Route Companion

WHAT IS IT

The South Pennine Ring is 71 miles long with 197 locks, of which 105 are broad and 92 narrow, one flood lock, three guillotine gates, the longest tunnel and the deepest lock. It is formed by the Calder & Hebble Navigation, Huddersfield Broad Canal, Huddersfield Narrow Canal, Ashton Canal and Rochdale Canal.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?

This is best regarded as a two week trip. We have often been told by people that they have looked at the map and could do it in a week, but this is absolutely not on for this combination of waterways. Time is potentially lost at Standedge Tunnel, and also by dry pounds, faulty paddles, too much or too little water and other factors. We used to find that it could be done in 11 days, though not in 10; but now delays are too frequent for anything less than two weeks. Choose any of our ‘out and back’ boats. We normally recommend a Monday start and clockwise direction of travel. If you have time to spare then the Lower Peak Forest Canal or the rest of the Calder & Hebble are there to explore.

WHICH WAY ROUND?

We usually recommend a clockwisw start, which gets you off the river in case it's later shut for a short time by heavy rain. Be prepared for either direction as the better route for you might be determined by, for instance, the availability of a tunnel booking or a short emergency stoppage in one place.

WHAT FACILITIES ARE THERE?

In a fortnight, you’ll need a toilet pump-out. The half-way place is Portland Basin Marina which offers a good service during normal hours. This and Aspley Wharf Marina are the ONLY places on the ring which have all facilities. We will discuss all the practicalities such as this with you before you set off, using up to date information. Water points are well provided on the HNC, but not on the Lancashire side of the Rochdale – there are long gaps beteen Todmorden, Littleborough and New Islington Marina (see caretaker). It is essential that you fill up with water before entering Standedge Tunnel to keep the front of the boat low in the water; there are water points at each end of the tunnel. Few of the popular mooring places on the HNC have good depth by the bank, because the builders of the canal did not think two centuries ahead, so put moorings mainly at wharves. Mooring is reasonably secure at the places we and Canal & River Trust recommend; there are lots of other good places – be guided by common sense and CRT rather than by locals or other boaters.

IS THIS THE RIGHT HOLIDAY FOR US?

This is a spectacular trip, but is not right for everyone. Be realistic about the type of boating holiday your crew members want. The essential is that everyone likes lock working as there are few long stretches without locks. An active crew of two can manage providing the shorter or weaker partner will steer the boat. A crew of three or four active members is ideal as it is very helpful to send someone ahead to set the next lock..

The scenery is striking with great variety. While from about Stalybridge to Rochdale the Lancashire side is not conventionally pretty, it has much of interest. The last few miles into Manchester on the Rochdale can be challenging, but CRT will quickly help if needed - and may be able to provide a volunteer escort. New flats are spreading along the canal bank away from the city centre, which has been transformed.

Anyone who doesn’t want the deadlines imposed by a ring, or to do the urban sections, might be better to go ‘out and back’ along part of the route or else eastwards towards Selby.

HOW LONG SHOULD I ALLOW FOR EACH STAGE?

These are the minimum times for each leg:

Sowerby Bridge to Marsden - leave 3 clear days, plus your start or finish day, e.g. SB Monday pm, Tunnel: Friday p.m. Marsden to Ducie Street (junction Ashton/Rochdale), 3 days, bearing in mind that the Ashton has to be started in the morning – see later. Ducie Street to Sowerby Bridge, 4 days. This leaves no time for ‘time off’, hold ups or unavailability of tunnel or lock bookings, so these are absolute minimum times for your calculations in either direction as each group will have its own agenda for different parts of the route. In your planning, you should allow for delays because the waterways are not always capable of running smoothly and you cannot beat the system if there is no water in the canal. However, if you do get delayed by waterway problems, Canal & River Trust will do all they can to get you through.

SUGGESTED STOPPING PLACES

The list below shows you roughly where to stop each night; but you have quite a lot of leeway. The Yorkshire side of the Huddersfield, and the Lancashire side of the Rochdale, are more subject to water loss and delays than their counterparts.

All start days give time for a detour on the Lower Peak Forest, assuming no previous holdups.

Monday starts:

Clockwise means a Friday tunnel.

Friday starts:

Clockwise means a Wednesday tunnel. This means a day less for the rest of the trip.

WILL I HAVE ALL THE EQUIPMENT I NEED?

All our boats are fully equipped with everything you will need to navigate our local waterways. We also supply relevant guides. A full inventory list is in your Holiday Guide.

