Tunnel 194m underground where 50 men died opens as water sports attraction
A mile-long, 200 year old tunnel with a morbid history has been opened to the public as a new aquatic attraction.
Canoeists can now paddle through and experience the Standedge tunnel for the first time as part of the Canal and River Trust's plans to create the UK's first coast-to-coast canoe trail. Dubbed one of the seven wonders of the waterways, Standedge Tunnel took 2,500 navvies 17 years to dig by hand at the beginning of the 19th century.
The work - which was undertaken using shovels, pick-axes, explosive powder and brute strength - lead to the death of at least 50 of them.
Throughout June, July and August the trust will run a total of 18 one-way paddle trips for either two people in a tandem canoe or a solo paddler. Tickets will cost £100 and £55 respectively. The tunnel is 194 metres below ground, 196 metres above sea level and spans 3.5 miles long.
The narrow tunnel travels from Marsden, West Yorkshire to Diggle, Greater Manchester. The tunnel had previously been used by boats on the Huddersfield canal.
Greg Brookes tests out safety measures for a UK first, as the Canal & River Trust prepare to open the mile-long Foulridge Tunnel to canoeists
Sean McGinley, the Canal and River Trust's regional director for Yorkshire and North East, said: “We’re excited to launch a new chapter in the history of Standedge Tunnel, a real wonder of the waterways. Our charity is working harder than ever to keep our historic 250-year-old canal network alive.
"This experience is one of the many ways people can help support our work, contributing to the vital funds needed to help us maintain our 2,000-mile network of canals and assets, while discovering this amazing treasure under the Pennines.”
Each trip will take approximately two hours and can be booked via the Canal and River Trust website.
Gordon McMinn, a volunteer team leader and qualified paddle sports instructor, who is coordinating the trips, said: “This is a once-in-a-lifetime, bucket list opportunity for keen canoeists to paddle though this magnificent tunnel and explore its 3.5 miles.
"It will give participants a real sense of this remarkable tunnel, one of the seven wonders of the waterways, which is steeped in history. The trips just emphasise that life’s better by - or in this case, on - water.”
While the golden days of the canals may now be in the past in the UK, the pull of the artificial waterways is clearly felt by many still
Recently Rich and Jackie MacKenzie told the Mirror how, seven years ago, they bought a secondhand 60ft narrowboat with the plan to live onboard in a permanent mooring with their two children.
The pair had an epiphany after tallying how much they had spent on rent and bills, how stressed they were, and how little quality time they had with their children. But they were hesitant to travel full-time: while it seemed appealing, Rich worked long hours as a gardener, and the children were attending school.
Then Rich’s father died in 2020 and already questioning his job, the couple decided to remove the commitments that kept them from travelling.
So the pair – along with son Bob, now 13, and daughter Fleur, seven, two dogs and a cat spend life navigating the waterways of Britain and have no plans to return to a brick-and-mortar home. While navigating the country’s thousands of navigable canals, the family’s outgoings have now roughly halved, and the children are homeschooled on board. Click here to read their story.
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