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News Release Events organised by The Horseboating Society		News release: Legging Standedge Tunnel An attempt to leg Standedge Tunnel - the highest, longest and deepest canal tunnel in the country - was made by members of the national Horseboating Society on 7th and 14th May. These special events were held as part of a double celebration at Standedge in 2006: the fifth anniversary of the reopening of the Tunnel and the 200th anniversary of Thomas Telford's appointment to finish the tunnel. On Sunday, 7th May, a team from the Horseboating Society legged the tunnel from Diggle to Marsden in relays of two people at a time. The boat used was the historic horseboat Maria, built in 1854. On Sunday 14th May, one member, Nigel Dix, legged the whole tunnel length from Marsden to Diggle. Bonny the Boathorse went 'over the top' on both legging days while the boat was legged through the tunnel and visitors joined her along Boat Lane. On both Sundays there was free entertainment at Tunnel End, Marsden. Visitors were able to take part in traditional games and see waterway crafts including harness repairs, ropework such as making towlines and splicing, and the making of harness bobbins on a pole-lathe. Members of Mikron Theatre Company, dressed in period clothing, added to the atmosphere. Huddersfield Canal Society members were on hand to talk about the history of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal and its restoration. Standedge Tunnel on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, is over 3 miles long, 645 feet (196 metres) above sea level and 639 feet (194 metres) deep, cutting through the Pennines between Diggle and Marsden, near Huddersfield. It took 16 years to build and was eventually opened in 1811 following its completion under the supervision of Benjamin Outram, then John Rooth, with one of the heroes of the Industrial Revolution, Thomas Telford as consultant. To keep the costs down, the tunnel was built without a towpath and while the horses crossed over the hill, the boat crew had to 'leg' the boat through the tunnel. This was done either by lying on boards across the boat and walking along the walls, or by lying on the cabin to walk against the roof of the tunnel, either of which could take up to four hours. One of the most famous attempts to leg the tunnel was made by David Whitehead in 1914 reputedly in 1 hour 25 minutes! Today, the only way a boat can travel through the tunnel is as part of a carefully controlled, escorted convoy run by British Waterways using specially-designed electric tugs. Sue Day from the Horseboating Society said: "We have been working towards legging Standedge Tunnel for several years and we are really pleased to have realised this dream. It was a good opportunity for people to come and relive the past and have some fun at the same time. "We think the last time the tunnel was legged was round about 1947. In fact this was by one of our members, Ronnie Barnes, who is now 87. He was on board on May 7th to watch us 'follow in his footsteps'. "People cheered as we set off and eventually emerged from the tunnel on both days." Laurence Morgan, General Manager of British Waterways, Yorkshire, said: "Standedge is a unique place and one of the major landmarks of the waterways. It was, and is, a tremendous engineering feat. "These unique events were an amazing opportunity for visitors to enjoy the canal's heritage and witness history being made, as a boat was legged through the tunnel for the first time in over half a century." The horsedrawn boat left Ashton on May 4th to make the full canal journey to Huddersfield and returned to the Ashton Canal by May 15th. Bonny and Queenie provided the horsepower.
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