Making headway on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal

The works

We've secured agreements with several third-party landowners and installed and upgraded over 1,000m of track to access the remote location of the slip site, which sits on a narrow shelf above the River Tame.

Platforms have also been created in the canal and below Lock 11 and our engineers have finalised a repair design.

Work is now underway to start reinstating the embankment using around 700 two-tonne Rockbags (approx. 1,400 tonnes of stone), which are flexible mesh bags filled with similar sized angular rocks, which interlock and create a strong retaining structure. They will be put in place using a 40-tonne excavator and then over-topped with soil and vegetation.

The works to repair the embankment are scheduled to be completed by mid-August, with the works to reinstate the surrounding area, including the removal of access tracks and tree planting, will continue until October.

During the works a further towpath closure will be required, between Scout Tunnel and Lock 9, with local diversions signposted.

Getting the works underway

Stuart Sutherland, our senior project manager, explains “We’re pleased to get the repair works underway and we’re aiming to have them completed by the middle of August at the latest. There are some unique challenges involved in a repair of this scale and remote location, but we have developed robust plans to complete this work as quickly and safely as possible.”

The Huddersfield Narrow Canal scales the Pennines, from Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester to Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, and its summit is the highest stretch of canal in Britain.

Stuart added: “We know how important the Huddersfield Narrow Canal is to boaters and local people, and we would like to thank everyone for their patience and support whilst this work is being carried out to repair the embankment and we’ll keep people updated on our progress.”