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Historic repeats itself at the Standedge Tunnel

As folklore goes, the opening of the tunnel was marked with dignitaries passing through the tunnel on ‘legged’ boats, with an expectant crowd at Diggle to see boats enter at the Diggle portal to voyage through to Tunnel End at Marsden with a live band playing ‘Rule Britannia’.

On this occasion the Horseboating Society legged three boats from Diggle to Marsden, the last of these carrying the Diggle Band in full swing as it emerged from the tunnel which is the highest, longest and deepest canal tunnel in the UK.

Addressing the crowd gathered to welcome the boats at the Marsden portal, society chairman Sue Day gave an account of the historic event and said on this occasion the first boat was an iron boat built in Yorkshire while the second was a wooden boat from Cheshire.

At the same time a guided walk had followed the route taken by the canal boat horses over the tunnel top. To keep the costs down, the original tunnel was built without a towpath and while the horses crossed over the hill, the boat crew had to ‘leg’ the boat through the three-mile tunnel.

One of the last surviving Standedge Tunnel leggers, 92-year-old Ronnie Barnes cut the ribbon to open a new wildlife and sensory garden made from recycled lock gates from the Huddersfield Narrow Canal along with a new children’s playground area at the Standedge Visitor Centre.

British Waterways Manchester & Pennine waterway manager David Baldacchino said it had been 10 years since the canal had reopened to navigation and thanked everyone who had been involved since then.

“It is very fitting that we are using this event to look forward. This will be a template for waterways success in the future; much of the work here has been done by volunteers.”

James Dean, visitor services manager for Standedge Tunnel & Visitor Centre, said: “It’s amazing to think that the tunnel and canal are today celebrating their 200th anniversary. Standedge is a unique place and this is a very proud moment for everyone who’s played a part in the tunnel’s life, because after 200 years it’s still one of the major landmarks of the waterways. 

For more information

Further bicentenary events will take place in July and September.
www.standedge.co.uk www.penninewaterways.co.uk

Words & photography: Janet Richardson