Diggle Brook Culvert – Saddleworth
History
As with many of these culverts there isn’t too much history to be found, the stone culvert was built at the end of 18th century to allow the building of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. Construction of this started in 1794, the canal finally opened in 1811. The nearby Standedge Canal Tunnel holds the record of being the longest, deepest and highest canal tunnel in Britain. It is 16,499 feet (5,029 m) long, 636 feet (194 m) underground at the deepest point, and 643 feet (196 m) above sea level.
Some foresight must have been given to construct the culvert long enough to accommodate the 3 later railway tunnels; which opened in 1848, 1871 and 1894 as there is no evidence of the culvert being extended internally.
Diggle Brook is a tributary of the River Tame, which it joins a mile or so downstream near Brownhills Railway Viaduct. The culvert is approximately 300ft long, 10ft wide and 12ft high, not huge when you compare it to its huge neighbour and the nearby derelict Butterhouse Railway Tunnel on the Micklehurst loop.
My Visit
Well it’s not huge, but had noticed it a few times and wondered what it would look like, the last time I tried British Water Ways were building some nice steps at the downstream end, so I left them to it and returned a few weeks later to take advantage of their hard work.
Not much to say except it is very pleasant, Dippers were using the culvert constantly whizzing past your head.
I started at the downstream end of the culvert.
And finally the upstream end of the culvert.
Well that’s it, a very pleasant stroll and added for completeness of reports on the tunnels and culverts in the Saddleworth area.
Cheers,
TLR
History
As with many of these culverts there isn’t too much history to be found, the stone culvert was built at the end of 18th century to allow the building of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. Construction of this started in 1794, the canal finally opened in 1811. The nearby Standedge Canal Tunnel holds the record of being the longest, deepest and highest canal tunnel in Britain. It is 16,499 feet (5,029 m) long, 636 feet (194 m) underground at the deepest point, and 643 feet (196 m) above sea level.
Some foresight must have been given to construct the culvert long enough to accommodate the 3 later railway tunnels; which opened in 1848, 1871 and 1894 as there is no evidence of the culvert being extended internally.
Diggle Brook is a tributary of the River Tame, which it joins a mile or so downstream near Brownhills Railway Viaduct. The culvert is approximately 300ft long, 10ft wide and 12ft high, not huge when you compare it to its huge neighbour and the nearby derelict Butterhouse Railway Tunnel on the Micklehurst loop.
My Visit
Well it’s not huge, but had noticed it a few times and wondered what it would look like, the last time I tried British Water Ways were building some nice steps at the downstream end, so I left them to it and returned a few weeks later to take advantage of their hard work.
Not much to say except it is very pleasant, Dippers were using the culvert constantly whizzing past your head.
I started at the downstream end of the culvert.
And finally the upstream end of the culvert.
Well that’s it, a very pleasant stroll and added for completeness of reports on the tunnels and culverts in the Saddleworth area.
Cheers,
TLR
