Huddersfield canal 'should be closed

[Alan de Enfield]

Huddersfield canal 'should be closed' fumes furious boater stuck in shallow water full of shopping trolleys - YorkshireLive (examinerlive.co.uk)

 

 

 

A furious narrowboat enthusiast has called for a section of Huddersfield Narrow Canal to be temporarily closed after he was grounded in shallow water.

The canal boat user decided to turn back having failed to reach the famous Standedge Tunnel, the longest and highest canal tunnel in the country at three and a quarter miles long, which he described as a 'bucket lister'.

The boater, who goes by the name The Narrow Alternative on YouTube, was on the Diggle, Saddleworth side of the famous waterway but turned back before the Standedge Tunnel which runs under the Pennines to Marsden on the West Yorkshire side.

He posted two videos of his experiences of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal and concluded: "Close the flipping canal. It's not fit for purpose."

 

He said: "The Huddersfield Narrow Canal is notoriously shallow, but this is something else. Five hours to move just one mile - exhausting. At least I know where all the missing supermarket trollies are."

 

The frustrated and fed-up boater dubbed it "Huddersfield Shallow Canal."

 

In a video posted on March 16, he said he had contacted the Canal and River Trust after his boat had grounded on the Diggle side of the waterway. The CRT had promised to 'send some water down' to help him get off the bottom but he says he had a long wait.

 

He and his boat Rhapsody eventually made it to the next lock but became grounded again. The boat then got stuck on a big tree branch while using a lock.

And in a second video, posted on April 2, he said: "In the last vlog I don't think I included enough footage to properly show just how bad the Huddersfield Canal really is. It's not that it doesn't hold its water, but also the sheer volume of rubbish and obstacles which can seriously damage your boat.

"I've since spoken to boaters who have travelled up and down the canal in the weeks before I did, and since. Pretty much everyone said the same - too shallow, got stuck, called the CRT for help and blimey it's hard work.

 

"I had really wanted to tick this canal off my bucket list, particularly the three and a half mile Standedge Tunnel. But as a solo boater, I just felt it was too hard, so I turned around. At the very least the first few miles should be closed while it's sorted out properly because at the moment it's like a poor relative that's being ignored."

The Huddersfield Narrow Canal was reopened in 2001 following a huge £30m restoration project. It had been closed for 50 years and in places had been filled in or completely blocked.

Since then boaters have complained about shallow water and a lack of maintenance on both sides of the Pennines.

 

[Midnight]

 Blimey! If he thinks Diggle was bad, it's a good job he didn't make it to the Yorkshire side. That's typical of the Huddersfield canal. You have to persevere if you want to use it end to end.

 

Just another boring blogger looking for a bit of sensationalism. After those clowns on 'Minimal List' called for Bingley Five Rise to be closed I'm begging any bloggers not to do the Rochdale Canal.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 7, 2022 by Midnight

[David Mack]

Another youtuber who needs something to rant about to fill his airtime! 

And just how does Mr. Narrow Alternative think that closing the canal will help him tick Standedge Tunnel off his bucket list?

[Mad Harold]

Yawn,yawn.

Boaters based here in Huddersfield eyes glaze over reading this.

We know about low water, and rubbish in the canal, have done for years.

I even once wrote to the local MP about it.

I wouldn't go as far as saying the HNC is unusable, but it is challenging.

The pity is, it goes through old historical industrial areas, and some spectacular scenery, so a canal worth preserving.

[Arthur Marshall]

7 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Another youtuber who needs something to rant about to fill his airtime! 

And just how does Mr. Narrow Alternative think that closing the canal will help him tick Standedge Tunnel off his bucket list?

CRT will run a trip boat through it for tourists.

[OldGoat]

When I were a lad and before we even thought of owning a boat, we cruised various parts of the then decaying canal system.

It was understood that there would be obstacles to be surmounted and might even caus our cruise to be abandoned or severly re-routed.. Most / many boating folk took such obstacles as 'par for the course'

 

Nowadays it's all change - the boater is 'entitled' to boat where he wishes without let or hindrance - and makes a fuss if there are blockages...

 

I'm glad we've ended our boating days.

