Rochdale Canal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rochdale Canal |
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| Specifications | |
| Locks | 91 (92 as built; two locks merged) |
| Status | Open |
| Navigation authority | Canal & River Trust |
| History | |
| Date of act | 1794 |
| Date completed | 1804 |
| Date closed | 1952 |
| Date restored | 2002 |
The Rochdale Canal is a historic waterway in Northern England. It stretches between Manchester and Sowerby Bridge. This canal is part of the large network of canals across Great Britain. It gets its name from the town of Rochdale, which it passes through.
The Rochdale Canal is known as a "broad canal". This means its locks are wide enough for boats up to 14 feet (4.3 m) across. The canal travels for 32 miles (51 km) over the Pennines mountains. It starts at the Bridgewater Canal in Castlefield Basin in Manchester. It then joins the Calder and Hebble Navigation in Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire.
When it was first built, the canal had 92 locks. Today, it has 91 locks. This is because two locks (Lock 3 and Lock 4) were combined. They now form one very deep lock called Tuel Lane Lock, which is numbered 3/4.
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History of the Rochdale Canal
The idea for the Rochdale Canal began in 1776. A group of people from Rochdale wanted to connect their town to other places by water. They hired James Brindley, a famous canal engineer, to find the best route. He suggested a path similar to the one that was built.
Work on the canal didn't start right away. In 1791, John Rennie was asked to survey new routes. He also looked at adding branches to towns like Rochdale and Oldham. At this time, Rennie was new to building canals.
The canal builders weren't sure if they should make a wide or narrow canal. They decided to wait until they got permission from Parliament. Their first attempt in 1792 failed. Mill owners worried the canal would take too much water from their mills. Rennie suggested using steam pumps, but the mill owners still said it would harm 59 mills.
Another attempt was made to get permission. This time, they planned a long tunnel and 11 reservoirs. But the bill was defeated again, by just one vote! To understand the mill owners' concerns, William Jessop was asked to help. He explained things to Parliament. Finally, on 4 April 1794, an Act of Parliament was passed. This allowed the Rochdale Canal Company to be created and the canal to be built.
Rennie had estimated the cost at £291,000 for a narrow canal. However, Parliament approved a broad canal, which would cost more. They decided not to build the summit tunnel. Instead, they added 14 more locks, which saved money. Jessop suggested making all locks 10 feet (3.0 m) deep. This helped save water and made it easier to build the lock gates.
The canal opened in sections as they were finished. The Rochdale Branch opened first in 1798. More sections opened in 1799. By 1800, boats could reach Manchester using the Ashton Canal. The entire canal officially opened in 1804. However, construction work continued for three more years. A 1.5-mile (2.4 km) branch from Heywood to Castleton opened later, in 1834.
How the Canal Operated
Because the canal had no summit tunnel, it needed many locks. The highest part of the canal, called the summit pound, was very short. It was only 0.8 miles (1.3 km) long. From the summit, 36 locks went down to Sowerby Bridge. Another 56 locks went down to Manchester. The summit pound is 600 feet (183 m) above sea level. It is one of the highest canal sections in Britain.
To supply water for all these locks, several reservoirs were built. Blackstone Edge Reservoir (50 acres (20 ha)) and Chelburn Reservoir (16 acres (6.5 ha)) were finished in 1798. Hollingworth Lake (130 acres (53 ha)) was completed in 1800. Hollingworth Lake was lower than the summit. So, a steam pumping engine was installed to lift water into a 4-mile (6.4 km) feeder channel. This feeder connected to the summit. The pumping engine was used until 1910.
Because it was a wide canal, the Rochdale Canal became very successful. It was more popular than the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. It became a major route for trade between Lancashire and Yorkshire. Goods like cotton, wool, coal, limestone, timber, and salt were transported.
In 1839, the canal carried 875,436 tons of goods. This earned £62,712 in tolls. However, when the Manchester and Leeds Railway opened in 1841, trade on the canal dropped a lot. Even though the canal lowered its prices, income stayed about the same. The most traffic the canal ever saw was in 1845, with 979,443 tons carried.
In 1855, the canal company made a deal with four railway companies. The railways paid the canal company £37,652 each year. This allowed the canal company to pay its shareholders and still have money for maintenance. During this time, traffic on the canal actually increased a little. Interestingly, Hollingworth Lake became a popular place for fun. Steamers operated on it six days a week by 1865.
The canal managed to stay profitable by cutting its tolls. Over time, the company's name changed. They were also allowed to sell water. By 1905, a lot of cargo moved between the canal and the Bridgewater Canal in Manchester. Much of this was linked to the Manchester Ship Canal trade.
During the First World War, the government took control of canals. When the Rochdale Canal was returned in 1920, it was in financial trouble. Working hours had changed, and wages had risen. In 1923, an Act allowed the canal to sell its eight reservoirs to local towns for drinking water. This brought in a lot of money for the canal company.
