In the late eighteenth century, work began on a canal to link Chesterfield with the River Trent. This canal was routed through Kiveton Park and was to have lasting effects on the development of the village. It also gave Kiveton one of its claims to fame, for it was on the canal that stone was taken from Kiveton Park (at Dog Kennels, where Kiveton Park station is now) for the building of the Palace of Westminster.
The canal ran very close to the pit workings at Kiveton Park Colliery: nestled between pit tips was ‘Tunnel Top’, a landmark at the pit top where children would play under the arial roadway and buckets which carried pit waste to the tips.
Over recent years the canal has seen a remarkable rejuvenation, with what were once long stretches of stagnant and waste-filled sludge replaced by a tranquil and clear canal, with wildlife flourishing along its banks.