North Pennine Ring
Encyclopedia
The North Pennine Ring is a canal ring
which crosses the Pennines
between Manchester
, Leeds
and Castleford
. It follows parts of five canals, and shares much of its route with the Outer Pennine Ring
, which uses a different route for the southern crossing of the Pennines.
to prevent the complete closure of the Rochdale Canal
. Initially the canal was described as part of the "Cheshire Canal Ring", which was soon shortened to the "Cheshire Ring". It described a series of interconecting canals which could be navigated, usually in a week or two, without having to cover any section twice, and has subsequently been applied to several other such routes. The North Pennine Ring is a recent addition, as it was only with the restoration of the Rochdale Canal
in 2002 that the ring became a possibility.
The term was coined by enthusiasts as an adjunct to the South Pennine Ring
, devised as a marketing tool by British Waterways
.
, and proceeding clockwise around the ring.
and the ring follows the Stretford and Leigh Branch to an end-on junction with the Leeds and Liverpool Leigh Branch at Leigh. This was originally considered to be the main line, as the canal was connected to a series of underground levels
which ran into the coal mines at Worsley. One feature was a huge aqueduct, 38 feet (11.6 m) above the River Irwell
, which allowed sailing ships to pass beneath it. It was demolished when the Manchester Ship Canal
was built, and replaced by the famous Barton Swing Aqueduct
. The canal opened in 1761, and is often thought to be the first canal in England, although it was preceded by the Sankey Canal
, which opened in 1757, and the Stamford Canal
, which opened in the 1670s.
The length of this section is 13.6 miles (21.9 km), and it is operated by the Manchester Ship Canal, although there is no additional charge for boats with a current British Waterways
licence for the first seven days of use.
. It now sits on top of an embankment, made for waste from the pit tips, and the locks have been moved to Poolstock, just before the junction with the main line at Wigan
. There are two locks, and the length of the section is 7.3 miles (11.7 km).
was authorised in 1770, and although the section below Wigan was open by 1777, as was another section adjoining the Aire and Calder Navigation to the west of Leeds, it did not become a through route until 1816. The locks on the section to the east of Wigan are 60 by and the North Pennine Ring climbs the top 21 locks of the 23-lock Wigan flight immediately. At the top of the flight, it joins what was once the southern part of the Lancaster Canal
, which continues for 10.2 miles (16.4 km) on the level. The Walton Summit Branch of the Lancaster Canal turned off just before the seven locks at Johnson's Hillock. There are six more locks at Blackburn, a 559 yards (511.1 m) tunnel at Gannow and a final flight of seven locks at Barrowford to reach the summit, which is 487 feet (148.4 m) above sea level.
Water supply on the summit was always a problem, despite the building of several reservoirs, and the summit level, which includes the 1640 yards (1,499.6 m) Foulridge Tunnel, is only 6 miles (9.7 km) long, before the descent to Leeds begins. As on the western section, the route consists of relatively long level stretches, with groups of locks at intervals. It follows the valley of the River Aire
, to arrive at Leeds and the Aire and Calder Navigation
. The ring has covered 92 miles (148.1 km) since leaving Wigan, and has passed through 85 locks.
Junction are 200 by, while those on the River Calder section from Castleford to Wakefield are 141 by. The ring does not include the navigation below Castleford, where locks were 457 feet (139.3 m) long, to allow them to be used by a tug and 19 Tom Pudding
compartment boats.
Development of the Aire and Calder began in 1699, and continued to be improved at intervals, with the construction of bigger locks and imaginative solutions such as the compartment boats, which resulted in it flourishing until the twenty-first century. Most of the coal traffic has now ceased, to be replaced by cargos of petroleum and sand. At Castleford, great care is needed, as the Leeds Arm arrives at a crossing. Straight ahead is the channel to the enormous Castleford weir. Immediately to the left is Castleford Flood Lock, and traffic lights must be observed to prevent a collision with a commercial boat emerging from the lock. The ring turns to the right to reach Wakefield
, on its way passing the Stanley Ferry Aqueduct
s. The original one was opened in 1839, and uses the same principles as the Sydney Harbour Bridge
. Its replacement opened in 1981, but both remain in water. From Leeds to Wakefield, the distance by navigation is 17.5 miles (28.2 km) with 11 locks.
in use on the Humber
waterways. Commercial traffic ceased to use the waterway in 1981, with the demise of coal deliveries to Thornhill
power station.
