This week, the website has had updates to the sections on Slaithwaite, Uppermill (Saddleworth) and a major update for Stalybridge. All the photographs of the restoration work can be found at http://www.penninewaterways.co.uk/latest
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Three new footbridges were installed in Stalybridge on Wednesday, 23rd August. Only one of them actually spans the canal - the one linking the new Tesco store to the overspill car park. The other two are parallel to the canal, linking Melbourne Street bridge to the two new bridges on either side, replacing the footpaths which had been built along the line of the canal. They will not be open for a week or so. In addition to needing handrails, the bridges will be surfaced using the "Imprint" technique employed in Armentieres Square. The stonework will also have to be completed between the footbridge handrails and the road bridge parapet walls.

Next week, Trinity Street will close permanently and the stretch of canal through the Tesco site joined to the new Lock 6W. Traffic will be diverted around Armentieres Square. Eventually this will be restricted to buses only. The temporary closure of Caroline Street does not appear to have caused any major hold ups, with a straightforward diversion, and the re-opening of Back Melbourne Street has improved access for shoppers.
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At High Street bridge, Uppermill, Saddleworth, two lines of sheet piles were driven in to form the sides of the channel into which the new box culvert bridge sections will be placed. The the south of the culvert channel, an auger rig is drilling large circular holes for the insertion of concrete piles to support the steep bank carrying Oldham Road.

A close look at the tail section of the adjoining restored Lock 21W (Wade Lock) has puzzled me. Take a look at the picture concerned - http://www.penninewaterways.co.uk/archive/upp133.jpg
My question is: when the lock gates are installed, will the new wall obstruct the balance beam, preventing the gate from fully opening? What do you think?
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The one way system in Slaithewaite is due to be withdrawn on August 29th. The road on the bridge and along Carr Lane was being re-surfaced when I visited on Thursday, causing traffic gridlock - the queue was almost the whole way round the one-way system and right back onto Manchester Road. I'm sure a huge sigh of relief will be heard when two-way traffic is restored!

Attractive railings are being installed alongside Carr lane and for the first time it possible to get a good idea what the finished canal will look like. People have commented to me about how narrow the channel is along this section, but Carr Lane has been widened since the original canal channel was in-filled.

When the traffic is restored to normal, Platt Lane, will be closed to allow the construction of a bridge below.
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Matters relating to the restoration of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal are discussed from time to time on the uk.rec.waterways newsgroup but a lot of people don't have access to newsgroups or don't have time to read them. In response to suggestions I have added a message board / discussion forum to Pennine Waterways. Please feel free to share opinions or comments, raise questions or spark debates on any matter relating to the HNC or other canals in the area, or anything you think may interest other visitors to the site, but please - no advertising!
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The next newsletter will answer some of the questions I have received about the arrangements for using Standedge Tunnel.

The automatic countdown to the re-opening of the canal on the restoration menu page is at present reading "Only 0 years, 7 months, and 9 days left until the re-opening of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal!"

When the one-way system began, quite a lot of motorists didn't notice and continued driving the wrong way along the system. Now that the one way system has ended, many motorists haven't noticed that are still driving all the way around the system instead of using the direct route!
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In Huddersfield, the concrete structure of the new Lock 2E is complete. The piles around it have been removed and space around the lock back-filled. The tunnel below Bates & Co. has been fully excavated. A thick concrete base will be laid along the floor of the tunnel. The walls are made of rough concrete piles, as one of this week's pictures shows. A smooth concrete finish will be applied to these. The Huddersfield pages show some dramatic photographs of the tunnel emerging under Queen Street bridge, from which it will continue into a new deep channel. Piles have been driven along the sides of the channel between Bates tunnel and the original Lock 2E, in preparation for this deep channel being excavated.

