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Huddersfield Narrow Mooring


PNB116

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Hi All, I am planning to do the Huddersfield Narrow later this year. I can’t seem to see many mooring spots on any of the maps I have looked at. I think I may need a break or two rather than try to do all the locks in one day. What is it like for mooring up? Thanks. Paul

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In 2015 going from West to East.

First stop Micklehurst

2nd stop Wool Road lock where I left boat for 4 days as I needed to be home

3rd stop Marsden after going through the tunnel.

 

East of the tunnel

First stop Slaithwaite and finally

Huddersfield.

 

From memory, there are several suitable places on the west as the locks are further apart, but on the East, it's 22 locks to Slaithwaite, which is about 2 1/2 miles and a further 20 to Huddersfield, which is about 4 1/2 miles, this means the pounds are very close together and often very low.

 

Have fun, it's well worth doing.

 

I also did the route single handed.

 

Kevin

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We did it in 2017, also from west to east.

 

First night outside Tesco's in Stalybridge.

Second night outside the museum in Upper mill. Seem to remember a good breakfast at Brownhill Countryside Centre cafe, near Wool Road services.

Third night in Diggle then the tunnel the next morning.

Also moored at Marsden, Slaithwaite and Huddersfield on the east side.

 

A couple of low pounds on the way up the west side, but easily sorted with some careful paddle opening.

 

Agree it's well worth the effort, we enjoyed it.

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1 hour ago, PNB116 said:

Hi All, I am planning to do the Huddersfield Narrow later this year. I can’t seem to see many mooring spots on any of the maps I have looked at. I think I may need a break or two rather than try to do all the locks in one day. What is it like for mooring up? Thanks. Paul

Depends which way you're going, because moorings have to fit in with tunnel transits which are fixed times Mon/Wed/Fri only IIRC.

 

Places I can recommend from experience  -- with a strong bias towards pubs with good beer and maybe food, and safe moorings -- are Bradley (White Cross, moor above lock 1), Slaithwaite (Commercial, moor below lock 22), Marsden (Riverhead Brewery Tap, moor above lock 42), Dobcross (Navigation), Stalybridge (Station Bar -- moor outside Phoenix City). All are about a day apart, funnily enough...

 

It's a fantastic canal, and ridiculously quiet -- more than one boat a day coming the other way counts as rush hour. Allow some extra time for low pounds because there are bound to be some ?

Edited by IanD
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I have moored at the following places:  Stalybridge: between locks 4&5, opposite Tesco, above lock7, above lock 12, below lock 15, below lock 14, east of bridge 82,  Uppermill, Wool road, Diggle, Marsden, above lock 31E,  above lock 24E, below lock 22E, above lock15E,  below lock 14E.  Milnsbridge is a recognised mooring, but I avoid it because of unfriendly residents.   Most of my mooring spots have a decent pub within walking distance, needless to say!  My favourite? The Kettle (above lock 31E).  A short walk across the fields to an excellent bus service and an apparently rather good Italian restaurant (I've never been in) I've left my boat there several times, as well as at Wool road.

Edited to say that IanD does not make it clear that for Bradley and the White Cross, the mooring is above lock 1 on the Broad Canal, not the HNC.

Edited by Mac of Cygnet
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19 minutes ago, luggsy said:

A must get fish and chips from diggle the best we have ever had 

Also the Handmade Bakery in Slaithwaite is a great place to have breakfast, and sells fantastic bread. And the Empire Brewery is next door, if the brewery shop is open you can stock up...

Edited by IanD
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2 hours ago, Mac of Cygnet said:

I have moored at the following places:  Stalybridge: between locks 4&5, opposite Tesco, above lock7, above lock 12, below lock 15, below lock 14, east of bridge 82,  Uppermill, Wool road, Diggle, Marsden, above lock 31E,  above lock 24E, below lock 22E, above lock15E,  below lock 14E.  Milnsbridge is a recognised mooring, but I avoid it because of unfriendly residents.   Most of my mooring spots have a decent pub within walking distance, needless to say!  My favourite? The Kettle (above lock 31E).  A short walk across the fields to an excellent bus service and an apparently rather good Italian restaurant (I've never been in) I've left my boat there several times, as well as at Wool road.

 

I agree with all that except Stalybridge and Milnsbridge. It’s the otherway around for me. I don’t trust mooring at Stalybridge but prefer Milnsbridge. 

 

Tunnel end at Diggle is a favourite because it’s so peaceful (the train goes unoticed afterawhile ?) you can hear the owls hooting. There’s got to be four or five talking to each other. 

 

Take your time. 

Enjoy the Commercial in Slaithwaite. 

 

Good service block at Woolroad on the West, and good services with shower on the East at Slaithwaite. 

