At 5,029 metres, Standedge is the longest canal tunnel in Britain, and at 196 metres above sea level the highest. It carries the Huddersfield Narrow Canal beneath the Pennines to Marsden, and the experience of passing through on a boat — pitch dark, barely wider than the vessel — is unlike anything else in England. Guided boat trips run from the Marsden Tunnel End Visitor Centre.
Standedge Tunnel
Britain's longest and highest canal tunnel under the Pennines
A story
When the tunnel opened in 1811, boatmen had to 'leg' their narrowboats through by lying on the roof and walking against the tunnel ceiling — a three-hour journey in complete darkness, 196 metres underground. The horses were walked over the Pennine hills to meet the boats on the other side.