On the Sellers' site, work on the new Lock 2E is progressing slowly. The remaining third of the tunnel, which will connect into the lock, cannot be started yet until the new building is open and the old buildings it replaces are demolished.
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At High Street bridge, Uppermill, the auger rig mentioned last week has drilled the holes for the insertion of concrete piles to support the steep bank carrying Oldham Road.
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In Stalybridge, Trinity Street has now closed permanently to allow the canal to be constructed across at road level. Traffic is now using Armentieres Square in both directions. Piles are being sunk across Caroline Street for the construction of the new bridge there. At Lock 5W, the original stone quoins are to be cut back and metal quoins used. This is a pity as these quoin stones were part of the original canal, but apparently would not have been sufficiently water-tight due to wear.
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Pennine Waterways web site now has a Discussion Board and you may wish to share opinions or comments, raise questions or spark debates on any matter relating to the HNC or other canals in the area. You may wish to contribute to two discussions that have started. The first concerns the possibility of only limited numbers of boats passing through Standedge Tunnel each day.

The second is about the problems that could arise from the narrow channels being constructed in Stalybridge and Huddersfield, particularly where the new tunnels in Huddersfield are immediately below the new locks, with no passing place between tunnel and lock. In the case of the Sellers tunnel, this is 400 metres long with several curves. Do you think traffic lights, closed circuit cameras and monitors or timetabled passage would solve the problem? Can you think of a better solution? Why not have your say? Costain have asked me to pass on your ideas.
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Last week I said that this newsletter will answer some of the questions I have received about the arrangements for using Standedge Tunnel. This is one of the subjects that has come up on the Discussion Board. As I understand it, a final decision about the arrangements has not yet been taken. Several ideas have been looked at, but the proposal that is most likely to become reality is one that is not well liked by a lot of boaters.

This involves electric tug boats pulling short convoys of up to 4 boats through the tunnel. The crews of the boats would ride on the tug. British Waterways are very concerned about safety issues if crews were allowed to remain on their own boats, including the risk of injury where the canal roof becomes suddenly low or the sides become narrow. The ventilation of the tunnel is not considered adequate to make it safe for diesel-powered boats to make their own way through. In addition, Railtrack are concerned that adventurous boaters may try to explore the addits that lead from the canal tunnel to the three railway tunnels.

Many boaters are greatly disappointed that they will not be able to steer their own vessels through the tunnel. Concerns have also been raised about the risk of damage to boats hitting the sides while being towed. British Waterways have yet to put people's minds at rest over these concerns.

Visitors to the canal who arrive on foot or on wheels will have the opportunity to enter the tunnel. A trip boat will run part of the way into the tunnel from the new Visitor Centre at Tunnel End, Marsden (the former canal warehouse).

Anyone who is keen on tunnels can now walk through the restored Scout Tunnel. between Locks 12W and 11W between Mossley and Stalybridge. This is very similar to Standedge Tunnel, with brick lined sections and rough rock sections. A bright torch would be useful to examine the rock bolts and steel mesh used to stabilise the tunnel roof. Pictures of the interior can be seen at http://www.penninewaterways.co.uk/huddersfield/hnc54.htm
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The automatic countdown to the re-opening of the canal on the restoration menu page is at present reading "Only 0 years, 7 months, and 2 days left until the re-opening of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal!"

The new photographs show the southern portal of the original arch, which has now been restored. The wooden form is in place ready to re-build the arch extension. The remains of the newer, second portal can just be seen, with a small section of wash wall and tow path. I understand that the continuation of the arch will now be constructed with 14 rather than 18 concrete sections. These will taper inwards from the open canal towards the stone arch.

It is to be welcomed that as much as possible of the original structure and fabric is being used, in contrast to what has happened in other parts of the restoration.

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In Slaithwaite, Platt Lane is now closed for the construction of a bridge across the canal. Excavation of the channel across the roadway has started here.
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In Stalybridge, excavation of the canal line across Trinity Street is now well under way. The road has now closed permanently and traffic is now using Armentieres Square in both directions. The piles have been sunk across Caroline Street for the construction of the new bridge there and excavation of the ground between the piles has started.. At Lock 5W, the original stone quoins have now been cut back to enable metal quoins to be used.
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I mentioned last week that Pennine Waterways web site now has a Discussion Board which you may wish to use to share opinions or comments, raise questions or spark debates.

