South Pennine Ring facts for kids
Quick facts for kids South Pennine Ring |
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The Rochdale Canal runs along the side of a hill at Brearley
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| Specifications | |
| Length | 69 miles (111 km) |
| Locks | 197 |
| Status | Canal ring |
| Navigation authority | British Waterways |
The South Pennine Ring is a special route for boats in England. It's a canal ring, which means you can travel around it in a circle without going over the same part twice. This ring crosses the Pennines, a range of hills, connecting the cities of Manchester and Huddersfield.
This route uses parts of five different canals. It also includes a trip through the Standedge Tunnels, which is the longest canal tunnel in Britain! People have only been able to boat this full ring since 2002. That's when the Huddersfield Narrow Canal was fixed up and reopened.
Contents
History of the Canal Ring
The idea of a "canal ring" started in 1965. It was part of a plan to save the Rochdale Canal from closing completely. At first, this idea was called the "Cheshire Canal Ring." This name was later shortened to the "Cheshire Ring."
A canal ring is a series of connected canals. You can navigate them, usually in a week or two, without repeating any section. This idea has since been used for many other canal routes. The South Pennine Ring is a newer one. It only became possible when the Huddersfield Narrow Canal and the Rochdale Canal were fully restored in 2001-2002. The Huddersfield Narrow Canal's restoration was even called "the impossible restoration" because it was so difficult!
The name "South Pennine Ring" was created by British Waterways. It was a way to promote boating on these canals. Waterway fans later used this idea to name other routes, like the North Pennine Ring and Outer Pennine Ring. These names describe the three possible circular routes that use the canals crossing the Pennines.
Why Boaters Love (and Sometimes Don't Love) This Ring
The beautiful moorland scenery and quiet parts of this ring usually attract many boaters. However, fewer boats travel here than you might expect. This is due to a few reasons:
- There are many locks to go through. They are often spread out, not grouped together.
- Sometimes, parts of the canal have to close temporarily. These are called stoppages. They can happen because of water shortages, bank problems, or maintenance work.
- Some parts of the route go through busy cities. Boaters looking for quiet countryside might not enjoy these sections as much.
- There are rules about how many boats can go through the Standedge Tunnel each day.
Because of these frequent stoppages and the need to book passage through the Standedge Tunnel, it's a good idea to plan your trip carefully. You should check the British Waterways website before you go.
The South Pennine Ring Route
The South Pennine Ring follows parts of five canals. If you start from Ducie Street Junction in Manchester and travel clockwise, here are the canals you will use:
- Rochdale Canal
- Calder and Hebble Navigation
- Huddersfield Broad Canal
- Huddersfield Narrow Canal
- Ashton Canal
Rochdale Canal: A High Climb
The Rochdale Canal was approved in 1794 and finished in 1804. Unlike the other two canals that cross the Pennines, it doesn't have a major tunnel. This means it has to climb much higher over the hills. It has many locks, which were built wide enough for large barges. These locks used a lot of water, which often caused problems.
The last commercial boat to travel the whole canal was in 1937. Most of the canal was closed in 1952. Restoration work began in 1984 and finished in 2002. A grant from the Millennium Fund helped pay for this. The canal was privately owned until 2000. Now, British Waterways is in charge of it.
The canal originally had eight reservoirs to supply water. But these were sold when the canal closed. So, getting enough water is still a challenge. Because of this, only four boats can go through the first 19 locks (starting with lock 83) each day in each direction. You must book this in advance.
Traveling along this canal can be hard work. There are about three locks for every mile (five locks per kilometer). They are spread out, not in groups. There are 47 locks between Ducie Street and the highest point of the canal. All these locks were built with the same height difference. This helped save water and made the lock gates interchangeable.
By the time you reach West Summit Lock, boats have traveled about 17 miles (27 km). They have also climbed to a height of 601 feet (183 m). This makes it one of the highest canal summits in the country. Crossing the summit, between locks 37 and 36, also needs to be booked. Only four boats can make the trip each day in each direction. The summit section is quite short, only about 0.8 miles (1.3 km) long. Soon after, the descent towards Sowerby Bridge begins.
The distance from Ducie Street to Sowerby Bridge is about 30.8 miles (49.6 km). There are 82 locks on this section. The numbers don't quite match because Tuel Lane Lock, near Sowerby Bridge, replaced two original locks (3 and 4). This was done to make space for a road above the canal. Sowerby Bridge was a place where goods were transferred. This is because boats on the Calder and Hebble Navigation were shorter. This still limits the size of boats that can complete the entire ring.
