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Standedge visitor centre to re-open

18th Jul 2006

Millennium Commissioner and Yorkshire Tourist Board Chairman, Judith Donovan CBE will be officially opening the new exhibition at Standedge Visitor Centre on Friday 21st July at a special ceremony attended by fifty local schoolchildren from Marsden Infants School.

British Waterways has developed this new exhibition over the last five months with York-based tourism and leisure experts, the Continuum Group. An audio visual show and display boards chart the fascinating history of Standedge Tunnel, the highest, longest and deepest working canal tunnel in the world. As part of the new interpretation, colourful directional signage has been installed to navigate visitors from the car park and railway station in Marsden, along the towpath and around the site itself.

In addition, improvements have been made to the specially designed glass-roofed boats which take visitors on short trips into the Tunnel, adding new audio effects to the tour and new external lighting to better illuminate the features of the Tunnel.

Research by the Continuum Group into archive material stored by members of the Huddersfield Canal has unearthed some interesting, little-known stories about the Canal and Tunnel and has finally settled a long-running debate about the origins of the Visitor Centre building. A recently discovered plan dating from 1895 shows the building as a ‘Magnesia Works’ and not a goods warehouse as has been widely believed for many years.

Admission to the new exhibition on the ground floor of the Visitor Centre will be free to all. On the first floor, the new education room will be available for visiting school groups and, during school holidays, will host special events. Out of normal opening hours, the first floor will also be opened up for hire by community and corporate groups.

Judith Donovan CBE said: "The Millennium Commission is proud to have supported the renovation of the Huddersfield Canal with lottery money. The exciting new exhibition at the Standedge Visitor Centre will help visitors understand the canal's importance and help round off a really great day out for the family. The additional education facilities will also mean that more young people have the opportunity to enjoy their industrial heritage.

The project is an excellent use of lottery money and a wonderful example of the work the Commission has supported which is improving our environment and providing excellent educational facilities."

The Visitor Centre will be open to the general public from Saturday, 22nd July from 10am-5pm, and boat trips run every 45 minutes from Tunnel End from 10.15 am until 4.00pm.

Last updated: 22/10/2008