Standedge Canal Tunnel, Marsden

Lovely scene; well captured Herb.

Thanks Jaap. Pips added now too.

Regards, Herb

I remember seeing this tunnel on one of the canal programmes on TV Herb. Quite dark and eerie in there I seem to remember. Your PiP's are so interesting. I love the gates at the other end. Cheers, Rosa.

Hi Rosa. Yes a few programs were made documenting this tunnel. I have undertaken a special boat trip in here from this side once. We went the whole 3.5 miles and I can tell you it was eerie to say the least. The boat had an electric motor to fend of pollution. At one point they switched all the lights off and a feller lay on his back as show on the pip and started to 'leg' the boat along the walls and roof that were only inches away. It was hard work for him I could see. How they did that with a big boat weighed down by coal or cotton beats me. That end had no gate for many years of my life, the fancy gate only being fitted around 2001 when is was re-opened for boats. Even now canal barges have to book a thoroughfare in advance (and its quite expensive) in order to go through. I have only seen a handful of boats ever attempt this crossing though as they found out after the 5 million pounds renovation that many of the nearby locks were too narrow for the more modern craft of today -only by an inch or two but some have got stuck and so that has nearly killed all traffic. Boats going through the tunnel today are in actual fact towed by the electric motor guide boat! ~Herb

Well worth the walk thats for sure , love the old buildings.

It was indeed Steve. A better, older building behind me but I have limited what I have posted here.

Cheers, Herb

Three very interesting photos, a canal through the mountains is something extraordinary! I don't think I'd care to go through there on a narrowboat..;-) It must be a relief to reach fresh air again.

Thanks for this visit and taking the trouble to see all three photos Gudrun. Nowadays it is over quite fast or at least within an hour but in the old days that would have been daunting but they where much more hardy then than we are now! Always good to see sunlight after a long tunnel trip as I know having walked along the side path of a couple of rather long canal tunnels.
Cheers, Herb

Great information there Herb'... this canal and the passage through it - is one of those days out that we have considered many times but never got to do... your reading and the pictures here will jolt us into getting out there. Iv'e not checked yet.. but I imagine all the opening times and other information is still on the Net'...
Many thanks for grand set of photo's ... Best wishes from Dj.