Standedge facts for kids
Standedge is a high, hilly area in the Pennine Hills of northern England. It lies between the towns of Marsden, West Yorkshire and Diggle, Greater Manchester. For a very long time, even since the Roman times, Standedge has been an important place to cross the moors.
If you travel from east to west, you'll find five different roads that cross Standedge. The oldest is a Roman road built by the Romans. The newest is the A62 road. Below the ground, the Huddersfield Narrow Canal and a railway line from Leeds to Manchester go through the Standedge Tunnels. The Pennine Way, a long walking path, also crosses Standedge from north to south.
A large part of Standedge is looked after by the National Trust, as part of their Marsden Moor Estate. Standedge is divided between two local areas: Kirklees and Oldham.
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Crossing Standedge: Roads and Paths
People have been crossing Standedge for a very long time. The first known crossing was a Roman road. It connected Roman forts at Slack and Castleshaw. This road was part of a route from York to Chester. Experts believe it was built around the year AD 80.
In 1969, the path of this Roman road was found. It climbed the Standedge Ridge using a special terraced path. The road was once more than 22 feet (6.7 meters) wide. Over time, it has worn away quite a bit.
After the Roman road was no longer used, people crossed the moors on simple tracks. These tracks were used by packhorses, which are horses that carry goods. One such track went from Marsden to Rochdale. You can still find narrow paths and special bridges for packhorses in many places on the moors. One example is the Close Gate Bridge near Marsden.
Modern Roads Across the Moors
The first modern road between Huddersfield and Manchester was built in 1760. Later, in 1791, another road was built by a man named John Metcalf. People called him "Blind Jack of Knaresborough." This road, known as "the coach road," crossed the Pennine hills south of where the main road is today.
In 1839, a new toll road replaced the coach road. This was called the Wakefield and Austerlands Toll Road. To make sure people used the new toll road, trenches were dug in the old coach road. This stopped people from using it for free. Today, the A62 road follows this route. It crosses the top of Standedge through a special cutting in the hill. The M62 motorway now carries most of the traffic across the Pennines. It uses a different route north of Standedge.
Crossing Standedge: Tunnels Below Ground
Four long tunnels run side-by-side under Standedge. They connect Diggle and Marsden. The oldest tunnel is for the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. It opened in 1811 and is still used today by boats.
Three railway tunnels were also built. The first opened in 1848, then another in 1871, and the last in 1894. Today, only the 1894 tunnel is still used for trains.
These four tunnels are connected by smaller tunnels, called adits. These cross-tunnels are placed at different points inside the main tunnels. The 1848 railway tunnel can even be used by road vehicles. This is important because it acts as an emergency exit and access route for the other tunnels.
Life and Travel at Standedge
Standedge is a quiet area with not many people living there. However, it used to have two old pubs, the Carriage House and the Great Western. These are located close to each other on the A62 road. There are also two reservoirs and many paths for people who enjoy hiking.
You can get to Standedge by bus. The 184 service runs between Huddersfield and Manchester, going through Oldham. This bus service is run by First Greater Manchester. There are bus stops on both sides of the road near the top of Standedge. These stops are where the Pennine Way and Pennine Bridleway paths cross. Buses run every hour from Monday to Saturday during the day. On Sundays, they run every two hours during the day.
