 The legal status of the abandoned canal was formalised in 1925, when two holding companies were created, Nutbrook No 1 Company, to hold the shares of the original company, and Nutbrook No 2 Company to hold the shares of Nutbrook No 1 Company, and to attempt to purchase the freehold of the canal bed, to remove the burden of rental payments.The Stanton Ironworks stood across the junction of the Nutbrook and Erewash Canals (and still does under different ownership) and continued to use the bottom section for the transport of finished iron products.Boats were loaded just above the second lock, but the volume of goods leaving the works by boat gradually declined.