A lively debate is underway concerning the proposed arrangements for the passage of boats through Standedge Tunnel. A Poll has been posted in the discussion board to measure opinion about this. Why not have your say? Share your ideas or comment on the ideas others have put forward. The discussion is being watched by British Waterways. Follow the "Discussion Board" links on Pennine Waterways "Home" page, "Latest" page and other frequently visited pages.
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The automatic countdown to the re-opening of the canal on the restoration menu page is at present reading "Only 0 years, 6 months, and 25 days left until the re-opening of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal!"

I had commented previously on the proximity of the stone bridge parapet to the tailgate recess of Lock 21W (Wade Lock) adjacent to the bridge. I have been informed that Oldham Council and British Waterways are still considering whether to fit a cranked beam to the gate on the east side or whether to employ a mechanical means of operating the gate, such as at Lock 1W in Ashton. The wall has been built close to the gate recess as a straight beam was never an option, as it would have overhung the pavement during operation. The gates will not be installed until the site is handed over from the contractors.
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In Slaithwaite, the new bridge at Old Bank is rapidly approaching readiness. A roadway has been constructed from the bridge towards Lock 23E to join the present canal-side lane. The approach to the new bridge from the Shoulder of Mutton pub is being built up ready for surfacing. When the new road is opened, the temporary road can be removed and the concrete channel through the town centre can be connected to the very short pound below Lock 23E. The area of the car park opposite Lloyds Bank is being decoratively surfaced to form a small short stay car park for shoppers.
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In Stalybridge, at Lock 5W, a waterproof barrier is being installed alongside the lock chamber to prevent water seepage through the ground. Lines of holes have been drilled and hollow tines inserted. A jet grouter will inject a waterproof grout through holes in the tines to create a solid barrier. The wash walls are now complete between Locks 5W and 4W.

Caroline Street bridge has now be completely excavated apart from a small section of the original bridge arch, which has been left in place to support a pipe.

Trinity Street has now been severed by the canal works. The roadway has been excavated down to canal bed level, revealing some of the original wash walls in the process. The canal bed has now been laid in reinforced concrete and the new concrete wash walls will be constructed shortly.

A flight of steps is being constructed leading down to the towpath from Melbourne Street. The two footbridges running from the Melbourne Street bridge are still not open. The metal railing for the bridges have arrived, so hopefully, they will soon be in place and the bridges opened.
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The Pennine Waterways Discussion Board continues to attract interest. If you have not yet voted in the poll concerning the proposed arrangements for the passage of boats through Standedge Tunnel, don't delay, as I will announce the results shortly. It can be found by reading through the thread entitled: "Limited Numbers," on a post by Roger Page.
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I am going to be very busy at work over the next month or six weeks. This means I may not have time to write a newsletter during that period. I will continue to update the Stalybridge pages each week, but the Saddleworth and Slaithwaite pages will be updated fortnightly until mid November. I am hoping to update the Huddersfield pages at the end of October. Please bear with me during this busy time for me.
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The automatic countdown to the re-opening of the canal on the restoration menu page is at present reading "Only 0 years, 6 months, and 4 days left until the re-opening of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal!"

New concrete box-culvert bridge sections have been appearing all over the place in the last week or so. The concrete sections for the new bridges at Caroline Street, Stalybridge, and Platt Lane, Slaithwaite, have been installed, and in Uppermill, the first few sections of the concrete extension of High Street bridge are in place.
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The new bridge at Old Bank, Slaithwaite, is now open to traffic and the temporary road removed. There are a number of new pictures on the site showing this section of the work. There is an interesting view of the area below the lock tail bridge of Lock 23E. The new lock gates for Lock 22E have arrived and the single gate for the lock head (upstream end) has been fitted.
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It had been widely believed that the opening of the canal was to be on April 4th, to coincide with the canal's original opening date. I have been notified that the official date for the completion of the canal is April 30th, 2001, with the canal being open for traffic on May 1st. The countdown on the web site has been adjusted accordingly!

This is at present reading "Only 0 years, 6 months, and 16 days left until the re-opening of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal!"

All 13 sections of the concrete box culvert tunnel at High Street, Uppermill should be in place by the time you read this. The triangular shaped section between this and the reconstructed arch will be built in-situ. More pictures next week!