Details of these routes are shown on our public website. (Note: these open on a separate tab, and you can't get back to this page from there, so make sure you don't close this tab.)

Look for South Pennine Ring

Information includes how long the route takes, which should help you work out the average boating you'll need to do each day - but do bear in mind that some days are necessarily longer than others.

18 narrow locks x 70’

The Ashton Canal has suffered from vandalism over the years but massive investment is transforming the scene. As a precaution, you may prefer to start from either end in the morning. The whole canal takes at least six hours.

The 18 locks are in a flight at the western end with a water point at the top. There is no water point at Ducie Street Basin.

Do not underestimate the challenge of making a through passage of this canal. Allow plenty of time for delay, and take a fit crew. The locks on the Lancashire side may be the heaviest on your trip. The summit is now unrestricted and you may moor overnight — be ultra-careful to leave gates and paddles shut.

Please slow down when you pass barriers separating the channel from nature reserves.

You should fill the boat’s water tank every day if possible. There are water points, with rubbish disposal, every few miles, except that there are long gaps between Todmorden, Littleborough and Manchester (New Islington Marina - see caretaker).

Arrangements for the ‘Rochdale 17’ locks

For passage between Locks 65 and 81, we suggest you go through in the morning, without stopping. If you experience difficulty here, CRT will help, but please call them in working hours. Moor the previous night at the Rose of Lancaster or Piccadilly Village / New Islington.

This section is notorious for rubbish, particularly if the levels are down, so you are likely to have to clear your propeller frequently. You are less likely to foul your propeller if you go slowly, because the boat will ride higher in the water.

Locks 40, 41 and 47 can only take one boat at a time. Notices warn you.

Rochdale 9

Locks 84 to 92 take you down through, and in some place literally underneath, the city. The dark places attract unpleasant behaviour. Don’t let this put you off, but it’s perhaps better to go through in the morning.

91 broad locks x 72’. Locks 3 and 4 are now one manned deep lock

Since reopening, the Yorkshire side has attracted boats from all over the country and visitors from all over the world. All agree that it is a quite wonderful canal. The locks are fairly easy between Sowerby Bridge and Todmorden, but become harder towards the summit. Reservoir usage is very limited, so there may not be enough water for unrestricted use in prolonged dry weather.

Your best turning points are either: below Lock 12; between Locks 18 & 19 in Todmorden (by the water point with the silver fish); or below Lock 33, before the summit – that’s 31 locks from Sowerby Bridge, and another 31 back! But some like to go further. Only the most active and determined crews should attempt this. Passage over the summit is likely to be limited throughout 2025, and you must be ultra-careful to leave everything shut and should only go above Lock 33 if planning to go beyond, to Littleborough, or on to Rochdale.

Locks 5, 7 and 34 can only take one boat at a time. Notices warn you.

What it is

The boat steers from the back – point the tiller the way you want the back to go, and the boat pivots so that the front goes the other way.

How to do it

Don’t get hung up about pushing the tiller the ‘wrong’ way. Let your unconscious mind steer, stay calm and you’ll soon pick it up.

The speed limit is 4mph, a brisk walking pace. But that’s often too fast. Judge your speed by looking at your wash. If you’re making waves or rocking moored boats, slow down.

Watch out for:

• Don’t make a breaking wash – if you come to a shallow section, slow down.
• Slow to tickover when passing moored boats or fishermen.
• Keep away from the bank – it’s shallow at the edges. The channel is only along the middle, or to the outside of bends. Don’t cut corners, specially on rivers.
• Coil your back rope neatly, so it can’t fall off and go round the propeller.

What it is

If you hit an underwater object, the rudder can suddenly be jolted, and the resultant swing of the tiller could knock you off the boat.

When the boat is moving, no one should be within the arc through which the tiller swings. Stand forward of the tiller for better control.

The canal is vee-shaped and is meant to be shallow at the edges. The channel is in the middle, only a foot or so (30cm) deeper than your boat, and a bit more than two narrow boats wide. This picture shows an empty canal.

Keep to the middle where the channel is.

When you meet another boat, slow down and move a little to your right so that the other boat passes on your left.

How to do it

You can moor almost anywhere on the towpath side, but remember it’s often shallow. Slow down, and point the front of the boat towards the bank (leaving the propeller in deeper water), then use reverse to bring the boat to a rest. Your crew can now step off the boat with the front rope, which they leave on the ground. The crew then walks to the back, and the steerer throws the back rope. Pull the boat in to the bank, and hammer in your mooring pins, a little beyond the ends of the boat. Pass the rope a couple of times round the pin, then back to the boat and tie off. Any knot will do.