[PD1964]

Just another one of the New boaters on the canal thinking people are interested in their crap Vlogs, thinking they are doing something different and are going to be the next YouTube sensation. Just had a look at one of his Vlogs, not many views, comments or subscribers. Hope he just gives up now and doesn’t waste more time filming and editing and seeking fame. Very boring and crap just like so many New boaters Vlogging.

[Mad Harold]

31 minutes ago, OldGoat said:

When I were a lad and before we even thought of owning a boat, we cruised various parts of the then decaying canal system.

It was understood that there would be obstacles to be surmounted and might even caus our cruise to be abandoned or severly re-routed.. Most / many boating folk took such obstacles as 'par for the course'

 

Nowadays it's all change - the boater is 'entitled' to boat where he wishes without let or hindrance - and makes a fuss if there are blockages...

 

I'm glad we've ended our boating days.

A realistic post.

If the canals and locks etc. are not in perfect condition, then we boaters need to adjust to the new reality.

If being stopped because of low water, bust locks, and collapses, I suppose we will have to take it on the chin and be prepared to either stay put, or get the bus home.

[dmr]

Yes, yet another blogger trying to get publicity for his blog (like the one who got all excited when some water splashed onto the deck). Maybe these "boaters" should put more effort into boating rather than blogging. People have such high expectations in this "customer service" world.  Bpating can sometimes be hard and challenging, especially if you want to go over the Pennines, I think its the hills that do it.  Maybe CRT and Nicholsons should "grade" canals so that boaters have an ide of what to expect? This is a serious suggestion as we have met several boaters doing the Manchester Rochdale tiotally unprepared.

Trouble is if an "easy" canal has a problem they will be complaing like mad.

[PD1964]

11 minutes ago, dmr said:

 This is a serious suggestion as we have met several boaters doing the Manchester Rochdale totally unprepared.

Trouble is if an "easy" canal has a problem they will be complaing like mad.

 These and types like the Vlogger are the new boaters, selling their houses buying boats after watching hundreds of Vlogs thinking it’s all Rosie & Jim. They are clueless to how the Canals are in real life and spend more time watching the canal through their camera lens then just enjoying the scenery, often missing the history and interesting aspects.

  Get used to them they are getting more and haven’t a clue what they’re doing.

[Mad Harold]

17 minutes ago, dmr said:

Boating can sometimes be hard and challenging, especially if you want to go over the Pennines, I think its the hills that do it.  

Yes, definately the hills that cause the bother!  😃

[TheBiscuits]

57 minutes ago, OldGoat said:

we cruised various parts of the then decaying canal system.

It was understood that there would be obstacles to be surmounted and might even caus our cruise to be abandoned or severly re-routed.. Most / many boating folk took such obstacles as 'par for the course'

 

Sadly many of the complaints about this come from the same people who used to enjoy the challenge.

 

I know quite a few boaters who will share tales over a pint about having to use sheets of plywood to make temporary seals on leaky gates and always carrying prybars and sledgehammers and tirfors.  Nowadays many of them sulk when one paddle has "CRT Aware" tape on the gear.

 

It's nothing to do with them being five or six decades older of course, just CRT not fixing things correctly ...

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Still my favourite canal. Hard work but worth every moment. Stunning scenery. Great history.

And friendly villages that really do welcome boaters. 

I have peeked at his videos, not very good.
Looking at comments he needed only to wait a few days, the water levels were back up.

He gave up all too easily preferring a hard luck story. How much better it would have been if he had stuck with it and reported on the beautiful surroundings. That’s his loss. And viewing the canals as a tick list with ‘bucket listers’ is a twits approach set up to fail.

[Hudds Lad]

1 hour ago, Arthur Marshall said:

CRT will run a trip boat through it for tourists.

Already do and have done for a long time Look HERE

 

And if you don't fancy the tunnel there's always the Marsden Shuttle run by the Huddersfield Canal Society  

 

Aaaand, if you're a fan of Nobby Cumming.....

 

Edited April 7, 2022 by Hudds Lad
spellung

[PD1964]

 I would say Robbie’s programmes are the better ones, more interesting then any of the others. Not a Nob when compared to the others either.