Most of the canal closed in 1952. An Act of Parliament was passed to stop public boats from using it. The last full journey on the canal happened in 1937. By the mid-1960s, parts of it were almost unusable. When the M62 motorway was built in the late 1960s, it cut the canal in two.
Restoring the Rochdale Canal
In 1965, there was a plan to officially abandon the canal. But the Inland Waterways Association fought against it. The law that passed said the owners had to keep the canal maintained. In 1971, a boat rally was held on the canal. People started discussing how to restore it. In 1974, groups were formed to promote restoring both the Rochdale Canal and the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. The Rochdale Canal Society wanted the canal fully reopened.
The canal got help from the Manpower Services Commission in 1975. Money was given to fund work on the canal in Rochdale town. The next year, more jobs were created with another grant. Despite progress, there were plans to build a motorway and a supermarket over the canal. These plans were met with strong opposition.
The Job Creation Scheme helped change how officials saw the restoration. Many young people worked on the canal for twelve years. They learned practical skills for restoring waterways. The section from Todmorden to Hebden Bridge was finished in 1983. It officially opened on 20 May.
The Rochdale Canal Society worked hard to protect the canal's route. In 1984, the Rochdale Canal Trust Ltd was formed. This new group leased the canal from the owning company. In 1985, a motorway extension threatened the canal again. But local councils started looking at ways to remove blockages. This included the M62 motorway embankment at Failsworth.
Calderdale Council managed a £1 million project to remove culverts and restore locks. Some funding came from the European Economic Commission. The restoration work reached Sowerby Bridge. Here, planners suggested a tunnel and a deep lock to get past a tricky road junction. This would connect the canal to the Calder and Hebble Navigation. By 1990, the entire eastern section from Sowerby Bridge to the summit was open. However, it was still separate from the rest of the canal network.
In 1991, a report looked at the costs and benefits of finishing the restoration. It estimated that £15.9 million more was needed. But for a total of £17.3 million, the region would gain £30 million in benefits. This included 1,028 full-time jobs. The link with the Calder and Hebble Canal was funded by £2.5 million. The first boat passed through the restored link on 11 April 1996. The official opening was on 3 May. Tuel Lane Lock is nearly 20 feet (6.1 m) deep. This makes it one of the deepest locks on the British canal system.
In 1997, the Rochdale Canal Trust was reorganized. This was to get large grants for millennium celebrations. The canal was still owned by a private company. The Millennium Commission would not give money for private profit. So, the Waterways Trust took over ownership of the canal. This allowed them to get an £11.3 million grant. Other funding came from English Partnerships and local councils.
As restoration continued, boats could travel further west. The restoration of sections through Failsworth and Ancoats was a big part of redeveloping north Manchester. These restored parts connected with the section in Manchester that had never closed. Finally, on 1 July 2002, the Rochdale Canal was open for boats along its entire length!
The Rochdale Canal Today
The Rochdale Canal is very important for leisure boating. It is one of only three canals that cross the Pennines. This means it connects canals in the northwest with those in the northeast. It also opens up possibilities for touring different "Pennine Rings" by boat. The Huddersfield Narrow Canal reopened the year before. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal never closed.
A great thing about the Rochdale Canal for boaters is its scenery. Unlike the Leeds and Liverpool and Huddersfield Narrow canals, it climbs high over the Pennine moors. It doesn't go through long tunnels. This means boaters are surrounded by amazing views. The trade-off is that they have to work more locks!
The Rochdale Canal is a key part of several important boating routes:
- In Manchester, it connects the Ashton Canal to the Bridgewater Canal. This makes it a short link in the Cheshire Ring. This popular canal ring takes one or two weeks to complete.
- The Ashton Canal connects to the western end of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. This makes the Rochdale Canal part of the South Pennine Ring.
- The Bridgewater Canal connects to the western end of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. This makes the Rochdale Canal part of the North Pennine Ring.
- The Ashton and Bridgewater canals connect the Rochdale Canal to all the canals on the west side of England. This includes the Trent and Mersey Canal and Macclesfield Canal.
East from Manchester, the canal crosses the Pennines. It passes through towns and villages like Littleborough, Summit, Todmorden, Hebden Bridge, Mytholmroyd, and Luddendenfoot. Finally, at Sowerby Bridge, it connects to the Calder and Hebble Navigation. This gives boats access to all the northeastern waterways. These include the Aire and Calder Navigation and the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation. It also connects to the rivers Ouse and Trent.
The Rochdale Canal has faced challenges since reopening. Often, there isn't enough water. This is because the canal's reservoirs were sold off in 1923. In April 2005, the canal bank broke near the River Irk. A lot of water rushed down the river towards Middleton. This was similar to a big canal accident in 1927. The canal reopened in Summer 2006.
Because of water issues and other problems, there are often rules for using the canal. You might need to book your trip through Tuel Lane Lock and across the summit. It's always a good idea to check the Canal & River Trust website before planning a trip.