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We've done both sides, but not the tunnel.. On the west side particularly, we found 'random' mooring difficult as it can be quite shallow towards the edge in places. We stopped at Tesco in Stalybridge twice with no problems (except goose sh*t !) , Wool Rd Services, and Roaches Lock Visitor Mooring. On the way up, we decided to take the boat up past the VM and moor above the village, but couldn't get in anywhere, so we went on to Uppermill. Moored at Roache's Lock VM on the way down and walked up to the Tollmache Arms then back down to The Roache's Lock.

Edited by Pete of Ebor
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East to West transit two years ago. Very slow and relaxed as I was single handing for all but one day and I had time in hand for the tunnel booking. No problems anywhere I moored.

  • Huddersfield, on the visitor moorings near Aspley Basin. Huddersfield Town got promoted to the Premier League that day, so a noisy night with people celebrating. On the broad canal, so not actually the HNC yet.
  • Lock 16E bottom side. Outside of Huddersfield in the country. No one about, so moored on the lock landing. Not something I'd do anywhere else. You know if there are other boats on the move and I basically had the east side to myself, so not the antisocial thing it would be elsewhere. Saying that, most lock landings are impossible to get to with anything deeper drafted than a kayak.
  • Slaithwaite. Nice fish and chips for £2 as it was the shop owners birthday.
  • Landing for lock 32E. Again, had the canal to myself.
  • Marsden, for the tunnel.
  • Diggle. It was chucking it down with rain. Wasn't going to go any further after the tunnel.
  • Dobcross. Visitor moorings by the HNCS restored transhipment shed.
  • Upper Mills. Visitor moorings, but very shallow.
  • Staleybridge by Tesco's. A bit noisy, but OK. Brass band festival with various bands playing at the Labour Club nearby.
  • Near the Marple Aquaduct on the lower Peak Forest. HNC done!

A very memorable trip!

Jen

 

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Our map is quite old, it only shows part of the canal as being navigable, but it shows a few moorings which aren't shown on the newer maps and aren't signposted but are actually still usable. I remember we found a good, quiet towpath mooring about a half mile above Stalybridge, but we wouldn't have found it without that map.

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9 hours ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

 

  • Lock 16E bottom side. Outside of Huddersfield in the country. No one about, so moored on the lock landing. Not something I'd do anywhere else. You know if there are other boats on the move and I basically had the east side to myself, so not the antisocial thing it would be elsewhere. Saying that, most lock landings are impossible to get to with anything deeper drafted than a kayak

 

I did the same when mooring on the HNC (and on the Rochdale too). 

It’s worth pointing out it is an ok thing to do. 

The Huddersfield is so shallow in places that the lock landing can be the only place to moor. And some lock landings you just can’t get on  

 

So, no, it’s not unusual to see a boat moored on a lock landing. If you (the OP) come across one, see it as a positive, tie to it like it’s a floating pontoon to help you out. 

 

 

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Yes, the normal rules perforce don't always apply to the HNC (lock landings? What are they for?)  I forgot to mention my favourite mooring in Slawit - the former cafe boat mooring below the guillotine lock - handy for the brewery, the bakery and the Commercial.  The cafe boat, BTW, emigrated to Lincoln, where I met it a while back.

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There are a few other spots I can add...either side of scout tunnel using the tunnel bollards seemed fine (the tunnel is so short bollards are not needed and there are the lock bollards adjacent anyway)...Also before the winding hole at lock 32E (I think...anyway it is the first winding hole east when going down from the tunnel pound...). Both spots with a nice rural feel if you dont want to be in a town. If you are happy using a plank and have a shallowish boat I have seen people casual mooring in some of the other longer pounds on the west end

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On 30/03/2019 at 14:45, Kendorr said:

In 2015 going from West to East.

First stop Micklehurst

2nd stop Wool Road lock where I left boat for 4 days as I needed to be home

3rd stop Marsden after going through the tunnel.

 

East of the tunnel

First stop Slaithwaite and finally

Huddersfield.

 

From memory, there are several suitable places on the west as the locks are further apart, but on the East, it's 22 locks to Slaithwaite, which is about 2 1/2 miles and a further 20 to Huddersfield, which is about 4 1/2 miles, this means the pounds are very close together and often very low.

 

Have fun, it's well worth doing.

 

I also did the route single handed.

 

Kevin

Thanks for that, much appreciated.

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23 hours ago, Goliath said:

So, no, it’s not unusual to see a boat moored on a lock landing. If you (the OP) come across one, see it as a positive, tie to it like it’s a floating pontoon to help you out.

We came across one tied to a lock landing and they were very apologetic about it, but as others have said we were not even trying to use lock landings anyway.

 

We did ask them to move their plank that was sideways across their stern and blocking the lock exit though!

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