The canal was built shallower at the edges than in the middle, to make the banks stronger. You may find it awkward to moor neatly against the bank. If so, use your gang plank, making sure it’s stable.

When mooring overnight in a short stretch between locks, it's worth leaving some slack on your ropes so that if the level drops you may drift out, rather than getting caught on the sloping bottom - less falling out of bed. And at bedtime, check the paddles below you really are closed.

Watch out for

• Don’t moor too near a lock, bridge, water point or angler, or in a short pound (levels change).
• Don’t moor on the non-towpath side, which is private, or where a notice prohibits mooring.
• Don't jump off the moving boat when coming in to moor: if you slip you could be crushed.
• Don't let your mooring ropes cross the towpath.
• Don’t use ropes round a bollard to take the way off a moving boat, or start tying the boat up till it has stopped moving.
• Keep fingers clear of bollards and rings, in case the boat moves and suddenly tightens the rope.
• Avoid getting knots in your ropes, and remove new ones before they tighten.
• Don't throw the back rope while the engine is in gear – if it falls in, it will go round the propeller.
• Don’t use the centre rope to tie up when locking uphill: you must use both front and back ropes

The ground may be rough, or have hidden potholes near the bank. Don’t jump onto or off the boat – get it close to the bank so that you can step on or off while using a handhold.

There are winding holes (turning points) every few miles. They are marked in the guides, so you can plan ahead. Your turn doesn’t have to be elegant as long as it works.

How to do it

Steer the front of the boat towards the apex of the winding hole. Don’t ram the bank, but it’s OK to touch it. Drive the back of the boat round, then reverse the boat away from the winding hole and you’re facing the other way and ready to go. A multi-point turn is fine. You can use your pole or the ropes to help.

Watch out for:

• Shallow water by the towpath – don’t get stuck, or let the prop turn against the rocky bottom.

What it is

Obviously – don’t fall in. Moving boats are heavy, and can injure anyone who is trapped between the boat and a solid object. .

How to do it

The canal is only a few feet deep, but it’s not good to fall in. So look where you’re going, wear sensible shoes, and always have one hand for the ship, one for yourself. Go from one end of the boat to the other through the cabin rather than along the gunwales. Stay within the profile of the boat, i.e. keep off the roof, and don’t stand up on the front seats or gunwales – collisions with trees or bridges could squash you. Keep children's hands and legs in. Never let anyone swim in the canal.

Watch out for:

• Don’t try to fend off with arms or legs.
• Children should never go along the gunwales, as they are not tall enough to hold the handrail.
• Never go on the roof or bow. Use only the grey decks with anti-slip paint, as shown on the Crew Area label on the back door.
• Don't stand on the front seats or gunwales when under way. Keep within the profile of the boat.
• Don’t try to stop a moving boat with the pole or ropes; use only the engine.
• Be extra careful in rain.
• Obey any instructions concerning your safety given by Canal & River Trust staff.
• Navigation after dark or in fog is strictly forbidden.

If someone falls from a moving boat, stop the engine, to stop the propeller turning. Throw the lifebelt. Let the boat drift away from the person, get it to the bank, then walk back with the boat hook and help them out. If they can’t reach the bank, you can help the person over the back of the boat but you must have the engine switched off. There is a step below the back fender.

If someone falls in a lock, close all the paddles. There are escape ladders in every lock.

Watch out for:

• Keep away from the propeller.
• The water is very cold, and wet clothes make it hard to get out on one’s own.
• When locks are filling or emptying, there are strong downward currents and air bubbles, which reduce buoyancy. There is also a risk of crushing. If someone falls in, close the paddles quickly.

We issue them free to all children and adult non-swimmers, who should wear them when the boat is under way or at locks. We also issue them to any others who request them. As a minimum, we provide two per boat, which should be worn by those in charge on rivers and in long tunnels.

Each individual (or responsible adult) must decide when to wear them. Our lifejackets either self-inflate when immersed, or have natural buoyancy. They must be properly done up, with belt if supplied. Do not wear a coat over a lifejacket, because it needs room to expand if immersed.

What they are

You have two boat poles. The short one has a hook.

How to use them

Use the long pole like a punt pole, only when the boat is stationary. Use the short, light pole to line up your boat in locks so that another boat can come alongside.