To the west of Wakefield, the waterway passes under the M1 motorway
, after which the scenery is dominated by the Elmley Moor television transmitter. At Dewsbury there is a short branch to Saville Town Basin. A little further to the west, the cut rejoins the river, and the next cut is to the north of the river, rather than the south. At Cooper Bridge, the Calder is joined by the River Colne
. The navigation passes through Cooper Bridge Lock and Cooper Bridge Flood Gates, after which it continues straight ahead to Kirklees Cut. The Outer Pennine Ring
makes a U-turn after the flood gates, to pass the Cooper Bridge weir and then follows the Huddersfield Broad Canal
, the Huddersfield Narrow Canal
and the Ashton Canal
to reach the same destination as the North Pennine Ring. The junction is overshadowed by a tall chimney belonging to Bottomley & Sons.
The ring continues through Brighouse
and past some worked-out gravel pits which are now flooded and used for water skiing. There are three locks at Salterhebble. The bottom gate of the first was replaced by a guillotine gate when the road was widened, and is electrically powered. Above the top lock is the Salterhabble Branch, which was once part of the heavily-locked branch into Halifax
. The final section is narrow, and runs along the side of a wooded hill, to reach Sowerby Bridge
. Nearby is another tall building, designed as a chimney for a dyeworks in 1875, but used instead as a viewing platform. It is 253 feet (77.1 m) tall and known as the Wainhouse Tower
. From Fall Ings, the distance covered is 21.5 miles (34.6 km), and the navigation has risen through 26 locks, six flood locks and 2 sets of flood gates. Sowerby Bridge was a transshipment point for the longer boats of the Rochdale Canal
.
Water supply was always a problem, and eight reservoirs were built to provide the volumes required. All of the locks were built with the same drop, which ensured that equal volumes of water were used at each lock, and it also meant that only one size of gate needed to be manufactured. Much of the canal is remote, and water supply is still a problem, as the reservoirs were sold to water supply companies when the canal was closed. Passage over the summit is restricted to four boats per day in each direction, is subject to water being available, and must be booked in advance. British Waterways staff assist boats between locks 36, the last one to the east of the summit, and 48, at Littleborough. The summit level is just on the Lancashire side of the border with Yorkshire, and is 601 feet (183.2 m) above sea level. Passage between locks 65 and 83 must also be booked, and is again restricted to four boats per day.
Below lock 83 at Ducie Street Junction, the canal is joined by the Ashton Canal, and the Outer Pennine Ring rejoins the North Pennine Ring. Nine locks, surrounded by urban Manchester, descend to Castlefield Junction, to complete the ring. The Rochdale Canal has 91 locks, reduced by one from the original total by Tuel Lane Lock, which replaced locks 3 and 4.
Canal ring
A canal ring is the name given to a series of canals that make a complete loop.-Origin of the Term:Whilst there have been canals which formed a ring for centuries, the ring terminology was unknown before the 1960s, when it was coined by the Inland Waterways Association as part of its campaign to...
which crosses the Pennines
Pennines
The Pennines are a low-rising mountain range, separating the North West of England from Yorkshire and the North East.Often described as the "backbone of England", they form a more-or-less continuous range stretching from the Peak District in Derbyshire, around the northern and eastern edges of...
between Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
and Castleford
Castleford
Castleford is the largest of the "five towns" district in the metropolitan borough of the City of Wakefield, in West Yorkshire, England. It is near Pontefract, and has a population of 37,525 according to the 2001 Census, but has seen a rise in recent years and is now around 45-50,000. To the north...
