Two new lock gates on Huddersfield Narrow Canal are among 15 new gates to be installed this winter by the Canal & River Trust.
The project ‘15 locks for 15 years’ is a celebration of the 15 years of financial support given to the Canal & River Trust by the Postcode Lottery.
Lock gates, exposed to the elements and in daily use by boaters, typically last around 25 years before they need replacing.
Two lock gates on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal – Lock 22 East at Slaithwaite and Lock 6 West at Stalybridge – and Lock 18 Shepley on the Calder & Hebble Navigation at Shepley Bridge, near Mirfield, are among the 15 locks across England and Wales selected for the milestone programme.
Stretching 20 miles across the Pennines between Ashton-under-Lyne and Huddersfield, Huddersfield Narrow Canal passes through dramatic landscapes and historic mill towns before reaching Standedge Tunnel, the UK’s longest, deepest and highest canal tunnel.
At the Trust’s specialist workshops in West Yorkshire and the West Midlands, skilled teams are expertly crafting new gates funded with support from Postcode Lottery players.
The announcement also comes as the Huddersfield Narrow Canal celebrates 25 years since its re-opening in 2001, highlighting the ongoing investment needed to protect one of Britain’s most ambitious and remarkable waterway restoration projects.
Once described as “the impossible restoration”, the re-opening of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal and Standedge Tunnel in 2001 reconnected a historic trans-Pennine waterway that had been closed for more than half a century and is today enjoyed by boaters, walkers, cyclists, paddlers and visitors from across the country.
Campbell Robb, chief executive of Canal & River Trust, said: “Support from Postcode Lottery players over the past 15 years has been instrumental in helping us care for our canals.
“This programme of lock gate replacements is a fitting way to mark that support, ensuring everyone who loves the waterways can continue to enjoy and get the health and wellbeing benefits of time spent on or by them.
“Lock gates are at the very heart of canal operations and replacing them is essential to maintaining the resilience of the network.”
TV waterways storyteller Robbie Cumming will be in Marsden to celebrate the re-opening of Standedge Tunnel and the Huddersfield Narrow Canal.
The Canal & River Trust is staging a two-day anniversary event on Saturday August 1 and Sunday August 2.
Robbie, known for his popular BBC Four show Canal Boat Diaries, will take part in the celebrations and will perform his live theatre show Canal Boat Stories Live! on the Saturday evening.
The weekend will also include boat trips, canoe experiences, heritage activities, family events, food and craft stalls and live music.
Images: Canal & River Trust and Craig Hutton
