Boating through Standedge Tunnel

2022 booking information

This year, due to restricted water resource available, we are at risk of being unable to keep the Huddersfield Narrow Navigation open for the full boating season.

In order to preserve the water resource for as long as possible and for as many people to enjoy, we are introducing some changes.

From 9 May 2022, passage through Lock 32E to Lock 42E will only be available to those that have a Standedge Tunnel booking. Passage through Lock 24W to Lock 32W will only be available for the same reason.

A member of the Canal & River Trust team will be required on site to let you through onto this closed section, and where resource is available, we will also provide assistance with navigating through the locks within these closed sections. Experience has shown that errors made whilst navigating the top flights of both the east and west can cause significant water loss on the navigation, and this would add to the already challenging water resource issue that we have.

In order to facilitate the above, we have made changes to the Standedge booking schedule as follows:

Monday: Diggle to Marsden passage only (afternoon)

For customers with a Diggle to Marsden booking for Monday, you will need to ensure that you are in position at Lock 24W by 0800 on Monday morning in order for the team to let you up through the closed section ready for your afternoon tunnel passage.

Once you have passed through Standedge tunnel, you will be required to stay overnight at Standedge/Lock 42E until 0800 the following morning (Tuesday), when the team will let you down through to Lock 32E. 

Wednesday: Marsden to Diggle passage (morning) and Diggle to Marsden passage (afternoon)

For customers with a Marsden to Diggle booking for Wednesday, you will need to ensure that you are in position at Lock 32E by 1300 on Tuesday afternoon in order for the team to let you up through the closed section and be ready in position at Standedge overnight for your tunnel passage the next morning.  Once you have passed through Standedge Tunnel, the team will let you down through to Lock 24W the same day.

For customers with a Diggle to Marsden booking for Wednesday, you will need to ensure you are in position at Lock 24W by 0800 Wednesday morning in order for the team to let you up through the closed section for your afternoon tunnel passage. Once you have passed through Standedge tunnel, you will be required to stay overnight at Standedge/Lock 42E until 0800 the following morning (Thursday), when the team will let you down through to Lock 32E. 

Friday: Marsden to Diggle passage only (morning)

For customers with a Marsden to Diggle booking for Friday, you will need to ensure that you are in position at Lock 32E by 1300 on Thursday afternoon in order for the team to let you up through the closed section and be in position at Standedge overnight ready for your tunnel passage the next morning. Once you have passed through Standedge Tunnel, the team will let you down through to Lock 24W the same day.

Please note the following:

• Standedge Tunnel bookings can only be made through our customer service team on 0303 040 4040 Monday to Thursday 0900 to 1700 & 0900 to 1630 Friday. Please select the option for Yorkshire and North East Region when you call through. The ability to book tunnel passage online has been temporarily removed for this season to allow the team to discuss changes directly with you in detail before a booking can be made.
  
  
• Any delays in navigating to your start point (32E and 24W) to be let through the closed section is likely to result in both our assistance and your Standedge Tunnel booking being cancelled. If you are unable to reach the start point of the closed section on time, or you no longer require tunnel passage, please ensure you contact our customer service team on 0303 040 4040 at the earliest opportunity to advise.
  
  
• Boats will only be let through the closed sections at the time and date agreed as per your Standedge tunnel booking. If you arrive early at your start point, you will be required to wait for our team member to attend to site.
  
  
• Where resource permits, we will endeavour to provide a team member to additionally assist you through the locks on the closed sections. We will be unable to guarantee this assistance at the time of your booking, as this availability will be dependent on resource on the actual day.
  
  
• Our water resource this year will unfortunately not support those customers who wish to book a return journey through the tunnel as purely an experience, as opposed to requiring passage as part of your journey on the wider canal network. Therefore, customers will be unable to book return passage within a month of booking the outward passage.
  
  
• These changes may be subject to further restrictions. This would include, but not limited to, if we experience worsening water resource issues and need to increase restrictions or, equally, if the water resource issues improve and restrictions can be relaxed.
  
  
• We will contact anyone with tunnel passage booked from the 9th May to advise of these changes to ensure you still wish to proceed. Additionally, we will offer alternative dates for those passages already booked that we are unable to fulfil due to the schedule change.
  
  
• These changes are in place to help keep the navigation open and to allow as many customers as possible to enjoy the navigation this season. We appreciate your support in understanding the changes that we have needed to implement.

For further information, speak to our tunnel controller at Standedge Tunnel Visitor Centre.