Watch out for:

• Don’t use a pole to fend off; or in locks; or as a lever.
• Don’t put the long pole through a front window.
• Don’t use a boat hook to hold the boat: it takes the paint off.  Use the ropes.

What it is

Sometimes the water level drops, maybe because someone has left a paddle up, or perhaps because water supply is reduced in dry weather. If it’s too shallow, you may run aground, especially at the edge.

How to get off

Don't worry; if you got on, you can get off. The back of the boat is deeper than the front, so you will usually need to go off backwards.

Try these boatman’s tricks:

• Position your crew so their weight helps rather than hinders what you are trying to do.
• Use your pole – but push; don't use it as a lever or you will break it.
• Throw ropes to someone on the bank: tie two together if it helps.
• Rock the boat as you reverse off with the engine.
• Another boat may give you a tow off, but don’t get ropes round someone's arm, or the propeller.
• Don't use the engine if the stern is right aground - you'll damage the propeller.
• Last resort: use the plank as a lever, held almost vertical at the point where the boat is stuck.

What it is

The propeller spins in the water like a corkscrew. If there are any weeds or rubbish in the water, they will get wrapped round the propeller. The weedhatch makes it simple to check the propeller and clear any fouling.  Always check it daily. Symptoms that the propeller has been fouled are: excess wash behind the boat; vibration; difficulty in steering; engine stalls in gear at low revs.

How to clear it

Engage neutral. Get into the side. Stop the engine and ensure your crew cannot restart it. Remove the weed hatch and clear the propeller. If necessary, use the junior hacksaw provided. If you really can’t cope, call us; but there is nothing we can do but persevere with said junior hacksaw.

When you’ve finished, tighten down the lid, making sure it's sitting nicely in the right place. This prevents water coming into the boat when the propeller turns.

Watch out for:

• Fish hooks or other sharp objects
• Floating autumn leaves can ball up round the prop. A sharp burst of reverse should clear them.

What they are

An ingenious way to get under hills, built by men and explosives.

How to do them

Put your headlight on before going into a tunnel, plus the cabin lights to help the steerer. Most tunnels have very uneven bores, so keep the crew well within the profile of the boat to avoid squashing against the tunnel roof and walls. In long tunnels, anyone on deck should wear a lifejacket. Once you are used to the dark, you’ll be able to see. Go slowly.

Standedge Tunnel on the Huddersfield Narrow must be pre-booked. You will have a CRT volunteer with you.

Fallingroyd Tunnel, just below Hebden Bridge, has a bend in it. Keep to the middle, to avoid damaging your cabin top on the sides of the tunnel. Plan view

Foulridge Tunnel on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal is controlled by traffic lights, timed as follows:

Westbound: 10 minutes green from the hour.
Eastbound: 10 minutes green from the half-hour.

Please don’t mix drink and boating, any more than you would drink and driving (the legal limit is the same). Bear in mind that alcohol causes accidents, and ensure that those in charge of the boat and locks are sober. Be careful on the way back from the pub along a dark towpath.

Please be as considerate to others as you would wish them to be to you.  In particular: slow down to tickover when passing moored boats or fishermen; slow down when meeting another boat (pass on the right); never let your wash break as it meets the bank; share locks (saving water and time); don’t let your dog foul the towpath; don’t run your engine to charge batteries between 2000 and 0800; don’t moor overnight outside houses or flats and don’t disturb others with music or partying.  If you meet a fishing match, just keep going at dead slow in the middle to be fair to all competitors; and don’t moor up in the middle of it!

What they are

The Yorkshire waterways are based round 260 miles of river navigations, which were made usable for boats by building weirs and locks, with alternating sections of river and canal. These navigations are east of Brighouse.

How to do them

At normal levels, the rivers are tranquil, and you carry on much as on the canal. Look at your map, and follow the signs. At or near each weir (marked by an orange boom) you take a narrow entrance into a canal section, which leads you through a lock and past the weir. As you get to each lock going into the river, form the habit of checking the marker board – a thin vertical strip of plastic just below the bottom gates. Normally it will be in the green, so you can keep going.

Very wet weather is different. After heavy or prolonged rainfall, the river level rises, and the water flows too fast for safe navigation. CRT closes flood gates, to protect the canal sections from flooding. This temporarily prevents navigation.

In these Strong Stream conditions, you need to check the marker boards. If the water level has risen to the red, obviously you should stop safely on the canal, and wait for the river level to subside. If the marker is in the amber, and it’s raining, assume the level is rising, and stop. If the level is dropping from red to amber, it may be safe to go on.

