Magazine of the Huddersfield Canal Society
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ennine Link PMagazine of the Huddersfield Canal Society Issue 209 Spring 2020 Huddersfield Canal Society Ltd Registered in England No. 1498800 Registered Charity No. 510201 Registered Address: Progress House 396 Wilmslow Road Withington Manchester M20 3BN ennine Transhipment Warehouse, Wool Road, Dobcross, Oldham, Lancashire, OL3 5QR Link Office Hours: Monday - Thursday 08.30 -16.00 Friday 08.30 -13.00 P Issue 209 Telephone: 01457 871800 EMail: [email protected] Website: www.huddersfieldcanal.com Patrons: Timothy West & Prunella Scales President: David Sumner MBE Bob Gough Council of Management Alan Stopher 101 Birkby Hall Road, Birkby, Huddersfield, Chairman West Yorkshire, HD2 2XE Tel: 01484 511499 Trevor Ellis 20 Batley Avenue, Marsh, Huddersfield, Vice-Chairman West Yorkshire, HD1 4NA Tel: 01484 534666 Mike McHugh The Old Chapel, Netherton Fold, Huddersfield, Treasurer & Co. Secretary West Yorkshire, HD4 7HB Tel: 01484 661799 Patricia Bayley 17 Greenroyd Croft, Birkby Hall Road, Huddersfield, Council Member West Yorkshire, HD2 2DQ Martin Clark HCS Ltd, Transhipment Warehouse, Wool Road, Dobcross, Council Member Oldham, Lancashire, OL3 5QR Tel: 01457 871800 Keith Noble The Dene, Triangle, Sowerby Bridge, Council Member West Yorkshire, HX6 3EA Tel: 01422 823562 Peter Rawson 45 Boulderstone Road, Stalybridge, Cheshire, SK15 1HJ Council Member Tel: 0161 303 8003 Keith Sykes BEM 1 Follingworth, Slaithwaite, West Yorkshire, HD7 5XD Council Member Tel: 01484 841519 Eric Woulds HCS Ltd, Transhipment Warehouse, Wool Road, Dobcross, A frosty morning at Wool Road Warehouse and the daffodils are doing their best to make it feel like Spring. Council Member Oldham, Lancashire, OL3 5QR Tel: 01457 871800 NON-COUNCIL POST Bob Gough Administrator Editorial 4 EMMAUS Mossley 20 Chairman’s Report 7 Uppermill Volunteers (UCAN) 22 Stalybridge Volunteers 12 Carriers on the Narrow Canal 24 Culvert at Risk 14 Marsden Shuttle - Winter ... 26 Milestones ... 16 Notice of the 2020 AGM 30 Greenfield Volunteers (GGSS) 18 220 Club - Twenty-fourth Draw 31 Jidoku 46 19 The views expressed in Pennine Link are not necessarily those of Huddersfield Canal Society Ltd Cover: The South Pennine Ring in Spring, Rochdale Canal, Newton Heath, April 2019. Photo: Alan Stopher 2 - Pennine Link Pennine Link - 3 the tunnel and the limited number of to Stalybridge and beyond can be Editorial available slots as a disincentive to coming reconsidered and incorporated in future This is my second Indeed, ’health and well-being’ is the along to take the trip. Whilst this may programmes. Whilst the towpaths are stint as Guest Editor focus of the Canal and River Trust’s (the be a factor, the provision of safe, secure, already quite well used by walkers so let’s see how I Trust) strategic thinking and the value of well-serviced and attractive moorings and cyclists these improvements are can amuse you this the canal corridors, particularly through facilities at convenient points along the much needed as many wash walls and time. The main our urban environments, cannot be canal will definitely help generate more towpaths are in poor condition. Well theme of this will overestimated in this respect. interest from the boating community. maintained towpaths will help encourage concentrate on We are working on this with colleagues increased use by walkers and cyclists and Starting with boaters, we would like making the canal appeal to a wide range at the Trust and have suggested some this in turn supports the Trust’s Health to see many more people come along of users who, of course, have differing initial sites where mooring rings could be and Well-Being Agenda. to enjoy the Huddersfield Canals and aspirations. installed. experience the varied landscapes, from I know I’ve not mentioned horses and I’ll Satisfying the requirements of boaters, the urban settings at the east and west At Stalybridge we are getting a bit leave it to the more well-informed to walkers, cyclists and anglers often extremities to the beautiful countryside in closer with our proposal to introduce a debate that issue but the last group I’ll wanting to enjoy the same limited space between. Boaters bring real purpose and secure mooring area in the town centre. cover here are anglers. I can only is a real conundrum. In reality all of colour to our waterways and brighten up Having met a Local Planning Officer it comment on the west side here but I’d the groups bring the canal scene to the town centres through which the canal appears that we do not require Planning suggest before restoration was completed life and are essential to the long-term passes. It is not an easy canal to traverse Permission for this provided the height of in 2001 there were several angling clubs viability of the waterways. Whilst there