- South Pennine Ring
The South Pennine Ring is a
canal ring which crosses thepennines betweenManchester andHuddersfield .History
Whilst the concept of
canal ring s had begun in the 1960s with theCheshire Ring , the South Pennine Ring is a recent addition, as it was only with the restoration of theHuddersfield Narrow Canal (dubbed "the impossible restoration") and theRochdale Canal in 2001-2002 that the ring became a possibility.The term was coined as a marketing tool by
British Waterways , and was later taken up by waterways enthusiasts in coining theNorth Pennine Ring andOuter Pennine Ring to describe the three possible rings that incorporate the three transpennine canals.Popularity
The
moorland scenery and apparent isolation of the upper reaches of the ring would normally be a big attraction to leisure boaters, but boater numbers are relatively small due to a number of factors. These include
*the large numbers of locks, which are not generally clustered in flights
*unpredictable and planned engineering stoppages (as temporary closures are called on English canals), caused by water shortages, bank failures and maintenance work
*some densely urban sections being unpopular with people seeking rural England
*operating restrictions on the number of boats that can pass through the Standedge Tunnel.As a result of the frequent stoppages and the need to book passage through the Standedge Tunnel, planning for a trip on the Huddersfield Narrow or Rochdale canals should include consulting the [http://www.waterscape.com British Waterways website] .
Component canals
Clockwise from Manchester (Ducie St Junction):
*
Rochdale Canal
*Calder and Hebble Navigation
*Huddersfield Broad Canal
*Huddersfield Narrow Canal
*Ashton Canal
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