To help decide this, you can use your phone to check notices from CRT (see below).

Going up river is easy to decide: you come to closed flood gates, and must wait till CRT comes to open them. Heading down river, you want to know whether the flood gates below you are open. Email alerts to your phone may tell you (if you've signed up), or you can wait till you see a boat coming up.

At all times, watch out for:

• Where the navigation goes past a weir, keep well clear - it's shallow near the crest.
• The steerer, and crew getting on and off, should wear lifejackets.
• Lock landings may be difficult to approach, have poor tying up points or be muddy after flooding. So your crew must be alert and organised.
• When tying up, always secure the upstream rope first. And when setting off, untie the downstream rope first.
• Beware of getting the boat broadside across the stream, keep well clear of the weirs, and don’t be slow or indecisive.
• If by mischance you get something round your propeller or some other problem on the river, then use your anchor, which is under the front seat. Simply throw it over the side, having warned your crew that the boat may come to rest very sharply, heeling for a moment.
• However wide the river seems, do not cut the corner on bends. The inside may be very shallow. But don't go too close to the outside bank either!
• Don't moor on river sections. There is always a canal section nearby.

Ledgard Flood Lock, Mirfield can sometimes be used as a lock, unlike the more common flood gates. According to the river flow, CRT may set this lock as:

• Gates open both ends - pass through without stopping
• Gates closed both ends - passage not possible
• Usable as a lock - set for 'penning'

If using the lock, take care because its upstream entrance is very close to the weir.

Going downstream, be prepared to moor above the lock while you work this out. The bank is steep and has nothing to tie to, but there are stout bollards at the lock entrance.

Going upstream, moor briefly while you close the gates behind you.

Greenwood Weir

This weir is immediately upstream of the bridge over the entrance to the lock cut. The river has a wide bend above the weir, and your path is not obvious - it's important to avoid shallow water along the weir.

Going downstream, follow the curve, closer to the left bank than the right; then make quite a sharp turn left under the bridge into the lock cut.

Going upstream, turn right as soon as you are out of the bridge, then follow the curve up to Shepley Bridge Lock.

Strong Stream Warnings on your phone
You must sign up for stoppage alerts so that you receive emails telling you when flood gates have been shut or opened.

WHAT THEY ARE

Unlike the helicopter and the tank, the lock is an invention of Leonardo which he saw in his own lifetime. It works by isolating your boat in a chamber whose volume is small in relation to the section of canal above and below, and then letting water into or out of the lock so as to equalise with the level to which the boat is going (that will make sense when you do it!).

We tell you how to do locks right. There are things that can go wrong, so we have to warn you of them, but don’t worry, and prepare to enjoy one of the best parts of boating.

Our locks have several important differences from locks on other waterways. Please follow our advice.

HOW THEY WORK

First, a bit of geography. The section of canal between two locks is a pound, or pool on the L&L. The wooden doors at either end are the top and bottom (or head and tail) gates. The sluices which let water in or out are paddles or cloughs. A paddle is a board about 2’ square which covers a hole; when the paddle is raised water can pass from a higher level to a lower. Paddles may be in either the gate (gate paddles) or in the canal bank (ground paddles or wall cloughs). The mechanism you use to raise and lower the paddles is the paddle gear, and the tool you use is a windlass (or handspike on the Calder & Hebble). You open the gates by leaning on the balance beam. The big chunk of masonry just inside the top gates is the cill. Along the lockside are bollards to tie to when gpoing up (but not down).

Here is a ground paddle, in the 'up' position, showing the culvert down which water passes to the lock chamber. You can see the normal top water level - this length has been drained for maintenance.

One of the charms of the waterways is that they each have different styles of lock; but the principles are always the same.

Going up

1. Moor the boat near the lock. Check that there isn’t a boat coming the other way – priority is always to the boat for which the lock is favourable.
2. Check that the top gates and paddles are shut, then empty the lock using the bottom gate paddles.
3. Open the bottom gates, drive the boat into the lock, and throw both front and back ropes up to the crew. They pull the boat neatly along one wall of the chamber, and tie the ropes onto bollards. If there are two boats, both should tie up.
4. Check that you have left room in front of the boat (if the lock is longer than the boat). This stops incoming water from trying to slam the boat against the lock wall.
5. Close the bottom gates and paddles.
6. Raise the ground paddle on the same side as the boat. When the lock is half full, raise the other ground paddle. If there are two boats, start with half a paddle each side.
7. Don't use the gate paddles till they are under water, so you don't flood the boat - unless there are no ground paddles (Calder & Hebble) when you have to use the gate paddles.
8. When you have a level, open the top gates, untie the boat and drive it out. Close the paddles, gates and any padlocks and rejoin the boat.