. It follows parts of five canals, and shares much of its route with the Outer Pennine Ring
Outer Pennine Ring
The Outer Pennine Ring is an English canal ring which crosses the Pennines between Manchester, Leeds and Castleford. Its route follows parts of eight canals, and includes the longest canal tunnel in England. The ring was completed in 2001, with the opening of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal...
, which uses a different route for the southern crossing of the Pennines.
History
The concept of a canal ring was created in 1965, as part of a campaign by the Inland Waterways AssociationInland Waterways Association
The Inland Waterways Association was formed in 1946 as a registered charity in the United Kingdom to campaign for the conservation, use, maintenance, restoration and sensitive development of British Canals and river navigations....
to prevent the complete closure of the Rochdale Canal
Rochdale Canal
The Rochdale Canal is a navigable "broad" canal in northern England, part of the connected system of the canals of Great Britain. The "Rochdale" in its name refers to the town of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, through which the canal passes....
. Initially the canal was described as part of the "Cheshire Canal Ring", which was soon shortened to the "Cheshire Ring". It described a series of interconecting canals which could be navigated, usually in a week or two, without having to cover any section twice, and has subsequently been applied to several other such routes. The North Pennine Ring is a recent addition, as it was only with the restoration of the Rochdale Canal
Rochdale Canal
The Rochdale Canal is a navigable "broad" canal in northern England, part of the connected system of the canals of Great Britain. The "Rochdale" in its name refers to the town of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, through which the canal passes....
in 2002 that the ring became a possibility.
The term was coined by enthusiasts as an adjunct to the South Pennine Ring
South Pennine Ring
The South Pennine Ring is a canal ring which crosses the pennines between Manchester and Huddersfield.-History:Whilst the concept of canal rings had begun in the 1960s with the Cheshire Ring, the South Pennine Ring is a recent addition, as it was only with the restoration of the Huddersfield Narrow...
, devised as a marketing tool by British Waterways
British Waterways
British Waterways is a statutory corporation wholly owned by the government of the United Kingdom, serving as the navigation authority in England, Scotland and Wales for the vast majority of the canals as well as a number of rivers and docks...
.
Route
The North Pennine Ring follows parts of the following canals starting from Castlefield Junction in ManchesterManchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, and proceeding clockwise around the ring.
- Bridgewater CanalBridgewater CanalThe Bridgewater Canal connects Runcorn, Manchester and Leigh, in North West England. It was commissioned by Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater, to transport coal from his mines in Worsley to Manchester...
- Leeds and Liverpool CanalLeeds and Liverpool CanalThe Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a canal in Northern England, linking the cities of Leeds and Liverpool. Over a distance of , it crosses the Pennines, and includes 91 locks on the main line...
- Aire and Calder NavigationAire and Calder NavigationThe Aire and Calder Navigation is a river and canal system of the River Aire and the River Calder in the metropolitan county of West Yorkshire, England. The first improvements to the rivers above Knottingley were completed in 1704 when the Aire was made navigable to Leeds and the Calder to...
- Calder and Hebble NavigationCalder and Hebble NavigationThe Calder and Hebble Navigation is a Broad inland waterway in West Yorkshire, England, which has remained navigable since it was opened.-History:...
- Rochdale CanalRochdale CanalThe Rochdale Canal is a navigable "broad" canal in northern England, part of the connected system of the canals of Great Britain. The "Rochdale" in its name refers to the town of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, through which the canal passes....
