River Erewash

The River Erewash /ˈɛrɪˌwɒʃ/ is a river in England, a tributary of the River Trent that flows roughly southwards through Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, forming the boundary between the two counties for much of its length. It rises near Kirkby-in-Ashfield, and passes close to Pinxton, Ironville, Langley Mill, Eastwood, Ilkeston, Trowell, Stapleford, Sandiacre, Toton and Long Eaton to reach the River Trent near Beeston.

It shares its valley with a railway line from Kirkby-in-Ashfield to Pye Bridge Junction, and the Erewash Valley line below the junction. The Pinxton Branch of the Cromford Canal runs parallel to the upper reaches, and below Ironville the main line of the abandoned Cromford Canal enters the valley. At Langley Mill, both the Erewash Canal and the abandoned Nottingham Canal fit into the valley, with the Nottingham Canal turning to the east at Trowell, and the Erewash Canal continuing through Long Eaton when the river turns to the east to reach its mouth.

The river passes through three nature reserves, at Erewash Meadows and Aldercar Flash to the north of Langley Mill, and the Attenborough Nature Reserve on the banks of the River Trent. They are managed by the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust. Historically, the river has supplied power to several water mills, none of which remain standing, apart from some of Stapleford Mill, which forms part of a social club established in 1922. The river is mentioned several times in the works of the writer D. H. Lawrence.