Going down

1. Moor the boat near the lock. Check that there isn’t a boat coming the other way.
2. Check that the bottom gates and paddles are shut, then fill the lock using the top ground paddles.
3. Open the top gates, drive the boat into the lock, and stop parallel to the lockside – no ropes this time. Close the top gates and paddles.
4. Raise the bottom gate paddles. Use the engine gently to keep the boat forward of the cill (white marks on lockside).
5. When you have a level, open the bottom gates and drive the boat out. Close the paddles, gates and padlocks and rejoin the boat.

Handy hints
Most of the locks you will go through are broad; i.e. they can take two narrow boats side by side. Share locks whenever you can, to save water and time. Communicate with the other crew! Good teamwork makes locking easier, quicker and more enjoyable.

Useful rule: shut everything behind you before you open anything in front of you.

There must be one adult in charge of the lock, and one in charge of the boat, at all times.

Explain the importance of all these rules to children.

You need to float
When going uphill, check that there's enough water in the pound above. If the water is more than 18" (45cm) below the top rail of the gate, you won't float - see yellow lines in picture. Stay below the lock and call CRT.

It's very important to check all paddles are fully closed when you leave a lock, or else the water will quickly run away.

Paddle gear
Always apply the safety catch before winding a paddle up and make sure it doesn’t come off as you go. Use the smallest hole on your windlass that fits. Never let go of your windlass when winding, and keep pushing it onto the spindle as you turn. When you have finished winding the paddle up, make sure the safety catch is holding properly, then take your windlass off and stand clear.

To wind a paddle down: take the strain, remove the safety catch, then wind the paddle down slowly – don’t let go!

Hydraulic paddle gear (a round black box), and the gear on the Huddersfield Broad, don't need a safety catch.

WATCH OUT FOR

• Don’t assume that the previous boat crew left everything shut – check all paddles before starting.
• When tying up, don’t get your fingers between rope and bollard, in case the boat moves and jerks the rope tight.
• Don’t pass the rope round a bollard, then hold it – tie it off.
• Don’t use a centre rope for tying up in locks.
• Don’t use ropes at all when going down, they can get trapped in gaps in the stones.
• Check that the pound you are going into has enough water - not more than 18" (450mm) below the top rail of the gate.
• Don’t run on the lockside, stand back from the edge, and watch out for the gate recess (a cutout for the bottom gate) - two each side on the Rochdale.
• Don’t get the wrong side of the balance beam when a gate is being opened.
• Decide who is doing the lock, and who is on the boat, and don’t swap jobs half way through.
• Lock crew must keep watching the boat, and drop the paddles immediately if something goes wrong. Then think what to do; often the reverse of the action which went wrong.
• Keep the boat parallel to the lock wall, and make sure it doesn’t snag on uneven masonry.
• Be careful of uneven ground, trip hazards such as bollards or stones, and slippery surfaces in wet weather.
• Watch out for knots in your ropes and remove them straight away.
• Use the horn as an emergency signal to drop all paddles immediately.
• Don’t use the long pole in locks.
• Keep your front doors shut so that spray doesn't get into the cabin.
• When going up, re-check the level in the pound above before you take the boat out of the lock. If it’s too low, you could get stuck on the cill as you leave the lock.
• Keep firm control of your windlass with both hands, lest it slip and injure you.
• Keep fingers, hair and clothing well clear of the paddle mechanism.

WATCH OUT SPECIAL: GOING UP

When going up, make sure you use the right paddles. That is, don’t use the top gate paddles unless there are no ground paddles. Here’s why: our locks were designed for barges, not narrow boats, and the geometry of water flow doesn’t quite work. Top gate paddles tend to let water onto the front of the boat, running down the cabin and making a mess. Ground paddles, by contrast, let water in underneath the boat. So always check, and if a lock has ground paddles, use them. Don’t use gate paddles unless they are all you’ve got.

If you use the gate paddles, the water will come into your boat…

But if you use the ground paddles, the water will come in underneath your boat.
This is much smarter!

