Friday, 7 March 2008

A new guide to the Huddersfield Narrow Canal

A new guide to Huddersfield Narrow Canal aims to get more people enjoying walks along the waterway.The 90-page towpath guide contains detailed maps covering the various routes that walkers can take, over 500 colour photos and interesting facts about the history and natural habitat of the canal.The guide, produced by Huddersfield Canal Society, is an updated version of a towpath guide first published by the society in 1981.Following the restoration and re-opening of the canal – which stretches 20 miles between Huddersfield and Ashton-under-Lyne – in 2001 the society decided that a new version of the guide was long overdue.The society’s administrator Dr Bob Gough, has spent the last few years compiling the guide. He hopes the new, more accessible guide will encourage people of all ages to explore what the towpath has to offer. He said: “The old book is very much text-based and it imposed an east to west direction on the route, which meant walkers wanting to join it from the end would have had to read it backwards! “While that guide has historical value and is important I think the new guide is more accessible. “It is more pictorially-based and it has detailed maps of all the routes, so that people can join it wherever they like.“The information on items of interest, such as the wildlife and heritage, are more in the form of little snippets of information rather than in the more formal articles of the previous guide.“At the back of the guide there are distance tables, so people can see how long all the walks are going to take.”The guide, which includes a foreword by British Waterways chief executive Robin Evans, is ideal for people of all ages and walking abilities, from serious walkers wanting to follow the whole route to those just wanting to enjoy a gentle stroll with their family. It also details the many interesting things there are to see along the canal, including wildlife, industrial heritage and the results of the restoration programme to enhance the experience of visiting the canal.The society subsidised the cost of producing the guide as part of its aim to promote the canal.Dr Gough added: “We hope the guide is going to be quite popular. There have been a lot of requests from local people for it.“Now that we’ve completed the restoration we’re concentrating on finding ways to promote the canal and getting people out and about on to it. “Hopefully the guide will show them what’s on offer and get them interested in exploring it. “The canal is an important part of our heritage and a great local asset. We are hoping to get more people to see that and realise all the wonderful things that it has to offer.“It’s also important to get people – especially young folk – out and walking in the fresh air and getting exercise. “There’s all sorts of fascinating history and wildlife to see, which will hopefully excite them and give them the idea that there’s more to do out there than playing computer games.” The guide, called Huddersfield Narrow Canal; A Towpath Guide, costs £4.99. It is available by phoning the Huddersfield Canal Society on 01457 871800.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Went into Tescos last week in Stalybridge to talk to the boss about all the Tesco plastic bags in the Canal, he said its not his problem its the wind that blows them in to the canal.............Top Man.

Anonymous said...

Well done Westie. At least they know you know.

Anonymous said...

So does the wind blow the trolleys in as well?