Above the eastern portal the Butterley Park Reservoir once provided water to the canal. This Reservoir was filled in during 1935. Both the tunnel and reservoirs were constructed by the Butterley Company, formed in 1790 by Benjamin Outram (1764–1805) and Francis Beresford (died 1801) with William Jessop (1745–1814) and John Wright (1758–1840) joining by 1793.
The construction of the tunnel and reservoirs was undertaken by the Butterley Company, a company formed in 1790 by Benjamin Outram, Francis Beresford, William Jessop, and John Wright.