A vast expanse of water dominates the front of the shot, whilst a bridge leading up to a lock gate is in the distance surrounded by rolling green hills.

Huddersfield Broad Canal

The Huddersfield Broad Canal is not only a space for nature, it's a place to nurture your own health and happiness in the heart of urban Huddersfield.

The Huddersfield Broad Canal has been reborn from a weed-clogged channel in the 1980s to a popular boating route today, thanks to the restoration of the connecting Huddersfield Narrow Canal and the upgrading of the canal facilities.

For many boaters, this 3.7 mile stretch is the gateway to the Pennines. It is also popular for walking, cycling and angling.

Water taxi passing moored boats on canal

Boating the Huddersfield Broad Canal

All you need to know about boating the Huddersfield Broad Canal

Things to do on the Huddersfield Broad Canal

Fishing

A popular spot for anglers with a variety of species to catch

Huddersfield Broad Canal near the city centre, copyright Chris Morgan

Linear walk

You'll find remnants of the canal's industrial heritage along this tranquil 4 mile walk

Paddling

Take to the water and immerse yourself in a mix of rural and industrial settings

An adult coot with a white bill nibbles on a water plant with its chick with red-tinged fur.

Wildlife spotting

A variety of waterfowl often frequent the canal's waters

Places to visit near the Huddersfield Broad Canal

The history of the Huddersfield Broad Canal

The three-mile Huddersfield Broad Canal linked the Huddersfield Narrow Canal in the centre of Huddersfield with the Calder & Hebble Navigation at Cooper Bridge.

Originally known as Sir John Ramsden's Canal, his family virtually owned Huddersfield, before becoming known as the Broad Canal to distinguish it from the Narrow Canal. It served the developing textile industry, bringing in coal and raw materials and shipping out manufactured textiles. It was taken over by the London & North Western Railway in 1847, and purchased by the Calder & Hebble Navigation in 1945.

Unlike the Huddersfield Narrow, the Broad Canal was never abandoned. However, it saw little use for 50 years until the Narrow was reopened in 2001, when the Broad Canal became part of a through-route once again.