[Hudds Lad]

Just now, PD1964 said:

 I would say Robbie’s programmes are the better ones, more interesting then any of the others. Not a Nob when compared to the others either.

He’s known as “Nobby” in our house is all, he does occasionally act like a knob though, as do we all i’m sure

[Alway Swilby]

3 hours ago, Midnight said:

 Blimey! If he thinks Diggle was bad, it's a good job he didn't make it to the Yorkshire side. That's typical of the Huddersfield canal. You have to persevere if you want to use it end to end.

 

Just another boring blogger looking for a bit of sensationalism. After those clowns on 'Minimal List' called for Bingley Five Rise to be closed I'm begging any bloggers not to do the Rochdale Canal.

 

 

 

 

 

2 hours ago, dmr said:

Yes, yet another blogger trying to get publicity for his blog (like the one who got all excited when some water splashed onto the deck). Maybe these "boaters" should put more effort into boating rather than blogging. People have such high expectations in this "customer service" world.  Bpating can sometimes be hard and challenging, especially if you want to go over the Pennines, I think its the hills that do it.  Maybe CRT and Nicholsons should "grade" canals so that boaters have an ide of what to expect? This is a serious suggestion as we have met several boaters doing the Manchester Rochdale tiotally unprepared.

Trouble is if an "easy" canal has a problem they will be complaing like mad.

You need to get your terminology correct.

 

A blogger WRITES a blog, like a diary. It contains written words and photos. Our blog is written so that we have a log of our travels to look back on in years to come when we're old a decrepid. Our blog happens to be publically available to anyone who is interested in reading it. We make no money out of it, in fact it costs us money. We don't care how many people read it, it's for us. Bloggers have nothing to do with videos or You Tube.

 

Vloggers (which is what this thread is about) on the other hand make videos and put them on YouTube. They ask for "likes" and ask you to subscribe to their channel. Some of them make money if they are good.

We don't vlog, we blog.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

2 hours ago, Hudds Lad said:

Already do and have done for a long time Look HERE

 

And if you don't fancy the tunnel there's always the Marsden Shuttle run by the Huddersfield Canal Society  

 

Aaaand, if you're a fan of Nobby Cumming.....

 

I thought that was a photoshopped April Fool. 
It is ain’t it?

[Idle Days]

Ouch! That brought the old crusties out in force.

 

What was the point of spending £30 million on the restoration if not to make it navigable?

[Hudds Lad]

15 minutes ago, Goliath said:

I thought that was a photoshopped April Fool. 
It is ain’t it?

Nope

 

[TheBiscuits]

1 minute ago, Idle Days said:

Ouch! That brought the old crusties out in force

 

Oi!  I'm not that old ...

[dmr]

16 minutes ago, Alway Swilby said:

 

You need to get your terminology correct.

 

A blogger WRITES a blog, like a diary. It contains written words and photos. Our blog is written so that we have a log of our travels to look back on in years to come when we're old a decrepid. Our blog happens to be publically available to anyone who is interested in reading it. We make no money out of it, in fact it costs us money. We don't care how many people read it, it's for us. Bloggers have nothing to do with videos or You Tube.

 

Vloggers (which is what this thread is about) on the other hand make videos and put them on YouTube. They ask for "likes" and ask you to subscribe to their channel. Some of them make money if they are good.

We don't vlog, we blog.

 

Yes sorry, I just hate the word Vlogger, its one of those horrid forced made up words that does not flow well.  I'm not one for vlogs or bloggs, but make an exception for this one:

 

https://buskengland.wordpress.com/

[Idle Days]

Just now, TheBiscuits said:

 

Oi!  I'm not that old ...

I am. 😄

[Alway Swilby]

29 minutes ago, dmr said:

 

Yes sorry, I just hate the word Vlogger, its one of those horrid forced made up words that does not flow well.  I'm not one for vlogs or bloggs, but make an exception for this one:

 

https://buskengland.wordpress.com/

Yes, that is a good one. He writes very well.

