Good news on the Rochdale (E), Hudds Broad & Narrow (E)

[Hudds Lad]

Good news for those looking to travel these canals this year i hope ( @IanD ), water may be a different issue though  

I'd add the pics, but there's 75 of 'em, sorry.

 

https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fcanalrivertrusthuddersfield%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02dBeHcie5v6YeZcyJ3Cvs9iesoCFywJzPbvNL14tmRAs55TuHZBkbtzszVddMKZvtl

 

BIG PADDLE PROJECT

Our Customer Operations team covers the Rochdale Canal (East), the Huddersfield Broad Canal, and the Huddersfield Narrow Canal (East). We look after approximately 24 miles of beautiful Pennine canals, including 84 locks and 354 paddles.

We are on a big push to get them all working perfectly before the end of April.

We are making fantastic progress on this massive project:

* Huddersfield Broad Canal: We are down to the last two paddles! Our team has put in a lot of work on these locks over the last four years to get them into top shape.

* Huddersfield Narrow Canal: All paddles from Lock 1E to Lock 42E (at the summit) 168 paddles are now in good working order.

* Rochdale Canal: We still have a bit of work to do here. Out of 132 paddles, there are only 8 left that we aren't happy with yet—but we are getting there!

As the weather improves and you start using the canals more, please let us know if you come across a paddle that isn't working properly. You can let us know by sending a private message to this Facebook page.

From our team to you—we hope you have a fantastic time out there on our canals! this summer.

 

[IanD]

2 hours ago, Hudds Lad said:

Good news for those looking to travel these canals this year i hope ( @IanD ), water may be a different issue though  

I'd add the pics, but there's 75 of 'em, sorry.

 

https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fcanalrivertrusthuddersfield%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02dBeHcie5v6YeZcyJ3Cvs9iesoCFywJzPbvNL14tmRAs55TuHZBkbtzszVddMKZvtl

 

BIG PADDLE PROJECT

Our Customer Operations team covers the Rochdale Canal (East), the Huddersfield Broad Canal, and the Huddersfield Narrow Canal (East). We look after approximately 24 miles of beautiful Pennine canals, including 84 locks and 354 paddles.

We are on a big push to get them all working perfectly before the end of April.

We are making fantastic progress on this massive project:

* Huddersfield Broad Canal: We are down to the last two paddles! Our team has put in a lot of work on these locks over the last four years to get them into top shape.

* Huddersfield Narrow Canal: All paddles from Lock 1E to Lock 42E (at the summit) 168 paddles are now in good working order.

* Rochdale Canal: We still have a bit of work to do here. Out of 132 paddles, there are only 8 left that we aren't happy with yet—but we are getting there!

As the weather improves and you start using the canals more, please let us know if you come across a paddle that isn't working properly. You can let us know by sending a private message to this Facebook page.

From our team to you—we hope you have a fantastic time out there on our canals! this summer.

 

Good news indeed -- plan to be going over the HNC in May, looking forward to it... 🙂 

 

(getting @PaulJ to move the boat from Sheffield to Huddersfield beforehand)

[PaulJ]

1 hour ago, IanD said:

Good news indeed -- plan to be going over the HNC in May, looking forward to it... 🙂 

 

(getting @PaulJ to move the boat from Sheffield to Huddersfield beforehand)

 Ive got the easy bit 😀

[IanD]

23 minutes ago, PaulJ said:

 Ive got the easy bit 😀

Don't worry, I know what the HNC can be like -- the little girl who had a little curl right in the middle of her forehead... 😉 

[phantom_iv]

tbh I didn't find the HNC or Rochdale particularly plagued with broken paddles over the last couple of years. Now if they could make all the ground paddles work on the Calder & Hebble that would really make a difference to navigation - and add some actually useful bollards to the locks while they're at it! Having to use the gate paddles on an empty lock with nowhere to tie your boat to makes for an "interesting" lock experience. Most boaters seem to use the lock ladder as a bollard, which I doubt does the ladder and favours...

[IanD]

31 minutes ago, phantom_iv said:

tbh I didn't find the HNC or Rochdale particularly plagued with broken paddles over the last couple of years. Now if they could make all the ground paddles work on the Calder & Hebble that would really make a difference to navigation - and add some actually useful bollards to the locks while they're at it! Having to use the gate paddles on an empty lock with nowhere to tie your boat to makes for an "interesting" lock experience. Most boaters seem to use the lock ladder as a bollard, which I doubt does the ladder and favours...

That's @PaulJ 's problem... 🙂

[Jen-in-Wellies]

43 minutes ago, phantom_iv said:

Most boaters seem to use the lock ladder as a bollard, which I doubt does the ladder and favours...

Damage to ladders is why most other locks had bollards installed. 

 

Glad to see this push. Between broken locks and water shortages I'd assumed I wouldn't be able to cross the Pennines by either of these routes ever again. 

[Stroudwater1]

Good news!
 

It was the lock with the guillotine gate at Slaithwaite that was the only one that gave us trouble on the HNC. Even worse both the bakers and brewers had closed by the time we arrived. 

[nicknorman]

Trouble is it’s not broken paddles that are the problem, it’s short pounds, leaky locks (in some cases causing voids behind lock walls), leaky canal bed, rocks and other debris in the canal bed, and reservoirs sold off for profit. Oh and I forgot the bloody noisy ducks and geese that kept us awake at Uppermills. Apart from all that it’s quite nice! But don’t let the idiots drive your boat through the tunnel, they’ll scrape it.