Bridgewater Canal
From Castlefield Junction, the route follows the Bridgewater Canal to Waters Meeting, where the main line turns to the left to reach RuncornRuncorn
Runcorn is an industrial town and cargo port within the borough of Halton in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. In 2009, its population was estimated to be 61,500. The town is on the southern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form Runcorn Gap. Directly to the north...
and the ring follows the Stretford and Leigh Branch to an end-on junction with the Leeds and Liverpool Leigh Branch at Leigh. This was originally considered to be the main line, as the canal was connected to a series of underground levels
Worsley Navigable Levels
The Worsley Navigable Levels are an extensive series of coal mines in Worsley in the City of Salford in Greater Manchester, England. They were worked largely by the use of underground canals and boats called starvationers....
which ran into the coal mines at Worsley. One feature was a huge aqueduct, 38 feet (11.6 m) above the River Irwell
River Irwell
The River Irwell is a long river which flows through the Irwell Valley in the counties of Lancashire and Greater Manchester in North West England. The river's source is at Irwell Springs on Deerplay Moor, approximately north of Bacup, in the parish of Cliviger, Lancashire...
, which allowed sailing ships to pass beneath it. It was demolished when the Manchester Ship Canal
Manchester Ship Canal
The Manchester Ship Canal is a river navigation 36 miles long in the North West of England. Starting at the Mersey Estuary near Liverpool, it generally follows the original routes of the rivers Mersey and Irwell through the historic counties of Cheshire and Lancashire. Several sets of locks lift...
was built, and replaced by the famous Barton Swing Aqueduct
Barton Swing Aqueduct
The Barton Swing Aqueduct is a moveable navigable aqueduct in Barton upon Irwell in Greater Manchester, England. It carries the Bridgewater Canal across the Manchester Ship Canal. The swinging action allows large vessels using the Manchester Ship Canal to pass underneath and smaller narrowboats to...
. The canal opened in 1761, and is often thought to be the first canal in England, although it was preceded by the Sankey Canal
Sankey Canal
The Sankey Canal, which is also known as the Sankey Brook Navigation and the St Helens Canal, is a canal in Cheshire, extending into Merseyside, in the northwest of England, connecting St Helens with the River Mersey...
, which opened in 1757, and the Stamford Canal
Stamford Canal
-New plans:The river Welland is not currently navigable above Crowland but plans for the Fens Waterways Link include a new link upstream of here to above the Dog in a doublet sluice on the River Nene. There are currently no plans to restore navigation to Stamford....
, which opened in the 1670s.
The length of this section is 13.6 miles (21.9 km), and it is operated by the Manchester Ship Canal, although there is no additional charge for boats with a current British Waterways
British Waterways
British Waterways is a statutory corporation wholly owned by the government of the United Kingdom, serving as the navigation authority in England, Scotland and Wales for the vast majority of the canals as well as a number of rivers and docks...
licence for the first seven days of use.
Leeds and Liverpool Leigh Branch
The Leigh Branch of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal was originally planned in 1800, but a series of disagreements with the owners of the Bridgewater Canal led to stalemate, and it was not until 1820 that the branch finally opened. A year later, there were requests to increase the length of the locks from 62 feet (18.9 m) to 72 feet (21.9 m), and this work was carried out in 1822. The route runs through a coal mining area, and has been severely affected by subsidenceSubsidence
Subsidence is the motion of a surface as it shifts downward relative to a datum such as sea-level. The opposite of subsidence is uplift, which results in an increase in elevation...
. It now sits on top of an embankment, made for waste from the pit tips, and the locks have been moved to Poolstock, just before the junction with the main line at Wigan
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
. There are two locks, and the length of the section is 7.3 miles (11.7 km).
Leeds and Liverpool Canal
Construction of the Leeds and Liverpool CanalLeeds and Liverpool Canal
The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a canal in Northern England, linking the cities of Leeds and Liverpool. Over a distance of , it crosses the Pennines, and includes 91 locks on the main line...
was authorised in 1770, and although the section below Wigan was open by 1777, as was another section adjoining the Aire and Calder Navigation to the west of Leeds, it did not become a through route until 1816. The locks on the section to the east of Wigan are 60 by and the North Pennine Ring climbs the top 21 locks of the 23-lock Wigan flight immediately. At the top of the flight, it joins what was once the southern part of the Lancaster Canal
Lancaster Canal
The Lancaster Canal is a canal in the north of England, originally planned to run from Westhoughton in Lancashire to Kendal in south Cumbria...
