FROM peaceful towpaths to scenic stretches, our local area is home to stunning waterways which are waiting to be explored.
To help residents and visitors make the most of these gems, the Canal & River Trust has produced a free downloadable guide complete with maps, information and activity ideas.
The guide can be downloaded here.
In Tameside, there’s Portland Basin in Ashton-under-Lyne – at the junction of the Peak Forest, Ashton and Huddersfield narrow canals – which was once a bustling transhipment area for coal, cloth and other cargoes.
Visitors can explore the museum to find out more about the basin’s history; take a stroll along the scenic Peak Forest Canal; look at the traditional narrowboats restored by the Wooden Canal Boat Society; enjoy a picnic by the aqueduct, and take a boat trip.
An ideal place for a waterside walk is in Uppermill – on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal – where you can enjoy a 1.5 mile walk along the towpath to Standedge Tunnel; stroll under the Grade II listed railway viaduct; visit Saddleworth Museum & Gallery, and take a boat trip.
Just outside the area, the flight of 16 locks at Marple are one of the steepest in the country and surrounded by countryside and woodland walks. Visitors can watch boats pass through the locks; stroll along the towpath to see Marple Aqueduct and viaduct; discover the legacy of Oldknow – the man who transformed the landscape of Marple and Mellor in the 1800s, and visit the Trust’s welcome hub.
Last year, over 10 million people visited the canal charity’s 2,000-mile network of canals and rivers to enjoy everything from walking, cycling and running to boat trips, feeding ducks and watching boats go through locks.
“Our canals provide free and low-cost family-friendly days out by the water, and the chance to have some fabulous waterside experiences this summer,” said Jon Horsfall, the charity’s North West director.
“We want to encourage more people to visit our canals, rivers, reservoirs and docks so they can experience the physical and mental health and wellbeing benefits of spending time by water, and find out more about the work of our charity to care for the nation’s world-famous historic network.”
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