with its 74 locks and passage through any fencing is not more that 2m. established along the Huddersfield are inevitably some issues with such the longest, deepest and highest canal We will look to get this formalised soon Narrow. Forgive me if I have my facts varied pursuits most people seem to get tunnel in the country, but the journey so that this project, which will be funded wrong but I think there are only two along very well and respect each other is definitely worth it. Many people cite by Local Councillors, The Stalybridge clubs now involved on the west side whilst enjoying this unique environment. the difficulty in booking passage through Town Team and the Society, can be covering the section of canal within the implemented this year. Experience Oldham MBC boundary. There are gained from this initial investment will currently no sections of the canal within help steer future decisions for further Tameside MBC that are leased to an similar facilities elsewhere. angling club. Much of the angling done on the canal is therefore unregulated and Much work has been done particularly apparently free to fish for anyone who on the east side of the canal to improve has an Environment Agency Rod licence. the towpaths and links to surrounding I am aware of the potential tensions areas for all users and this programme is between anglers and other canal users still ongoing. On the west side similar but feel that this is manageable. Waters work has been carried out on the Ashton that are leased by well-run Angling Clubs and Peak Forest Canals providing links are much better looked after than into Manchester but these have gone unregulated fisheries which is the no further east than Portland Basin at prevailing status quo on much of the Ashton-under-Lyne. These works have Huddersfield Narrow. From what I’ve been funded by central government seen locally there are some significant through the respective Local Transport fish stocks in the canal. I don’t know the Authorities who have invested a lot of Trust’s stance on this, but it may be an funding into providing safer facilities for area where there is some revenue to be cyclists, in particular in the provision gained. This may not be a significant of off-road routes. We are hoping that income for the Trust, but leases might Keeping the whole family happy; but where are the boats? Photo: Bob Gough the improvements to the towpaths include requirements to maintain from Portland Basin to the east through 4 - Pennine Link Pennine Link - 5 stretches free of litter and to take some In my editorial last Spring, I waxed responsibility for maintenance/removal of lyrical about the need for volunteer Chairman’s Report weeds, overgrowth etc. It may be involvement in the long-term care Putting together On the west side, flooding of the towpath possible to secure additional adoption and maintenance of the canal system. this report at the has once again occurred between groups through this as there will be Clearly this has not changed and I end of February Grove Road and Lock 11W from ponds self-interest in keeping their own have seen an increase in activity from for a Spring edition above the canal. It is thought that this stretches as clean and tidy as possible. colleagues at the Trust in developing seems incongruous is a consequence of lack of proper These are purely my own thoughts and and supporting existing volunteer groups given the continuing reinstatement of the former CEGB site no doubt many of you will have differing and in encouraging new groups. This is spell of cold and many years ago. It has not impeded boat opinions based on your own experiences most welcome and there are many great wet weather. Much has been written and navigation and as I write the towpath has on the waterways. examples of what dedicated volunteer broadcast about the terrible flooding from now been reopened albeit with significant groups are achieving. A few of the Storms Ciara and Dennis which in various erosion below Lock 11W (below) as a It seems to me that private development groups working on the Huddersfield ways have impacted in all those areas consequence of the flood. sites are now gaining some momentum. Narrow have provided copy for this regularly affected, although in some Where these are situated close to or issue of Pennine Link. As we all know, cases to record water levels. A quick alongside the canal system the Trust is Volunteers cannot do everything and look at the Spring 2019 Plink reminded a Statutory Consultee in the Planning whilst, for example, towpath surfaces can me that at the same time of the year, process. With this in mind the Society a spell of unseasonably dry weather be replaced their efforts can sometimes will hope to work with colleagues at the had resulted in wild fire on Marsden be undermined by the poor condition Trust and the respective Local Authorities Moor.