Outer Pennine Ring facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Outer Pennine Ring
Highgate Bridge near Gargrave, on one of the remote sections of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal
Specifications
Length	175 miles (282 km)
Locks	220
Status	Canal ring
Navigation authority	British Waterways, Manchester Ship Canal

The Outer Pennine Ring is a special route for boats in England. It connects cities like Manchester, Leeds, and Castleford. This route crosses the Pennines, which are a range of hills. It uses parts of eight different canals. The ring also includes the longest canal tunnel in England. The Outer Pennine Ring was fully opened in 2001. This happened when the Huddersfield Narrow Canal was restored. Part of this route is also shared with the North Pennine Ring.

History of the Outer Pennine Ring

The idea of a "canal ring" started in 1965. This was part of a plan to save the Rochdale Canal from closing. At first, it was called the "Cheshire Canal Ring." This name was soon shortened to the "Cheshire Ring." A canal ring is a series of connected canals. You can travel around them without going over the same part twice. It usually takes a week or two to complete.

The Outer Pennine Ring is a newer idea. It became possible only after 2001. That's when the Huddersfield Narrow Canal was fixed up. People who love canals came up with the name. It was meant to go along with the South Pennine Ring. That ring was created by British Waterways to help promote canal holidays.

What Canals Make Up the Outer Pennine Ring?

The Outer Pennine Ring uses eight different canals. If you start from Castlefield Junction in Manchester and go clockwise, here they are:

• Bridgewater Canal
• Leeds and Liverpool Canal
• Aire and Calder Navigation
• Calder and Hebble Navigation
• Huddersfield Broad Canal
• Huddersfield Narrow Canal
• Ashton Canal
• Rochdale Canal

Bridgewater Canal: Starting Your Journey

Your journey begins at Castlefield Junction. The Bridgewater Canal goes southeast through Manchester. This part of the canal has no locks. After about 1.2 miles (1.9 km), you reach Pomona Dock. From there, you can go through a lock to the Manchester Ship Canal.

About 2.8 miles (4.5 km) later, you arrive at Waters Meeting. Here, the main canal turns left. The Stretford and Leigh Branch turns right. The Outer Pennine Ring follows this branch for 10.8 miles (17.4 km). It leads to Leigh. Along the way, you'll see the Barton Swing Aqueduct. This amazing bridge carries the canal over the Manchester Ship Canal. It was designed in the 1890s. A 235-foot (72 m) section of the canal, weighing 1,450 tons, can swing out of the way. This allows ships to pass on the ship canal below. The Manchester Ship Canal owns the Bridgewater Canal. However, boats with a British Waterways license can use it for up to seven days for free.

Leigh Branch: Through Mining History

The Leigh Branch of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal is 7.3 miles (11.7 km) long. It mostly goes through an area once used for mining. The canal often sits on top of a raised bank. This bank was built up with mining waste. The land around it had sunk due to mining. Now, this area has been turned into parkland. It is a safe place for wildlife.

There used to be three locks on this branch. But they were removed. Two new locks, called Poolstock locks, replaced them. These are just before the branch joins the main canal at Wigan. At Wigan Junction, the main canal goes left towards Liverpool. The Outer Pennine Ring turns right. It follows the main canal towards Leeds.

Leeds and Liverpool Canal: Climbing the Pennines

Right after Wigan Junction, you'll go through 21 locks. These locks raise the canal by 215 feet (66 m). At the top, there's a T-junction. The ring turns left here. This part of the canal was built by the Lancaster Canal. However, it was never fully connected to the northern part of that canal.

The canal stays level for 9 miles (14 km). Then, you reach the next set of locks. These are the seven Johnson's Hill Locks. They lift the canal another 65.5 feet (20.0 m). As you continue east, you'll see factories, green fields, and wild moorlands. Above Blackburn, the canal twists and turns. It has to go around many hills.

