Tourists were left awestruck by a unique boat trip that traversed Britain's most cavernous canal tunnel, the historic Standedge Tunnel, marking a memorable experience gliding beneath the
Thrill-seekers made the remarkable journey through the 213-year-old subterranean passage, navigating from gritty West Yorkshire to Greater through the Huddersfield Narrow Canal.
Taking around two hours to cover, the 3.5-mile long underwater trail saw visitors embarking near Marsden and emerging in Diggle, flaunting the chance to witness the awe-inspiring depths and heights of Georgian engineering prowess.
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Boasting the title of both the deepest underground (194 metres) and loftiest (196 metres) canal tunnel in the UK, the Standedge Tunnel has added another feather in its cap following the summer frenzy where 500 canoe-lovers paddled this distinctive watercourse. , the architects of this exclusive 'through-tunnel' voyage which set sail on October 10, expressed ambitions of making this 'bucket list' jaunt a recurrent delight from next year.
Their representative shared: "It's a two-hour experience and it takes you from the North West, under the Pennines and over to Yorkshire. And that's the whole length of the tunnel, which is approximately 3.5 miles long. That hasn't happened for the last four years.
"It's a bucket list experience to go on the UK's longest, deepest, and highest canal. This year is also the 230th anniversary of work beginning on the tunnel. We hope to run it again in 2025 on a more regular basis.
An engineering marvel, the Standedge Tunnel stands testament to the bygone eras determination, taking a monumental 17 years to construct before reaching completion in 1811. Regrettably, the construction resulted in the death of 50 men and cost over £123,000 - a sum equivalent to £8.8 million in today's currency.
In August 2024, the spoke with The Canal & River Trust about the state of the UK's canal network and the Trust's chief executive Richard Parry sounded the alarm over the perilous state of the network. He told the Mirror that the canal network had fallen into disrepair following increased use over the past decade and how now is at serious risk of disappearing.
“If there isn't a change in the approach that the last Government took, we face this sort of insidious, inexorable decline over a period of years that will take the canal network to a very bad place and where all those benefits that it offers could be lost or certainly, dramatically reduced and... Also then pose a risk to communities," Richard told the Mirror.
Dating back 250 years ago, the UK's canal network has found a second life post-industrialisation as a place where many people walk, boat, cycle and feed the ducks. Over the past 12 years, the Canal & River Trust has seen use of the network grow, especially following the pandemic.
