Huddersfield Narrow Canal Pylon facts for kids
The Huddersfield Narrow Canal Pylon is a large electricity pylon that stands with its feet right over the Huddersfield Narrow Canal near Heyrod, a place in Stalybridge, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom. It's officially known by the National Grid as 4ZO251B. This pylon is special because the canal actually flows between its legs!
What is the Huddersfield Narrow Canal Pylon?
An electricity pylon is a huge metal structure designed to hold up power lines high above the ground. These lines carry electricity over long distances from power stations to homes and businesses. The Huddersfield Narrow Canal Pylon is one such tower, playing an important role in delivering electricity across the region.
How the Pylon and Canal Met
The story of how this pylon ended up standing in the canal is quite interesting. Years ago, the Huddersfield Narrow Canal was closed for a while. During this time, a building called an electricity substation was built. A substation is a place where electricity is changed to different voltages before it continues its journey. This substation was built right on the path where the canal used to be.
To make space for the substation, part of the canal was covered over with a tunnel, which is called a culvert. This culvert allowed the canal to flow underground for a short distance.
Later, when the canal was reopened for boats, its path had to be changed slightly to go around the new substation. However, a large electricity pylon was in the way! Instead of moving the pylon, engineers found a clever solution: they made the canal pass right between the pylon's strong legs. This means boats can now travel directly through the pylon's base.
What Does the Pylon Do?
This particular pylon carries two important sets of electricity cables. On one side, it holds a 400 kV (kilovolt) circuit. This is a very high voltage line that connects Stalybridge to a place called Thorpe Marsh, carrying a lot of power. On the other side, it carries a 275 kV circuit. This line is a "transformer feeder circuit," which means it helps deliver electricity from the Stalybridge substation to other parts of the power network. Both circuits are crucial for keeping the lights on and power flowing in the area.
