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Towpath Tales: Taking the tunnel trip – by boat

WITH a small party from Huddersfield Railway Circle, I embarked on a canal trip through the three-mile Standedge tunnel, the longest and highest in Britain. 
Opened for barge traffic in 1811 the tunnel was the first of four tunnels through the Pennines linking Marsden with Diggle. The LNWR subsequently constructed two single-bore rail tunnels in 1849 and 1871 but rising traffic warranted a third (double track) rail tunnel in 1894.

All the rail tunnels were unique in having water troughs inside at their western ends. The two single-bore rail tunnels were closed in 1966 although they are still maintained and Network Rail's recent Route Utilisation Strategy considers reopening at least one of them. All three rail tunnels and the canal tunnel are linked with common air shafts.

Commercial operations through the canal tunnel ceased in 1921 although it was not closed formally until 1944. Following restoration work on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal (with its 42 locks in the seven miles to Marsden) the tunnel was re-opened to pleasure craft in 2001.

Despite appearances at both Marsden and Diggle where the canal tunnel portals are both on the north side of the double-track rail tunnel, this latter rail tunnel crosses over the canal at both ends for the canal tunnel is actually located between the two single-track rail tunnels and double-track rail tunnel, but with a water level some 10ft below the rail level.

Only parts of the tunnel are lined with brick although some sections have been strengthened with sprayed concrete and rock bolts and much of the tunnel is rough hewn through the gritstone.

After a two-hour journey from Marsden we arrived at Diggle and the party adjourned for lunch in the Diggle Hotel, another group of HRC members making the return journey to Marsden.

see this month’s Towpath Walk along the Huddersfield Narrow Canal.