Junction Canal

New Junction Canal
Guillotine gates protect the canal from the River Don
Specifications
Maximum boat length	215 ft 0 in (65.53 m)
Maximum boat beam	22 ft 6 in (6.86 m)
Locks	1
Status	Operational
Navigation authority	Canal and River Trust
History
Original owner	Aire and Calder Navigation, Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation Co
Date of act	1891
Date of first use	1905
Geography
Start point	River Don
End point	Aire and Calder
Connects to	Aire and Calder Navigation, River Don Navigation

v t e New Junction Canal
Legend
0.0m Aire and Calder Navigation 0.2m Went aqueduct 1.0m Sykehouse lift bridge 1.5m Kirk Lane lift bridge 1.8m Sykehouse swing bridge 1.8m Sykehouse Lock 2.4m Smallhedge swing bridge 3.5m Kirkhouse Green lift bridge 4.2m Top Lane lift bridge 4.6m Low Lane swing bridge 5.1m River Don aqueduct 5.5m Stainforth and Keadby Canal Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation

The New Junction Canal is a canal in South Yorkshire, England. It is part of the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation (S&SYN), although it was jointly funded by the Aire and Calder Navigation and was opened in 1905. It links the River Don Navigation and the Stainforth and Keadby Canal with the Aire and Calder Navigation (Knottingley Canal). It is straight and was the last canal built in England for commercial purposes.

The canal has one lock, which was sized to allow the compartment boats of the Aire and Calder to use it. Still, the owning company needed to raise more money to upgrade the River Don Navigation beyond, and the Long Sandall lock prevented the working of such boats through to Doncaster until it was rebuilt in 1959. There is still some commercial traffic on the canal, but most of its use is now by leisure boaters. One notable feature is the aqueduct over the River Don, protected by large guillotine gates, which can be lowered when the Don is in spate to prevent the surrounding countryside from being flooded.