Cruising the Huddersfield Narrow Canal

page 5 - Marsden to Slaithwaite

Click on any of the photographs for an enlarged view

The first picture in the series below is taken at lock 39E. Marsden church tower is in the distance, to the right of the canal side cottage. Smudger's Lock (37E) and the other locks in this section are in a delightful rural setting. Water levels, though, were extremely low. Click the last two images to see just how low!

Lock 39E Smudger's Lock Many sections were low in water Still little water, but delightfully rural

Sparth reservoir is a storage reservoir for the canal. The canal runs between the reservoir and a mill pond. Cellars Clough Mill is in the distance in picture 2 (below). Lock 31E, and the surrounding area is popular with walkers, cyclists and fishermen.

Sparth canal reservoir Cellars Clough Mill Lock 31E Wide expanse of water on this narrow canal

Slaithwaite is used as the canal side location for the long running series Last of the Summer Wine and the fictional Skelthwaite location for the TV series Where the Heart is. The moored boat, picture 1, is the Moonraker Tearoom. A new section of canal had to be built in Slaithwaite as the section had been filled in when the canal was closed. A single boat width channel runs through much of the village. Slaithwaite is useful stopping point for provisions. At lock 22E, (picture 4), the canal widens and there is a winding hole for long boats. Our 23ft Wilderness Beaver Boat can usually be turned through 180 degrees in most normal width canals. On very narrow canals a 3 point turn may be called for!

Moonraker Tearoom - Slaithwaite New and narrow channel at Slaithwaite Lock 22E - Slaithwaite Winding hole below lock 22E

Cruising the Huddersfield Narrow Canal
[ Marple - Ashton page 1 ] [ Stalybridge page 2 ] [ Stalybridge to Diggle page 3 ]
[ Standedge Tunnel page 4 ] [ Slaithwaite to Huddersfield page 6 ]