Was the 'Narrow' opened too early? - Problems at the start

Problems at the start

There were problems with the building of the canal at its very start, with progress slow and very erratic. Its builder, Benjamin Outram, was seriously ill for long periods whilst the waterway was being constructed, leaving it with no overall administration.  The company was short of money as the the costs had been seriously underestimated and shareholders were not honouring their pledges.

It is well recorded that there were instances of poor workmanship in the building of the waterway, with both reservoirs and the canal itself failing and locks not up to standard, causing problems throughout its working life.  The picture shows moored boats left high and dry when a pound drains away overnight.

Hastily completed

During the restoration many of the locks were hastily completed and gave problems, as when we cruised it the first time in 2003, there were three instances where staff had to be called out to assist.  At one lock we were told to fasten a rope around a top gate and pull it open with the boat, as the lock would not fill for the water to be level!

At that time the short pounds were obviously very silted, as one boat we were following was stuck every time water was let out of a lock, with walkers following it along pushing the boat out into deep water! The picture shows the colossal amount of silt in the waterway.

Second time

The second time we cruised the waterway, in the opposite direction, such was the leakage that we had to have Fred accompany us for lock after lock as pounds were too low to negotiate. As those who have cruised the waterway know, the locks being close together means that pounds are exceptionally short and, not being dredged, do not hold enough water. The picture below shows Jan and Fred waiting for the pound to fill so that our boat could exit the lock over the cill.

So silt again was a problem, with all too often our boat becoming fast even when entering locks where silt had built up over the years.

The problem

The problem is obviously that the canal was opened too early after restoration.  It should have been thoroughly dredged, the leakage attended to and lock gates made to fit correctly. Alas with Canal & River Trust now in charge, none of this will happen, and there is a real chance of it being closed once again.

This will be a great pity, as the Huddersfield Narrow takes you though the glorious scenery of the Pennines. Also, working through all those locks is somewhat of an adventure and being able to now steer the boat yourself through that remarkable engineering achievement of the Standedge Tunnel is an experience like no other, and is highly recommended.

It will be tragic if it is continuously neglected, and it is lost once again.