Boating along the Huddersfield Narrow Canal

A passage of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal is not for the faint-hearted. There are 74 locks, unusual narrow sections, plus the longest tunnel in Britain. As the canal only reopened in 2001, facilities are not yet as common as on the Midland waterways where pleasure-cruising has been established for 40 years.

Don't let any of this put you off, for boating the 'Narrow' is an unforgettable experience. The feeling of achievement is palpable as your lock-winding slowly lifts your boat through the scenery, from industrial Huddersfield to the moorlands of Saddleworth and Standedge. In Uppermill, Slaithwaite, Stalybridge and Marsden, the canal has four picturesque and interesting towns that reward an afternoon's exploration.

And then there's the tunnel. (The Huddersfield Narrow actually has four tunnels - Standedge, Scout, Bates and Sellars - but only one deserves the name 'The Tunnel'.) Standedge is 5,698 yards long, hewn out of solid rock. For the safety and convenience of boaters, who could otherwise break down in the darkness with two miles to swim out, boats are towed through in convoy by a British Waterways electric tug. A glass-sided passenger boat runs as part of the convoy, carrying boat crew and other passengers. Passages run on certain days and must be pre-booked.

When the canal first reopened, water points and other boating facilities were few and far between. British Waterways has now embarked upon an ambitious programme to install new facilities and improve water supplies to the canal, including the construction of complete sanitary stations at locations including Wool Road and eastern Stalybridge.

If you are hiring a boat, Shire Cruisers at Sowerby Bridge (at the junction of the Rochdale Canal and Calder & Hebble Navigation) offer one-way trips across the Narrow. You can hire a boat from Sowerby Bridge and leave it one week later in Ashton-under-Lyne, or vice versa. Waterscape.com suggests a minimum crew of four people, though couples have successfully crossed the canal. For those with a fortnight to spare, the South Pennine Ring includes the Rochdale Canal as well.

Bridge & lock opening times

Find detailed information on local services, moorings and stoppages by using the drop down menu on the left.