The other problem was pleasing the Duke of Norfolk who owned most of the other surrounding mills and coal trade. Who feared some financial loss of his own. So after much deliberation a path was agreed to run south of the River Don with a short stretch called the Greenland Arm. This would connect to the Dukes coal mines at Darnall and end at the Norfolk Coal Yard. This won the Dukes support.

The cost of the canal was calculated to be around £48,000 this would include twelve locks, fifteen bridges, and an aqueduct. All which would span the five miles of the canal. The actual cost was £102,541 at the finish which was more than double first budgeted for.

All the labour on the canal was done with picks and shovels, and rubble carried by wheelbarrows and horses. It ran through right alongside Attercliffe and most of the stones for the edgings and locks were acquired locally as it ran a deep cutting through the village. The labour was mostly done by “navvies” who were professionals of the trade going from job to job each equipped with their own tools, which would be heavily carried on their own backs back then. The rest were local steel workers or iron workers who would do the manual digging for their barely liveable unemployment pay. The refurbishment in the 1920,s was done with 50 unemployed workers. Which was the same used in the last lot of work carried out in 1987 when the whole area was also cleaned

The Attercliffe and Tinsley canal was an instant success to the surrounding steel furnaces as it brought shipments of coal from the Yorkshire Coalfield as well as high quality iron from Sweden too which prospered the industry instantly. Soon the canal basin was receiving sugar, grain, timber and lime all much needed and to the many points along the canal. And down to Hull went Attercliffe’s goods Inc steel, cutlery, tools and machinery. As well as many other finished goods. Goods also went as far as America via the route of Barnsley and Leeds first by boat.

Keels as they were known (not barges) were much narrower than normal at 61’6 x 15’3. These were commonly used in Yorkshire and the North east. These were much broader than the Midlands type narrow boat and resembled a Viking longboat from a distance due to its narrow round ended fore and aft with two square shaped sails on one mast. In Low spots like bridges and in times of no wind they would be pulled by horses. And many set up a business called “horse-marines” which provided a service of hiring out horses when needed along the banks. It wasn’t until around the 1920’s were basic type engines produced for these vessels.

The operations of the keels were by “Bye-traders not the canal companies themselves as well as owner captains. Some “Bye-traders ran quite a few boats. All the families worked very hard and in harder times would haul the boats themselves instead of hiring the horses. Working the wives and children too. Families lived on board  having small lockers and a fire to keep warm and cook on.  The more fortunate also kept a house  mainly on the canal side especially in Staniforth or Thorne areas. The children would work hard along with the rest of the family gaining good skills and experience along their travels. Although they did attend various schools along the route depending on where they were working.