The Calder and Hebble Navigation opened in 1770, connecting Wakefield and Sowerby Bridge. It was almost like an extension of the Aire and Calder Navigation. It was not as successful as the Aire and Calder. For a while, a railway company leased it, until the Aire and Calder took over. Some of the lower locks were made bigger during this time. However, none of these larger locks are part of the South Pennine Ring. Commercial boats used this canal until 1981. Now, it's only used for leisure boating.
One interesting thing about this waterway is that you need a long piece of wood, called a "handspike," to open the lock paddles. Since it's a river navigation, water levels can change. Many locks have colored signs to show if it's safe to travel. A green sign means normal river levels. An amber sign means high levels, but you can usually still go carefully. A red sign means the river is flooding, and it's unsafe to travel. The next lock will be closed.
When river levels are normal, boating here is very pleasant. The route goes through beautiful countryside and past interesting old industrial sites. After about 8.5 miles (13.7 km) and 14 locks, the canal splits. The Calder and Hebble continues straight to the Aire and Calder at Wakefield. That route is part of the North Pennine Ring. The South Pennine Ring turns left onto the Huddersfield Broad Canal. Be careful here, as there is a large weir (a small dam) next to the entrance of the first lock.
Huddersfield Broad Canal: A Short Link
The Huddersfield Broad Canal is quite short, only about 3.3 miles (5.3 km) long. It climbs through 9 locks to connect the Calder and Hebble to the industrial town of Huddersfield. It opened in 1780. It has short, wide locks because its only connection was via Cooper Bridge when it was built. Even though it's near towns, the route feels quite rural, with trees and playing fields nearby.
It reaches Aspley Basin after passing the Locomotive Lift Bridge. This bridge is named for its shape, not because it carries trains. It carries a road over the canal. The basin was needed once the Huddersfield Narrow Canal opened. This was because boats from one canal couldn't travel on the other.
Huddersfield Narrow Canal: The Longest Tunnel
The Huddersfield Narrow Canal was the third canal to cross the Pennines. It was approved at the same time as the Rochdale Canal. But it had a very long tunnel at its highest point. So, it didn't fully open until 1811, seven years after the Rochdale.
The Standedge tunnel is the longest canal tunnel in Britain. It's also the highest, as the summit level is 656 feet (200 m) above sea level. This is even higher than the Rochdale Canal's summit! Yet, it's also the deepest canal tunnel, going 638 feet (194 m) below Saddleworth Moor in some places.
The canal is about 19.9 miles (32.0 km) long. It has 42 locks going up to the summit (numbered 1E to 42E). Then, there are another 32 locks going down to Dukinfield Junction (numbered 32W to 1W). Near Huddersfield, there are two more tunnels. These were built to take the restored canal under factories that were built after the canal closed in 1944. Bates Tunnel is about 100 yards (91 m) long, and Sellers Tunnel is about 355 yards (325 m) long. Like on the Rochdale, the locks are spread out.
Between the top lock and the north-east entrance of Standedge Tunnel, there's about 0.5 miles (0.80 km) of flat canal. Near the tunnel entrance, you'll find an information center. There are actually four tunnels running through the hills here. The canal tunnel runs next to three railway tunnels! You must book your trip through the tunnel in advance. Only a group of four boats can go through in each direction on days when the tunnel is open.
The rebuilding of this canal has greatly changed places like Stalybridge. The canal there was covered over in 1947. Now, the new canal winds through the streets. People appreciate how it has brought new life to the area. Below the final lock, there's another tunnel, about 166 yards (152 m) long. This tunnel carries the canal under an Asda supermarket to reach Dukinfield Junction.
Ashton Canal: Back to the Start
At Dukinfield Junction, the Peak Forest Canal turns left. But the South Pennine Ring continues straight onto the Ashton Canal. The first half of this canal is flat. Then you reach Fairfield Junction. This was where the Hollinwood Branch Canal used to turn off. A short part of it now leads to a new marina, which opened in 2008. There are plans to reopen more of this branch.
Between locks 10 and 11, there's a short section that used to be part of the Stockport Branch Canal. There are also plans to reopen this canal. After going down through 18 locks and traveling about 6.7 miles (10.8 km), the Ashton Canal brings you back to where you started. It joins the Rochdale Canal at Ducie Street Junction, completing the ring!