A few weeks ago I mentioned the awkward positioning of the tail gates of Wade Lock (21W) next to High Street Bridge. I can now reveal that the gate nearest the road is to be mechanically operated while the gate on the towpath side will have a standard balance beam, making an unusual arrangement!

In Huddersfield, Locks 2W is now complete, with water right up to stop planks at its head. Lock 3E is almost complete. Construction of the head area is taking place. Excavation of the deep channel between Queen Street bridge and the original Lock 2E is almost complete. The channel will be wide enough right up to the tunnel mouth for two boats to pass. Look out for very interesting pictures next week!

In Stalybridge the two footbridges running out from Melbourne Street bridge are complete. The stanks have been removed above Lock 7W and the winding hole is now back in water right up to the new lock head.

Dredging is taking place between Locks 20E and 21E near Slaithwate.
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The automatic countdown to the re-opening of the canal on the restoration menu page is at present reading "Only 0 years, 6 months, and 4 days left until the re-opening of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal!"

All the photographs of the restoration work can be found at
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At Huddersfield, the chamber of Lock 3E is complete. The lock head area is currently being constructed. The second phase of the tunnel below Sellers Engineering has not yet started. This is expected to be the last section of canal to be completed next spring. Work will begin when the new building which has been constructed is opened and the old buildings it replaces are demolished.

Lock 2E is complete and the stretch of derelict canal running west to Chapel Hill has been dug out. The deep new channel running from Queen Street Bridge east to the original Lock 2E is now almost completely excavated.
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In Slaithwaite, the concrete box-culvert tunnel sections are in place at the site of the new Platt Lane bridge. The lock gates for Lock 21E have arrived but are just lying waiting for their installation. The pre-cast sectional concrete wash wall is now complete between Lock 21E and the new winding hole (turning area) at the back of the Health Centre. The small car park area near the toilets in Carr Lane is being laid out in decorative setts. Alongside Carr Lane and Market Place, the erection of railings is nearly complete. The raised "towpath" is being surfaced.

The new bridge at Old Bank is now in use. The section of canal just below Lock 23E, which until recently had been filled and carrying a temporary roadway, has now been excavated and the base and walls being built. The original wash wall on the south side will be enclosed behind a new concrete wall to allow the road to be widened slightly. However, the wash wall on the north side is to be retained in use. Dredging is continuing between Locks 20E and 21E near Slaithwaite.
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In Stalybridge, the lock side at Lock 7W, next to Mottram Road, is being levelled ready for being surfaced with brick setts. The ramp is being constructed leading from the lock side down to the towpath under the road bridge.

The canal section that has been constructed across the line of Trinity Street is complete and the towpaths are being surfaced with brick setts. The footbridge between Armentieres Square and Melbourne Street is open but the bridge linking Melbourne Street and Back Melbourne Street is still awaiting a few final touches.

Steps are being constructed from Melbourne Street Bridge down to the towpath. The steel quoins have been fitted at Locks 7W and 5W. The lock side south of Lock 5W is being surfaced and a ramp being built down to the towpath below. To the south of the pound between Locks 5W and 4W, a high retaining wall formed from steel sheet piles is now being faced with stone. The concrete bridge sections for Caroline Street Bridge are in place and the gaps along each side are being filled with compressed hardcore. A towpath is being constructed through the bridge.
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All the concrete box-culvert sections for High Street bridge, Uppermill, are now in place. The short triangular section between the pre-cast sections and the restored arch will be constructed from concrete in situ.

In case you missed last week's short newsletter, it has been decided that the tail area of Lock 24W, adjoining the bridge, will have one mechanically operated gate and one normal balance beam operated gate.
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The automatic countdown to the re-opening of the canal on the restoration menu page is at present reading "Only 0 years, 5 months, and 25 days left until the re-opening of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal!"

The area between Lock 23E and Market Place is progressing rapidly. A new section of concrete wall has been constructed to allow the roadway running alongside the canal to be widened a little between the lock and the new bridge.