WATCH OUT SPECIAL: GOING DOWN

This is very easy to get right, so don’t worry, but we have to warn you of a potential accident should you get it wrong.

As you empty the lock you will see the substantial stone cill onto which the top gates close. You must keep the boat forward of this as you go down, or the back of your boat may get caught on this ledge. If you went on letting water out of the lock, the front of the boat would continue to go down, and the boat could lose buoyancy and sink.

The good news is that this accident is very easy to avoid: just
Keep the boat forward. White marks on the lockside show you where the cill is – keep the whole boat forward of the marks

If you just nudge the cill, your rudder may be ‘put out’ - for how to put it back, see ‘Help, I can’t steer’.

MAN OVERBOARD

If someone falls in a lock, then train yourselves to automatically and immediately:
Steerer: stop the engine.
Lock worker: close the paddles.
Then you can work out the best way of getting the person out.

GUILLOTINE GATES

There are guillotine gates at Todmorden, Salterhebble and Slaithwaite. Follow the instructions on site, and use your BWB or handcuff key to gain access to the controls. The gates are lifted electrically or using a windlass; make sure they are high enough to clear your crew's heads before you take the boat underneath. If the bottom gate at Lock 19, Todmorden won’t lift, try jiggling the floating balls with a boathook (near lock tail on left wall going up).

• Handspike gear is easy to operate. Engage the ratchet; put in the handspike; pull it round as far as it will go; take it out: repeat until the paddle is up. To lower the paddle: take the strain with the handspike, release the safety catch, then pull the handspike out and let the paddle drop.
• Top gate paddles: the locks differ; they can have either gate paddles, ground paddles, or both. At every lock you need to think which paddles to use. If you have both, use only the ground paddles. Do not use the gate paddles at all unless you are certain there are no ground paddles.
• Bottom gate paddles: to operate these you stand on a small platform (footboard) fixed to the gate, over the lock chamber. Be careful your windlass doesn’t slip – a neat trick is to put your windlass on the spindle hanging down, so that you pull rather than push. Wind your paddles down while the gate is open, so you can stand on the lockside rather than over the lock chamber.
• Footboards: going up, don't get your tiller caught under the bottom gate footboard. If you fill the lock too fast with the boat not tied up, the water may wash the boat suddenly up and back, striking the tiller against the underside of the footboard, thus bending the tiller. This is easily avoided by using your ropes when going up, and filling the lock slowly.

• Long boats: going down, longer boats must be kept clear of the cill by rubbing down the bottom gates - after clearing the footboard. You need to keep one crew member in the front cockpit. When the lock is empty his or her job is to push the front of the boat across the lock, after the steerer has taken it as far back as possible.  Then the bottom gate can be opened. 
• Between Sowerby Bridge and Mill Bank (below Dewsbury), the locks are short (57’ 6”). Two 56' boats won't fit in the locks together, but one can share with a shorter boat.
• Top gates have a walkway across them. If you only open one top gate, and don’t take your boat through dead straight, you may catch your windows on the projecting corner of the gate. If it is windy or you're not an expert steerer, open both gates! 
• Don’t get the front hung up as you drop. Just as the boat starts to drop, the front fender may get caught over the footboard.  The lock crew should watch for this, and tell the steerer to reverse off if necessary.
• Keep dry - have the back doors shut when going down, and the front doors when going up, so water which splashes on the deck doesn’t go into the cabin.

Paddles have locks operated by a handcuff key. Unlock and pull out the plunger, then wind the paddle up as normal, except that there is no need for a safety catch. Wind paddle down. Push plunger back to re-lock. Do not open top gate paddles when there is a boat in the lock – use only the ground paddles.

When approaching from the Calder & Hebble, the lock landing on the river below Lock 1 is not easy to get at, and has poor tying-up points. This is not a problem unless there is a lot of fresh on the river, so be careful if the flood markers are on the amber.

Some trips over this canal go very smoothly; others present challenges – but the extra effort is always worth it. Water supply is not always adequate, so watch out for low pounds. Some of the locks can be leaky. This means that they take a long time to fill, and use more water than they should. So don’t leave the top gate open for longer than it takes quickly to get the boat into or out of the lock. Because of this leakage, you may find levels low in the short pounds. Always check that there is enough water in the next pound before leaving a lock – if not you might get stuck on the cill. If in doubt, use your boat hook to check the depth; you need 2’. If you judge there not to be enough water, shut the top gate again and call Canal & River Trust. They particularly ask you not to run water down from above, but to let them come and help; they will be with you as quickly as they can

The Trust asks you to leave 2 locks between you and any boat moving in the same direction ahead of you.

