Standedge

Standedge is a locality in the Pennines of West Yorkshire, England, near the villages of Marsden and Diggle. It lies along the route of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, a historic waterway that passes beneath the Pennine moorland.

The principal feature associated with Standedge is the Standedge Tunnel, a large canal tunnel on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. The tunnel, which runs beneath Standedge Moor, is widely described as the longest canal tunnel in the United Kingdom and a major engineering achievement of the Industrial Revolution. It forms part of a waterway that connected the towns of Huddersfield and Manchester when the canal was built in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The tunnel includes ventilation shafts along its length and is traversed by narrowboats using traditional rope towing.

The Huddersfield Narrow Canal experienced decline in the mid-20th century and fell into disuse, but restoration work in the late 20th and early 21st centuries re-opened the canal and its tunnel to navigation. The Standedge area is now valued for its industrial heritage and rural landscape.

A visitor centre and information points near Standedge/Marsden provide historical context, guided tours, and practical access information for visitors interested in the tunnel and canal.