, which continues for 10.2 miles (16.4 km) on the level. The Walton Summit Branch of the Lancaster Canal turned off just before the seven locks at Johnson's Hillock. There are six more locks at Blackburn, a 559 yards (511.1 m) tunnel at Gannow and a final flight of seven locks at Barrowford to reach the summit, which is 487 feet (148.4 m) above sea level.
Water supply on the summit was always a problem, despite the building of several reservoirs, and the summit level, which includes the 1640 yards (1,499.6 m) Foulridge Tunnel, is only 6 miles (9.7 km) long, before the descent to Leeds begins. As on the western section, the route consists of relatively long level stretches, with groups of locks at intervals. It follows the valley of the River Aire
River Aire
The River Aire is a major river in Yorkshire, England of length . Part of the river is canalised, and is known as the Aire and Calder Navigation....
, to arrive at Leeds and the Aire and Calder Navigation
Aire and Calder Navigation
The Aire and Calder Navigation is a river and canal system of the River Aire and the River Calder in the metropolitan county of West Yorkshire, England. The first improvements to the rivers above Knottingley were completed in 1704 when the Aire was made navigable to Leeds and the Calder to...
. The ring has covered 92 miles (148.1 km) since leaving Wigan, and has passed through 85 locks.
Aire and Calder Navigation
The ring now follows an active commercial waterway, where narrowboats may meet 600-tonne oil tankers and sand barges. Most of the locks on the River Aire section from Leeds to CastlefordCastleford
Castleford is the largest of the "five towns" district in the metropolitan borough of the City of Wakefield, in West Yorkshire, England. It is near Pontefract, and has a population of 37,525 according to the 2001 Census, but has seen a rise in recent years and is now around 45-50,000. To the north...
Junction are 200 by, while those on the River Calder section from Castleford to Wakefield are 141 by. The ring does not include the navigation below Castleford, where locks were 457 feet (139.3 m) long, to allow them to be used by a tug and 19 Tom Pudding
Tom Pudding
Tom Pudding was the name given to the tub boats on the Aire and Calder Navigation, introduced in 1863 and used until 1985, which were a very efficient means of transferring and transporting coal from the open cast collieries of the South Yorkshire Coalfield near Stanley Ferry to the port of Goole,...
compartment boats.
Development of the Aire and Calder began in 1699, and continued to be improved at intervals, with the construction of bigger locks and imaginative solutions such as the compartment boats, which resulted in it flourishing until the twenty-first century. Most of the coal traffic has now ceased, to be replaced by cargos of petroleum and sand. At Castleford, great care is needed, as the Leeds Arm arrives at a crossing. Straight ahead is the channel to the enormous Castleford weir. Immediately to the left is Castleford Flood Lock, and traffic lights must be observed to prevent a collision with a commercial boat emerging from the lock. The ring turns to the right to reach Wakefield
Wakefield
Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....
, on its way passing the Stanley Ferry Aqueduct
Stanley Ferry Aqueduct
Stanley Ferry Aqueduct was built between 1836 and 1839 to take the Aire and Calder Navigation over the River Calder in West Yorkshire, England. It is one of the earliest through arch bridges in the world and is considered to be the largest aqueduct executed in cast iron.Designed by George Leather...
s. The original one was opened in 1839, and uses the same principles as the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic...
. Its replacement opened in 1981, but both remain in water. From Leeds to Wakefield, the distance by navigation is 17.5 miles (28.2 km) with 11 locks.
