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Another Huddersfield Narrow saga


Leemc

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We've just had to abandon our cruise to Huddersfield and turn back to Staylybridge. Didn't realise getting a booking for the standedge tunnel would be such a problem, but can't wait til middle of August for a passage. How are 2 bookings each way per week going to be enough?

What a lovely and quiet canal. A few issues with low pounds, especially coming out of Staylybridge, where an obstruction stopped us leaving Lock 5. Biggest issue is lack of moorings, couldn't get near the side anywhere near Mossley. The ones at Roches Lock weren't usable and lock landings were the same. In the end managed to get within 3 feet at a lock landing near Greenfield. I imagine it has been said plenty of times before but this canal needs more boaters , but at the moment it's a good job there aren't many.

Look forward to another attempt after a wet winter.

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17 minutes ago, Leemc said:

We've just had to abandon our cruise to Huddersfield and turn back to Staylybridge. Didn't realise getting a booking for the standedge tunnel would be such a problem, but can't wait til middle of August for a passage. How are 2 bookings each way per week going to be enough?

What a lovely and quiet canal. A few issues with low pounds, especially coming out of Staylybridge, where an obstruction stopped us leaving Lock 5. Biggest issue is lack of moorings, couldn't get near the side anywhere near Mossley. The ones at Roches Lock weren't usable and lock landings were the same. In the end managed to get within 3 feet at a lock landing near Greenfield. I imagine it has been said plenty of times before but this canal needs more boaters , but at the moment it's a good job there aren't many.

Look forward to another attempt after a wet winter.

2 bookings each way per week effectively means the HNC summit is closed -- even when there used to be 9 each way availability was sometimes difficult.

 

Which is a pity because IMHO it's one of the best canals in the country (if you like locks...), and does indeed deserve to have a lot more traffic... 😞

 

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30 minutes ago, Leemc said:

We've just had to abandon our cruise to Huddersfield and turn back to Staylybridge. Didn't realise getting a booking for the standedge tunnel would be such a problem, but can't wait til middle of August for a passage. How are 2 bookings each way per week going to be enough?

What a lovely and quiet canal. A few issues with low pounds, especially coming out of Staylybridge, where an obstruction stopped us leaving Lock 5. Biggest issue is lack of moorings, couldn't get near the side anywhere near Mossley. The ones at Roches Lock weren't usable and lock landings were the same. In the end managed to get within 3 feet at a lock landing near Greenfield. I imagine it has been said plenty of times before but this canal needs more boaters , but at the moment it's a good job there aren't many.

Look forward to another attempt after a wet winter.

I hope you went up to Uppermill? 
 

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And, from a Facebook post, they have reverted to the 'you must stay at Dobcross overnight and we open the locks in the morning and then you may stay overnight at Marsden but have to descend down the next morning.'

 

If it's only 2 boats each way once a week it's hardly in the cause of water conservation.

Edited by pearley
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2 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

A cynic might suspect it is preparation for abandoning it again, because hardly any one uses it. I'm glad I did it a few years ago.

Me too. The first time after going through the tunnel we had to go down 10 locks before being allowed to moor. At least we were both fit enough to walk back up and walk over the top and back. And the last time, 2019, we could moor in Marsden for 3 days and again at Diggle. 

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31 minutes ago, Goliath said:

I hope you went up to Uppermill? 
 

Didn’t I’m afraid, have visited before though. Took advantage of first winding point. Gutted to have to back down locks we’d already done on way up. Thought services under the pylons were excellent but I suppose they should be with so few visitors 

  • Greenie 1
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I went through at the end of April. I booked passage for Standedge for the 27th on the 19th and only had two empty pounds from one end to the other-one was refilled by the time I got there and the other was before 1E and I ended going through there a day early. 

Must be the most amount of luck Ive ever had..

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I’m  puzzled by the apparent  water shortage at Standedge, water pours into the tunnel day and night at one point. At the Marsden end is a pump of some sort that water a plenty seems to come out of. I’m not sure where that water comes from - would that be from the reservoir that is currently low in level that was a famous swimming point? That’s a fair way down the East flight though?

 

Is it a lack of volunteers staffing the check points/ accompanying the boats through? Last year it was 3 each way I think 3 times a week, so how can the numbers have dropped so drastically? 

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I have always understood that the water that comes in at Marsden is pumped up from Scammonden reservoir which has to be paid for as it is supplied by Yorkshire Water. The CRT reservoir below the summit is Sparth and AFIK that only supplies from lock 28E or thereabouts down.

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28 minutes ago, PeterF said:

I have always understood that the water that comes in at Marsden is pumped up from Scammonden reservoir which has to be paid for as it is supplied by Yorkshire Water. The CRT reservoir below the summit is Sparth and AFIK that only supplies from lock 28E or thereabouts down.

Hill Top at Slaithwaite, Sparth at Marsden, March Haigh on Marsden Moor and possibly Cupwith? were all to feed the canal as a deal with the local mill owners back in the day meant no water was to be taken from the River Colne that runs pretty much parallel. All water flogged off to YW with a small provision to be fed to the canal each year, but AFAIK not the liability for maintenance. I think they do buy some in from Scammonden when the need arises.

 

This may not be 100% accurate, but its what i’ve been told by various staff over the years.

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