There is still a lot of work to be done in the Platt Lane area. A start has been made on construction of the concrete walls of the channel between Platt Lane and the original Lock 21E.
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In Stalybridge, Lock 5W had its gates fitted on Monday (13th November). HCS member and regular visitor to Pennine Waterways website Graham Alder has very kindly sent me photos of the gates being installed. These can be seen at
http://www.penninewaterways.co.uk/huddersfield/gates4.htm
Unfortunately, because the measurements were taken before the original stone quoins were replaced with steel ones, the tail gates did not fit well enough and have gone back to Callis Mill for adjustment. They are due to be re-installed next Monday (20th November). The lock gates at Lock 7W are also expected to be installed on the same day.
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All the concrete box-culvert sections for High Street bridge, Uppermill, are now in place. A start has been made on the construction of the short triangular section between the pre-cast sections and the restored arch from concrete.
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The automatic countdown to the re-opening of the canal on the restoration menu page is at present reading "Only 0 years, 5 months, and 11 days left until the re-opening of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal!"

The car park near the toilets in Carr Lane is now open with a decorative cobble surface. Construction of the landing area is still under way. Finishing touches are being made to the stone cladding of the concrete channel walls alongside Carr Lane and Market Place. The section of towpath between Old Bank and Britannia Road is now open.
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In Stalybridge, Lock 4W has had its gates fitted, meaning that all four locks in the town are now complete with gates. Caroline Street Bridge is nearing completion very quickly. The concrete culvert sections have been covered over. The bridge parapets are being clad with stone. It looks as if the road will be re-opened before work on the tunnel below and adjacent lock side are complete.

The long pound between Lock 7W Mottram Road) and Lock 6W (Armentieres Square) is expected to be filled with water on 18th December after "planters" have been installed along the edges in corners. These are intended to introduce plant life to the bare concrete channels. The water level will be closely monitored to check for leaks in the pre-cast sectional wash walls.The Tesco store is due to open in February so the towpaths along that section of canal will be open by then.
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All the concrete box-culvert sections for High Street bridge, Uppermill, are now in place. They have been filled over and the road surface is being prepared for tarmac laying on 20th December. The traffic lights will be removed over the Christmas period although they will be re-introduced for a short period afterwards. The wall alongside Oldham Road is being re-constructed.

The gates of nearby Lock 21W have been fitted. Unfortunately, the east tail gate will not fully open as it is obstructed by the recently built wall. I had been informed by an engineer involved in the site that this gate was to have a mechanically operated gate as even a short or cranked beam would obstruct the narrow pavement alongside. Is this a change of plan or a cock-up? Check the picture at http://www.penninewaterways.co.uk/archive/upp190.jpg
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I have heard that there is some discussion regarding the future of Tameside Canals Festival. This is held annually in the area around Portland Basin. See report of last year's festival at: http://www.penninewaterways.co.uk/ashton-under-lyne/festival.htm There is a suggestion to move the festival to Sandhills (off Huddersfield Road, Stalybridge, east of Lock 7W).

The present site is a wonderful location, with its variety of backdrops, canal junction, bridges and aqueduct and nearby Museum. The problem seems to be the lack of vehicle access to the main show field west of the Peak Forest Canal. It would be marvellous to have an event like this in Stalybridge, but in my view, Sandhills could never match the character of the Portland Basin area. Perhaps you have opinions about this you would like to air on Pennine Waterways' discussion board.
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I have now added some links to Ordnance Survey Maps covering the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. These are provided by streetmap.co.uk and can be seen free on-line although they take a minute or two to download. These links are on the Links Page:
http://www.penninewaterways.co.uk/links and also on the Huddersfield Canal index page: http://www.penninewaterways.co.uk/huddersfield .

I have also added a PW favicon (.ico) file to the server. This means that users of IE5 who save pages to their favourites will see a special "PW" icon in front of the address in their favourites folder. The Ashton and Searchbox areas of the site have their own icons. This feature is only available for IE5 users at the moment.
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The automatic countdown to the re-opening of the canal on the restoration menu page is at present reading "Only 0 years, 4 months, and 14 days left until the re-opening of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal!"
A Happy Christmas to you all!