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The Calder and Hebble was one of the
first canals to make its way into the Pennines, which is quite a challenge
in itself. It runs from the Aire and Calder Navidgation at Wakefield to
Sowerby Bridge a distance of 21 mileas and was built as an extension of the
Aire and Calser canal under the guidance of James Bridley and John Smeaton –
who did the surveying.
The initial stage
was to make the River Calder navigable above Wakefield, which began in 1758
with the navigation to Sowerby Bridge being completed by 1770 which included
a short branch to Dewsbury, with another branch later provided
to Huddersfield by the opening of the Huddersfield Broad canal in
1776. This was followed by the Rochdale canal which opened in 1804 to link
the Calder and Hebble with Yorkshire and Manchester.
1823 saw the development of
a branch to Halifax, which had to rise 110 feet to reach the terminus at
behind Halifax Railway Station. This section including 14 locks. Sadlym
following the history of many similar canals most od this section had fallen
into disrepair by 1942, with the exception of a small section from
Salterhebble to Exley.
In its hayday
it was a busy canal, continually
improved and renovated and carrying a fair amount of traffic through
the local towns and villages, which undoubted benefited from the
commerce, this which would have included sea going barges moving between the
Humber and the Mersey and of course with the slow speed of transport the
potential custom was around longer than say passengers flying past on a
train, so there would have been more opportunity for them to take advantage
of local facilities etc.
Most traffic
use of the canal had finished by
1955,m with coal still being carried to Thornhill power station by canal
until 1981.
The whole of Calder and Hebble is now opened for leisure
use . 2002 also saw the reopening of the Rochdale canal between Sowerby
Bridge and Manchester which now forms part of the South Pennine Ring, a
popular circular route through the Pennines which has considerably increased
traffic on the Calder and Hebble.
Maximum boat dimensions above Broad Cut are 57’6” and 141
beam, which should be noted before planning an excursion.
The Canal and South Pennine route remains popular passing
through some delightful and unique countryside as well as reaching back to
another era.