Near Burnley, the canal passes through the 559-yard (511 m) Gannow Tunnel. Then it turns north. At Barrowford, seven more locks raise the canal by 69 feet (21 m). This brings you to the highest part of the canal. Barrowford Reservoir holds extra water for this high section. Soon, you'll go through Foulridge Tunnel. It's 1,640 yards (1,500 m) long. A famous story from 1912 happened here. A cow fell into the canal and swam all the way through the tunnel! It was given alcohol to help it recover. The highest part of the canal is only level for 6.1 miles (9.8 km). Then, the canal starts to go downhill towards Leeds.

Above Gargrave, the canal crosses the River Aire. The canal then follows the river valley all the way to Leeds. At Skipton, a short branch joins the canal. It's called Springs Branch or Thanet Canal. It was named after the Earl of Thanet, who owned Skipton Castle. The canal stays level for 16.8 miles (27.0 km) from Gargrave to Bingley. After Bingley, two sets of staircase locks lower the canal by 90 feet (27 m). These are the Bingley Five Rise and the Bingley Three Rise. Soon after, the canal crosses the Aire again. It stays south of the river for the rest of the way. More locks, in groups of two or three, continue to lower the canal. Finally, you reach Leeds. River Lock connects the canal to the River Aire and the Aire and Calder Navigation. From Wigan Junction to Leeds, the canal covers 92 miles (148 km). There are 85 locks in total.

Aire and Calder Navigation: Wide and Busy Waterways

The Aire and Calder Navigation is much bigger than the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. Its locks are 200 by 20 feet (61 by 6.1 m). This is a river navigation, so there's a current. The locks also have weirs next to them. This waterway is still used by large boats. These include 600-tonne tankers and barges carrying sand. They create much bigger waves than narrowboats. If there's heavy rain, the navigation might close. Flood gates are shut until the water level is safe again. The locks are run by machines. There are lock-keepers, but they mostly help commercial boats. People using the river for fun can operate the locks themselves.

At Knostrop, the navigation enters its own channel. The river is to the north. It stays separate for 7 miles (11 km) until they meet again at Lemonroyd. Much of this route goes through old mining areas. You'll see piles of waste and flooded pits. Near Lemonroyd, the river bank broke in 1988. The river flowed into a large open-pit mine. A little further on, the Leeds arm reaches Castleford Junction. Here, there are three other routes. Going straight leads to Castleford weir, which boats should not enter. To the left is a flood lock and the way to Goole. The Outer Pennine Ring turns right. It goes along the Wakefield branch. This is actually a canalized part of the River Calder. The distance from Leeds to Castleford is 10 miles (16 km). There are six locks. Knostrop Flood Lock usually has both sets of gates open.

The first lock on the Calder section is at Woodnock. You can see how much the navigation has improved over the years. Just compare its size to the old, unused Fairies and Altofts locks. These are on a branch to the south. At Stanley Ferry, two aqueducts carry the navigation over the Calder. The newer one opened in 1981. It helps protect the older one from damage by large barges. After 7.5 miles (12.1 km) and four locks, you reach Fall Ing Lock. This is where the Aire and Calder meets the Calder and Hebble Navigation.

Calder and Hebble Navigation: Narrower Locks Ahead

The Calder and Hebble Navigation is another river navigation. It carried coal until 1981. The first three locks, up to Broad Cut Low Lock, were made bigger. They are 120 by 17.5 feet (37 by 5.3 m). This was done with help from the Aire and Calder Navigation. But Broad Cut Top Lock and those above it are smaller. They are only 57 by 14 feet (17 by 4.3 m). These locks were built for "Yorkshire Keels," a type of boat. A 60-foot (18 m) narrowboat can get through. But it has to fit diagonally across the lock. You also need a special tool called a handspike to open the lock paddles.

Most of this navigation is in man-made channels. It only briefly rejoins the river. At Dewsbury, a short branch called the Dewsbury Arm leads to Saville Town Basin. Beyond this junction, the route is hidden from the town. It goes through a deep cutting. At Battyeford, there's a large sewage treatment works. The navigation turns left to go under a railway bridge. After this, you'll find Cooper Bridge Lock and Cooper Bridge Flood Gates. Then comes the junction with the Huddersfield Broad Canal. The North Pennine Ring continues straight along the Calder and Hebble. But the Outer Pennine Ring makes a U-turn to the left. This leads to Huddersfield. The distance from Fall Ing lock to this junction is 13.1 miles (21.1 km). This section has 12 locks, five flood locks, and two sets of flood gates.

