Weir on the Colne

Today's the day ............................ for a close alliance

Once through the Standedge Tunnel, the Huddersfield Narrow Canal enters the valley of the River Colne, with which it forms a close alliance.

Even if you can't see it - you can probably hear it - creaming over weirs or being forced for a while into a man-made channel. The river already worked for a living long before the canal came - powering, flushing and cooling for industry. But it was far too mercurial to be made navigable and the valley had to wait for the canal to be completed in 1811 before it could claim to have a completely reliable mode of transport.

The locks on this side are now taking the canal downwards - towards the town that gave it its name - Huddersfield ............................