|
Rochdale Canal winds through Hebden
Bridge on its 32 mile journey from Manchester to Sowerby
Bridge - cleaving through some of the country’s most
fascinating industrial archaeology and breath catching
Pennine scenery.
Built by immigrant navies between 1799 and 1804, the
canal’s ambitious construction claimed many lives.
Ninety-two locks were needed to lift it 600ft above sea
level, a feat rewarded by the prosperity it enjoyed for at
least another century.
Canal transport was revolutionary because a barge could
carry 50 tonnes from one end of the canal to the other in
28 hours - a speed not possible by horse. But even when
other canals had succumbed to competition from road and
rail, the Rochdale remained busy right up to the 1930s.
Lack of maintenance during World War Two finally finished
its commercial life, but at its height it had carried
three-quarters of a million tonnes of goods every year.
Decades of dereliction and neglect
ended in 2003 when the Rochdale re-opened - fully restored
and reconnected to the national network at Sowerby Bridge
where the deepest canal basin in the country marks its
merging with Calder and Hebble Navigation.
Increasingly popular as a leisure waterway for narrow boat
holidays, the Rochdale Canal corridor has also gradually
softened and blossomed into a treasured amenity for
walkers.
Abundant with wildlife, the towpath provides long or short
linear walks as well as easy access to the surrounding
hills.
Many once abandoned canal buildings have been restored
converted into waterside apartments and houses like the
award winning Mayroyd Mill by
Mango Homes. The whole
atmosphere of the canal bank has been rejuvenated making
the route a fascinating way to see Calderdale’s history
and beauty.
|
 |