Huddersfield Broad Canal: A Short but Important Link

This next section is quite short, only 3.3 miles (5.3 km). It has nine locks and leads to Apsley Basin. The locks here are also "keel-sized." The canal was finished in 1780. Apsley Basin became important when the Huddersfield Narrow Canal opened. Narrowboats were too long to go further on the Broad Canal. So, goods had to be moved from one type of boat to another. Later, "West Riding narrowboats" were introduced. These were short enough to use both canal systems. Near the basin, you can see the oldest surviving warehouse in the country. It dates back to before 1778. Commercial boats stopped using this canal in 1953. But the canal stayed open. It has seen more boats since the Huddersfield Narrow Canal reopened.

Huddersfield Narrow Canal: England's Longest Canal Tunnel

Building the Huddersfield Narrow Canal started in 1794. Parts of it were open by 1797. But it wasn't fully open until 1811. This was because of delays in building the longest canal tunnel in Britain. This tunnel is at Standedge. Even though the canal is only 19.9 miles (32.0 km) long, it has 74 locks! Forty-two locks are east of the tunnel, and 32 are west. The climb from Huddersfield through Linthwaite and Slaithwaite to the tunnel entrance at Marsden is very steep. There are more than 5 locks per mile (3 locks per km). The route follows the Colne Valley. A railway runs right next to the canal.

Near the tunnel entrance, there's an information center. There are also two unused railway tunnels and one active double-track railway tunnel next to the canal tunnel. You must book your trip through the canal tunnel in advance. It's only open on certain days. The tunnel's ends were changed when the railway tunnels were built. It is now 5,698 yards (5,200 m) long. The journey through it takes about three hours. Groups of up to four boats can go through in each direction on days when the tunnel is open.

West of the tunnel, the canal follows the valley of the River Tame. The railway is still nearby. South of Mossley is Scout Tunnel, which is 205 yards (187 m) long. A little further on, an electricity pylon stands over the canal. The section through Stalybridge was covered over in 1947. But now, it winds its way through busy streets. Just below the first lock, the canal goes through the 166-yard (152 m) Asda Tunnel. Then it reaches Dukinfield Junction and Portland Basin. Here, it joins the Peak Forest Canal and the Ashton Canal. The reopening of this canal in 2001 completed the Outer Pennine Ring.

Ashton Canal: A Narrow Urban Journey

The Ashton Canal opened shortly after 1792. It was unusual for the northwest of England. It was built as a narrow canal. This meant it was only for boats 72 by 7 feet (22 by 2.1 m). Most canals nearby were for wider boats. By 1962, the canal was almost unusable. But groups like the Peak Forest Canal Society and the Inland Waterways Association helped to reopen it. With help from British Waterways and local councils, it reopened in 1974. The canal is 6.7 miles (10.8 km) long. It has 18 locks. It goes through a busy city area. Between locks 10 and 11, there's a short side branch. This was once the start of the Stockport Branch Canal. That branch ran level for 5 miles (8.0 km) to Stockport. At Ducie Street Junction, the canal joins the Rochdale Canal.

Rochdale Canal: Completing the Ring

The last part of the Outer Pennine Ring uses the lower section of the Rochdale Canal. This canal was approved in the same year as the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. But it was finished in 1804, seven years earlier. The North Pennine Ring also uses the Rochdale Canal. It joins the Outer Pennine Ring at Ducie Street Junction. Most of the Rochdale Canal closed in 1952. But this final section stayed open. It provided a link between the Bridgewater Canal and the Ashton Canal. There are nine locks on this 1.2-mile (1.9 km) stretch. It goes through urban Manchester. Finally, it arrives back at Castlefield Junction on the Bridgewater Canal. This completes your journey around the Outer Pennine Ring!