 Brindley had also surveyed the route of the Chesterfield Canal in 1769, and was supervising its construction at the time of his death.John Varley moved from being clerk of works to Resident Engineer with Henshall appointed Chief Engineer in 1774.The canal was to be built as a narrow canal, but in 1775, nine shareholders offered to fund the extra cost of making it a broad canal from Retford to Stockwith.