Where narrow sections have been built below new locks, the rule is downhill boats first. Check ahead.

Passage over the Summit may be limited at times of water shortage.

For passage between Locks 65 and 81, we recommend doing this in one go. Moor previous night at the Rose of Lancaster or Piccadilly Village, or New Islingtom Marina (charges apply).

Locks 40, 41 and 47 can only take one narrow boat at a time. Notices warn you.

Bottom gate paddles can be unlocked with the handcuff key. When you have lowered the paddle, and finished with it, lift the button to re-engage the lock. Many ground paddles are secured with a handcuff lock. Always be certain that paddles are fully shut, and locks on, before leaving the lock. There may be white marks on the paddle racks and posts to help you. Certain locks should be left empty and with the bottom paddles up; notices tell you which these are.

Water supply is not always adequate, so watch out for low pounds. If you believe there is not enough water in a pound, don’t try to move into it, and don’t run any water down from above; call Canal & River Trust and they will help you as quickly as they can.

One of the water-saving design features of this canal is that any spare water will try to fill the lock below, rather than running away to waste. It does this by cascading over the top gates into the chamber. So do not be surprised if you are in a lock and water suddenly starts pouring over the top gate; it simply means somebody has emptied a lock higher up the canal. You have plenty of length to spare, so it is easy to keep the boat away from the waterfall.

Passage over the Summit may be limited at times of water shortage. Boats not going over the summit should turn below Lock 33.

Locks 5, 7 & 34 are a bit out of true, and can only take one narrow boat at a time. Notices warn you.

WHAT THEY ARE

A swing or lift bridge does what it says – it swings or lifts out of the way as the boat approaches, then closes to allow road traffic to cross the canal. They are used where there isn’t room for approach ramps to a conventional over-bridge. There are many swing bridges on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, and a few swing and lift bridges elsewhere. Some are little-used farm bridges, which are manually operated. Others are on quite busy roads, and are power operated, with barriers and traffic lights. You work them all yourselves.

HOW THEY WORK

The principle of swing bridges is very simple: the bridge is a beam carried on a pivot – you push, and it turns. A lift bridge goes up, either on hinges or vertically.

Manual swing bridges
Well before you reach the bridge, land your crew, with BWB and handcuff keys. Post an adult to control traffic on the road, using barriers if provided. The crew undo the padlock, swing off the bridge and hold it. Keep the boat right back until the bridge is fully open and the crew is holding it steady. Line the boat up, take it through, and wait the other side to pick up the crew when they have closed and locked the bridge.

Powered swing bridges
Use your BWB key to gain control, then follow the instructions. If there are road barriers, close them first - some are electric, others manual (i.e. you). Then use the pushbuttons as directed. On some bridges, the buttons will swing the bridge, on others you push it. Keep the boat well back until the bridge is fully open.

Mechanical swing bridges
Use your BWB key to gain control, then follow the instructions. If there are road barriers, close them first. Then use your windlass or provided handwheels to swing the bridge as directed. Open the bridge fully. Keep the boat well back until the bridge is fully open. Moss swing bridge 218 near Rodley is privately owned and has its own callout number displayed onsite.

WATCH OUT FOR

• Swing bridges are heavy, so keep passengers and passers-by well clear.
• Don’t swing the bridge too fast - it's hard to stop.
• Keep the boat well back until the bridge is fully open. They sometimes stick half way, or bounce, or open too far. Take it steady!
• Don’t let your children work a swing bridge on their own.
• Line the boat up nicely, or you might hit the bridge and break a window or the back handrail.
• Take extra care if it’s windy.
• Don’t land your crew too close to the bridge, it makes it hard to line the boat up.
• Don’t let your crew off directly onto the bridge - if you misjudged your stop, they could be crushed between the cabin front and the bridge.
• Don’t allow passers-by, especially children, to operate the bridge. 

LIFT BRIDGES

These are powered. The method and precautions are similar to those for swing bridges. Make sure the bridge is fully open well before the boat gets there.

LOCOMOTIVE BRIDGE, Huddersfield

This is operated by pushbutton from a console. Gain control with your CRT key, then follow the instructions, close the gates (tricky latches) and use the buttons to take the bridge up. Let the boat through, then close the bridge, reopen the gates and remove your key. The road is surprisingly busy, so control the traffic! Keep the boat well back until the bridge is fully open.