Herb Riddle's photos with the keyword: Diggle

An autumnal view of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal near the Saddleworth village of Diggle. We are approaching bridge No.68 with its lock just behind it and a little further the very popular Grandpa Greene's canal side café. Some few hundred yards beyond that, the long deep Standedge Tunnel. Yes Autumn has arrived -this morning we have our first frost. Nice full screen.

Over the last week or so, we have had cold frosty mornings with many parts of the country covered in ice and fog. Here is a shot from one of our Saddleworth villages in such conditions. Have a good weekend.

A walk to Diglea tales us along a valley with these three trees. They are quite isolated here so whether there were once many more or these trees or had there been a particular reason to be planted like this I don't know. Anyway, I rather liked the way the light lit up their right sides framed by the recent snows. Enjoy full size.

One of our local Saddleworth villages here with its brand new Saddleworth secondary school in the last throws of construction. The other day I posted some high shots from a spot called Harrop Edge. We are looking towards that here and my dry-stone -wall photos taken from the point indicted in the PiP ( This school is just to the left of that picture.) Of course the horses are the stars here and we see some with head protection covers, I presume against fly infection. Enjoy full screen.

A very rare event nowadays to witness a canal barge travelling through this long and somewhat daunting tunnel. It is only open 2-3 days per week and one has to pre-book and have a special pilot on board to help navigate it. The pilot here is the man on the right hand side. Before entry, all high objects such as chimney, aerials etc have to be removed. In the old days of horse pulled barges, the craft had to be ‘legged’ by people lying on their backs, on the roof of the craft and then pushing along with leg power using the tunnel roof and sides. As can be seen there is very little clearance between the barge and stone walls/roof. On some special days, an electric pleasure barge takes visitors through here. A trip that I remember well, some years back now, passing through much dripping water and low rocks at some places.. The tunnel opened in 1811. It is the the longest at 4984m – (just over 3 miles) as well as the highest, and deepest canal tunnel in the United Kingdom. Having been closed to all traffic in 1943, the canal tunnel was re-opened in May 2001. NB the blue plaque says: "Thomas Telford 1757-1834, whose skills ensured the completion of the Diggle Flight and the Standedge Tunnel"…. Thomas Telford, of course was one of Britain’s most famous civil engineers and the ‘Flight’ mentioned here refers to the numerous flights of canal locks. Enjoy full screen.

This is one of their latest Class 802 Series trains. Built in Italy by Hitachi and brought into service here in Britain in 2018. These travel from Manchester to Huddersfield, Leeds and York and are known as Diesel-electric bi-mode multiple (five-car) unit trains. They run by electric where possible but as seen here can run by their own diesel power too. This taken near the long 5456 yard Stanedge tunnel portal at Diggle to Marsden in Yorkshire. Enjoy large.

Diggle canal. x-Panormio 2011