Calder and Hebble Navigation
The Calder and Hebble Navigation is another river navigation, although most river sections have been bypassed by cuts since its inception in the 1770s. The lower locks were enlarged when the waterway was leased to the Aire and Calder Navigation from 1855, enabling them to accomodate boats of 120 by, but above Broad Cut Low Lock, they are still 57.5 by, a size which was originally dictated by the dimensions of keel boatsHumber Keel
The Humber Keel was a type of sail craft used for inshore and inland cargo transport around Hull and the Humber Estuary, in the United Kingdom, particularly through the late 19th and early 20th centuries....
in use on the Humber
Humber
The Humber is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal River Ouse and the tidal River Trent. From here to the North Sea, it forms part of the boundary between the East Riding of Yorkshire on the north bank...
waterways. Commercial traffic ceased to use the waterway in 1981, with the demise of coal deliveries to Thornhill
Thornhill, West Yorkshire
Thornhill, is a village in Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England. Thornhill was absorbed into Dewsbury County Borough in 1910. It is located on a hill on the south side of the River Calder, and has extensive views of Dewsbury, Ossett and Wakefield...
power station.
To the west of Wakefield, the waterway passes under the M1 motorway
M1 motorway
The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
, after which the scenery is dominated by the Elmley Moor television transmitter. At Dewsbury there is a short branch to Saville Town Basin. A little further to the west, the cut rejoins the river, and the next cut is to the north of the river, rather than the south. At Cooper Bridge, the Calder is joined by the River Colne
River Colne, West Yorkshire
The River Colne is a river in West Yorkshire formed by a confluence at the foot of the Pennines close to the village of Marsden.-Course:Numerous brooks formed by rainwater high in the Pennines of West Yorkshire, flow down the hillsides through the small valleys to feed two Yorkshire Water...
. The navigation passes through Cooper Bridge Lock and Cooper Bridge Flood Gates, after which it continues straight ahead to Kirklees Cut. The Outer Pennine Ring
Outer Pennine Ring
The Outer Pennine Ring is an English canal ring which crosses the Pennines between Manchester, Leeds and Castleford. Its route follows parts of eight canals, and includes the longest canal tunnel in England. The ring was completed in 2001, with the opening of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal...
makes a U-turn after the flood gates, to pass the Cooper Bridge weir and then follows the Huddersfield Broad Canal
Huddersfield Broad Canal
The Huddersfield Broad Canal is a wide-locked navigable canal in Yorkshire in northern England.The waterway is 3¾ miles long and has 9 wide locks...
, the Huddersfield Narrow Canal
Huddersfield Narrow Canal
The Huddersfield Narrow Canal is an inland waterway in northern England. It runs just under from Lock 1E at the rear of the University of Huddersfield campus, near Aspley Basin at Huddersfield to the junction with the Ashton Canal at Whitelands Basin in Ashton-under-Lyne...
and the Ashton Canal
Ashton Canal
The Ashton Canal is a canal built in Greater Manchester in North West England.-Route:The Ashton leaves the Rochdale Canal at Ducie St. Junction in central Manchester, and climbs for through 18 locks, passing through Ancoats, Holt Town, Bradford-with-Beswick, Clayton, Openshaw, Droylsden,...
to reach the same destination as the North Pennine Ring. The junction is overshadowed by a tall chimney belonging to Bottomley & Sons.
The ring continues through Brighouse
Brighouse
Brighouse is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale, in West Yorkshire, England. It is situated on the River Calder, east of Halifax in the Pennines. It is served by Junction 25 of the M62 motorway and Brighouse railway station on the Caldervale Line and Huddersfield Line. In the...
and past some worked-out gravel pits which are now flooded and used for water skiing. There are three locks at Salterhebble. The bottom gate of the first was replaced by a guillotine gate when the road was widened, and is electrically powered. Above the top lock is the Salterhabble Branch, which was once part of the heavily-locked branch into Halifax
Halifax
-Canada:British Columbia*Halifax Range, a mountain rangeNova Scotia*Halifax, Nova Scotia*Halifax County, Nova Scotia, one of the province's 18 counties**Halifax Regional Municipality, a regional municipality in Halifax County...