[Mike Todd]

5 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Huddersfield canal 'should be closed' fumes furious boater stuck in shallow water full of shopping trolleys - YorkshireLive (examinerlive.co.uk)

 

 

 

A furious narrowboat enthusiast has called for a section of Huddersfield Narrow Canal to be temporarily closed after he was grounded in shallow water.

The canal boat user decided to turn back having failed to reach the famous Standedge Tunnel, the longest and highest canal tunnel in the country at three and a quarter miles long, which he described as a 'bucket lister'.

The boater, who goes by the name The Narrow Alternative on YouTube, was on the Diggle, Saddleworth side of the famous waterway but turned back before the Standedge Tunnel which runs under the Pennines to Marsden on the West Yorkshire side.

He posted two videos of his experiences of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal and concluded: "Close the flipping canal. It's not fit for purpose."

 

He said: "The Huddersfield Narrow Canal is notoriously shallow, but this is something else. Five hours to move just one mile - exhausting. At least I know where all the missing supermarket trollies are."

 

The frustrated and fed-up boater dubbed it "Huddersfield Shallow Canal."

 

In a video posted on March 16, he said he had contacted the Canal and River Trust after his boat had grounded on the Diggle side of the waterway. The CRT had promised to 'send some water down' to help him get off the bottom but he says he had a long wait.

 

He and his boat Rhapsody eventually made it to the next lock but became grounded again. The boat then got stuck on a big tree branch while using a lock.

And in a second video, posted on April 2, he said: "In the last vlog I don't think I included enough footage to properly show just how bad the Huddersfield Canal really is. It's not that it doesn't hold its water, but also the sheer volume of rubbish and obstacles which can seriously damage your boat.

"I've since spoken to boaters who have travelled up and down the canal in the weeks before I did, and since. Pretty much everyone said the same - too shallow, got stuck, called the CRT for help and blimey it's hard work.

 

"I had really wanted to tick this canal off my bucket list, particularly the three and a half mile Standedge Tunnel. But as a solo boater, I just felt it was too hard, so I turned around. At the very least the first few miles should be closed while it's sorted out properly because at the moment it's like a poor relative that's being ignored."

The Huddersfield Narrow Canal was reopened in 2001 following a huge £30m restoration project. It had been closed for 50 years and in places had been filled in or completely blocked.

Since then boaters have complained about shallow water and a lack of maintenance on both sides of the Pennines.

 

In 2001 the state of the canal was not down to maintenance (or not) but the restoration project (who else?) Two decades later it would be possible to lay at least some of the blame on the level of maintenance were it not for the claim that it has been thus since re-opening. 

 

It is oft said that the lack of depth is down to a greater concern during restoration for what was above the waterline than what lay out of sight below. Certainly it seems that there was a considerable difficulty in completing the re-opening within the available budget. I have no doubt that various factors came into play - as they often do with complex engineering funded by budgets that have little or no flexibility and when being undertaken with fixed time scales in mind. (Millennium)

 

My own experience could be written in much the same tones as the OP but for the fact that we have been navigating canal backwaters for over five decades. From the outset we came to see these stretches as part of the challenge as well as, sometimes, an insight into the less desirable attitudes of some in society. (It does take a bit of effort to dump a trolley - or a car - into a canal)

 

Part of the strategic problem lies in visitor numbers. Far too few boaters make it to the HNC or the Rochdale - both with restoration issues - and it is hard for CaRT to prioritise the level of expenditure that either of these navigations could really do with. When you read (on another live thread) of the problems with high visitor numbers at Grindley Brook and calls for greater expenditure on paid staff, it is a challenge to argue for the sums that the OP seems to envisage. I suspect the ratio of cost per visitor boat lock mile on the HNC compared with Llangollen is very substantial.

 

And what of closure? Past experience shows that once closed it is an enormous (currently impossible?) hill to climb to re-open, especially if in the meantime there has been yet more deterioration. A closed canal will only have safety work done on it and locks especially will soon be unusable. Closing a short part of the HNC makes the whole largely unused.

 

On the sadly small number of times we have used the HNC (last in 2019) we did not find it impossible to navigate but there are times when it is not for beginners. For example, faced with an empty short pound, what would a first timer do? They are very unlikely to be able to make the judgement between running water down and possible consequences with a longer pound.