Here is the final Itinerary for the Cruise showing where the boats will be each day – we will be delighted if you can come along and enjoy the convoy, or even help out a bit! Here’s to adding some colour and more activity to the Narrow!
Our Marsden Shuttle will be travelling from its home at Tunnel End, Marsden, westward, to be at this year’s Stalybridge Festival, providing free trips to the general public throughout the weekend. However, volunteers are still needed to help on the Saturday and Sunday of the Festival; can you help please?
Society Members are invited to join the trip down to Stalybridge and back to Marsden; the planned schedule is:
Mon, 19 June, 08:30 – 14:00 Marden through the Standedge Tunnel then down to Wool Road, Dobcross
Fri, 23 June, 10:00 – 17:00 Wool Road, Dobcross to Armentieres Square, Stalybridge
Mon, 3 July, 09:30 – 18:30 Portland Basin Museum to Wool Road, Dobcross
Wed, 5 July, 09:00 – 14:00 Wool Road, Dobcross through the Standedge Tunnel to Marsden
As boating is the quickest way to slow down, these journey durations are very much approximate; all part of the adventure!
Please email the organiser, Mike McHugh at mcq.mike@gmail.com or phone the Office (01457 871800) for more information or offers of help. Thank you.
The Marsden Shuttle at the 2016 Stalybridge Festival
Places are limited by the capacity of Standedge Tunnel and by early May confirmed bookings had already been received from the maximum of 12 boats agreed with CRT.
Boaters can email Huddersfield Canal Society at hcs@huddersfieldcanal.com to express interest and be put on a wait list should any cancellations be received (2 boats are already on that list as at May 21st.)
Offers of help with lock wheeling have been received. These will soon be verified to see whether sufficient help is available.
For the latest itinerary click here:
This picture, taken in March by Alan Stopher, illustrates the scale of the work recently completed by Canal and River Trust in Uppermill. It was necessary because of the collapsed state of sections of wall after the November 2016 deluge.
Huddersfield Narrow Canal – 23rd June to 1st July 2017
The Huddersfield Canal Society and Canal & River Trust are inviting visiting boaters to join the first Pennine Explorer Cruise from 23 June – 1 July 2017
Starting at Portland Basin, Ashton-under-Lyne the cruise will visit Stalybridge, Mossley, Diggle, Marsden, Slaithwaite, Milnsbridge and Huddersfield before finishing at Mirfield.
This “Roving Rally” will allow boat crews from elsewhere on the canal network to enjoy the magnificent scenery of our rugged Pennine canal with help from volunteer lock-winders. A programme of evening events will add to the fun.
Alan Stopher, Chair of the Huddersfield Canal Society, says “Sixteen years on from its reopening the Huddersfield Narrow Canal has already provided a memorable cruise for many. We also know it has a place on many boaters’ cruising wish lists. To encourage use by those who have yet to visit this waterway gem we’re teaming up with the Canal & River Trust and the Calder Navigation Society to welcome boaters from afar to sample these Pennine waterways for themselves”.
Waterway Manager David Baldacchino says “We think the cruise is a great idea. So many people have worked so hard to return this stretch back to navigation and we want as many people as possible to come and enjoy the fantastic beauty that this great trans-pennine link has to offer. The canal offers some of the best sights and scenes and who wouldn’t want to go through the highest, longest and deepest canal?
It is hoped that we can recreate a similar scene to the one shown on this photograph taken by Ian Bradbury at the Bi-Centenary event at Diggle Summit in 2011.
Places are limited by the capacity of Standedge Tunnel and by early May confirmed bookings had already been received from the maximum of 12 boats agreed with CRT. A charge of £25 will be made to include Society membership for a year, a cast plaque and a copy of the detailed Towpath Guide.
Boaters can email Huddersfield Canal Society at hcs@huddersfieldcanal.com to express interest and be put on a wait list should any cancellations be received (2 boats are already on that list.).
Not all boats fit the canal, the controlling dimensions and other information are available here: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/media/library/279.pdf
Those who will fit the shorter wider locks of the Huddersfield Broad and Calder and Hebble canals can continue to complete a circuit. Full length narrowboats can turn at Huddersfield and take their time on the return journey.
We’re looking for more volunteers to help with the locks so if you fancy wielding a windlass and taking in the June air please contact the Society via this website.
If you would like to see our Draft Itinerary, click here
Lock 1 W: 01/11/16 – 02/12/16 Polyurethane resin injection to seal Lock leakage
Lock 8W to 16W: 07/11/16 – 16/12/16 The towpath is also closed
Lock 8W: Replacement of the bottom gates, pointing the Lock chamber
Lock 12W: Gate leakage repairs
Lock 13W: Replacement of the top gate, repairs to the bottom gates, masonry repairs and heel grip repairs
Lock 14W: Replacement of the bottom gates, masonry repairs and heel grip repairs
Lock 16W: Replacement of the bottom gates. masonry and ladder repairs
Lock 22W: 07/11/16 – 16/12/16 The towpath is also closed Replacement of the bottom gates, masonry in and around the lock chamber, ground works around the Lock
Lock 1E to 16E: 07/11/16 – 21/12/16
Lock 9E: Polyurethane resin injection to seal Lock leakage. Gate leakage works, masonry repairs in adjacent pounds
Lock 12E: Gate leakage repairs, brickwork repairs in the Lock chamber
Lock 15E: Polyurethane resin injection to seal the Lock leakage. Gate leakage repairs to the top gate, masonry repairs in and around the Lock chamber
Lock 16E: Polyurethane resin injection to seal the Lock leakage and masonry repairs to the Lock chamber, ground works to the Lock quadrant areas
Lock 18E to 39E: 01/11/16 – 21/12/16 The towpath is also closed
Lock 18E: Polyurethane resin injection to seal the Lock leakage and masonry and ladder repairs within the Lock chamber and leakage repairs to the bottom gates
Lock 19E: Leakage and masonry repairs
Lock 26E: Canal drained above Lock to carry out culvert works
Lock 28E: Polyurethane resin injection to seal the Lock leakage
Tail Goit Culvert above Lock 28E: Repairs to the culvert, by-wash and towpath
Lock 38E: Replacement of both top and bottom gates, masonry repairs and Polyurethane resin injection to seal the Lock leakage
Lock 39E: Polyurethane resin injection to seal the Lock leakage
The Summer/Autumn 2020 edition of our magazine Pennine Link can be downloaded by clicking the image below.