 

 

Edited February 16 by nicknorman

[IanD]

15 hours ago, nicknorman said:

Trouble is it’s not broken paddles that are the problem, it’s short pounds, leaky locks (in some cases causing voids behind lock walls), leaky canal bed, rocks and other debris in the canal bed, and reservoirs sold off for profit. Oh and I forgot the bloody noisy ducks and geese that kept us awake at Uppermills. Apart from all that it’s quite nice! But don’t let the idiots drive your boat through the tunnel, they’ll scrape it.

 

Right -- that's *my* job... 😉

15 hours ago, Stroudwater1 said:

Good news!
 

It was the lock with the guillotine gate at Slaithwaite that was the only one that gave us trouble on the HNC. Even worse both the bakers and brewers had closed by the time we arrived. 

I got my daughter's BF to wind the tedious guillotine gate up and down (170 turns IIRC...) while I went to the brewery to buy beer... 😉

Edited February 17 by IanD

[Pluto]

15 hours ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Damage to ladders is why most other locks had bollards installed. 

 

To be correct, locks have always had bollards, just in the wrong place for small pleasure boats. Bollards easier for pleasure boaters were being introduced by the 1960s, whilst lock ladders tend to date from the 1970s and 1980s.

[Mac of Cygnet]

On 16/02/2026 at 19:16, nicknorman said:

Trouble is it’s not broken paddles that are the problem, it’s short pounds, leaky locks (in some cases causing voids behind lock walls), leaky canal bed, rocks and other debris in the canal bed, and reservoirs sold off for profit. Oh and I forgot the bloody noisy ducks and geese that kept us awake at Uppermills. Apart from all that it’s quite nice! But don’t let the idiots drive your boat through the tunnel, they’ll scrape it.

 

 

Preparing to go through Standedge 2007

 

 

[IanD]

1 minute ago, Mac of Cygnet said:

Preparing to go through Standedge 2007

 

 

Was that from the early days when they insisted you were towed through?

 

Both times I've been through have been self-drive... <crunch>

[Mac of Cygnet]

4 hours ago, IanD said:

Was that from the early days when they insisted you were towed through?

 

Both times I've been through have been self-drive... <crunch>

Yes, 4 boats towed by an electric tug, very slowly.  the boat crews travelled in the tug - it took AGES.

Later, when self-drive was being considered, Cygnet was one of the boats trialled, but driven by  BW staff - in my case by Fred ("Mr Standedge") with me inside wincing at all the bumps and scrapes.  They should have let me drive - I knew exactly how the boat handled, which Fred definitely did not.

[Jon57]

12 hours ago, Mac of Cygnet said:

Yes, 4 boats towed by an electric tug, very slowly.  the boat crews travelled in the tug - it took AGES.

Later, when self-drive was being considered, Cygnet was one of the boats trialled, but driven by  BW staff - in my case by Fred ("Mr Standedge") with me inside wincing at all the bumps and scrapes.  They should have let me drive - I knew exactly how the boat handled, which Fred definitely did not.

23 bumps on one of my  passages during covid. No stopping at the check points as they just had a guy in a van in the service tunnel to check your progress. Crt guy was supposed to steer the boat but said he wasn't the best fan of tradition boats with a vintage engine so just sat in the boatmans cabin with his overhauls mask and gloves on. 😁 

Edited February 19 by Jon57
Addition

[IanD]

On 19/02/2026 at 10:11, Jon57 said:

23 bumps on one of my  passages during covid. No stopping at the check points as they just had a guy in a van in the service tunnel to check your progress. Crt guy was supposed to steer the boat but said he wasn't the best fan of tradition boats with a vintage engine so just sat in the boatmans cabin with his overhauls mask and gloves on. 😁 

I didn't count the bumps (we were steering not CRT), didn't seem much point crying about spilt milk... 😉 

[Stroudwater1]

On 16/02/2026 at 19:16, nicknorman said:

Trouble is it’s not broken paddles that are the problem, it’s short pounds, leaky locks (in some cases causing voids behind lock walls), leaky canal bed, rocks and other debris in the canal bed, and reservoirs sold off for profit. Oh and I forgot the bloody noisy ducks and geese that kept us awake at Uppermills. Apart from all that it’s quite nice! But don’t let the idiots drive your boat through the tunnel, they’ll scrape it.

 

 

In fairness both times we were driven through (Covid regs 2020) it was done well, no significant crunches at all. The lady who drove us the one way also helped us down much of the East side as we needed to get the boat back to the hire  firm having gone up the Rochdale to meet a BMW and mattress in the water. Credit to them it absolutely poured down. 

[IanD]

20 minutes ago, Stroudwater1 said:

In fairness both times we were driven through (Covid regs 2020) it was done well, no significant crunches at all. The lady who drove us the one way also helped us down much of the East side as we needed to get the boat back to the hire  firm having gone up the Rochdale to meet a BMW and mattress in the water. Credit to them it absolutely poured down. 

Impressive -- I've only ever come across them on separate trips... 😉 

 

(Mercedes (and Ford, long ago...) not BMW though -- and neither on the Rochdale...)

[Stroudwater1]

You get a better class of car in Miles Platting 👍. Not that they belong to the residents just the spare parts(probably) 

6 minutes ago, IanD said:

Impressive -- I've only ever come across them on separate trips... 😉 

 

(Mercedes (and Ford, long ago...) not BMW though -- and neither on the Rochdale...)