. The final section is narrow, and runs along the side of a wooded hill, to reach Sowerby Bridge
Sowerby Bridge
Sowerby Bridge is a market town that lies within the Upper Calder Valley in the district of Calderdale in the county of West Yorkshire, in northern England.-Geography:Sowerby Bridge is situated on the edge of Halifax, about three miles from its centre...
. Nearby is another tall building, designed as a chimney for a dyeworks in 1875, but used instead as a viewing platform. It is 253 feet (77.1 m) tall and known as the Wainhouse Tower
Wainhouse tower
Wainhouse Tower is a folly in the parish of King Cross, on the south west side of Halifax, Calderdale West Yorkshire in England. At , it is the tallest structure in Calderdale and the tallest folly in the world, and was erected in four years between 1871-1875...
. From Fall Ings, the distance covered is 21.5 miles (34.6 km), and the navigation has risen through 26 locks, six flood locks and 2 sets of flood gates. Sowerby Bridge was a transshipment point for the longer boats of the Rochdale Canal
Rochdale Canal
The Rochdale Canal is a navigable "broad" canal in northern England, part of the connected system of the canals of Great Britain. The "Rochdale" in its name refers to the town of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, through which the canal passes....
.
Rochdale Canal
The Rochdale Canal forms the final part of the North Pennine Ring. It opened in 1804, and most of the locks are 72 by, but locks 40, 41 and 47 are only 13.5 feet (4.1 m) wide, which restricts the size of boats that can use it. It is 32 miles (51.5 km) long, and most of it, except for the final nine locks at the far end, was closed for navigation in 1952. Restoration began in 1984 with the formation of the Rochdale Canal Trust Ltd, and a large section was reconnected to the national waterways network in 1996 when Tuel Lane lock was built to replace locks 3 and 4, and a 114 yards (104.2 m) tunnel rejoined it to the Calder and Hebble. At 20 feet (6.1 m), the lock is the deepest on the English canal network. The final part of the restoration was partially funded by the Millenium Commission, and resulted in the canal being opened throughout in 2002.Water supply was always a problem, and eight reservoirs were built to provide the volumes required. All of the locks were built with the same drop, which ensured that equal volumes of water were used at each lock, and it also meant that only one size of gate needed to be manufactured. Much of the canal is remote, and water supply is still a problem, as the reservoirs were sold to water supply companies when the canal was closed. Passage over the summit is restricted to four boats per day in each direction, is subject to water being available, and must be booked in advance. British Waterways staff assist boats between locks 36, the last one to the east of the summit, and 48, at Littleborough. The summit level is just on the Lancashire side of the border with Yorkshire, and is 601 feet (183.2 m) above sea level. Passage between locks 65 and 83 must also be booked, and is again restricted to four boats per day.
Below lock 83 at Ducie Street Junction, the canal is joined by the Ashton Canal, and the Outer Pennine Ring rejoins the North Pennine Ring. Nine locks, surrounded by urban Manchester, descend to Castlefield Junction, to complete the ring. The Rochdale Canal has 91 locks, reduced by one from the original total by Tuel Lane Lock, which replaced locks 3 and 4.
See also
- Canals of the United KingdomCanals of the United KingdomThe canals of the United Kingdom are a major part of the network of inland waterways in the United Kingdom. They have a colourful history, from use for irrigation and transport, through becoming the focus of the Industrial Revolution, to today's role for recreational boating...
- History of the British canal systemHistory of the British canal systemThe British canal system of water transport played a vital role in the United Kingdom's Industrial Revolution at a time when roads were only just emerging from the medieval mud and long trains of pack horses were the only means of "mass" transit by road of raw materials and finished products The...
- Outer Pennine RingOuter Pennine RingThe Outer Pennine Ring is an English canal ring which crosses the Pennines between Manchester, Leeds and Castleford. Its route follows parts of eight canals, and includes the longest canal tunnel in England. The ring was completed in 2001, with the opening of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal...