Standedge Tunnel

Monday, and here we are, 8 o'clock and ready to go through the tunnel. Needn't have worried too much as the boat before us is going in a 8:15 and we will follow on at about 9:15. 

Safety checks being undertaken, hard hats, life jackets & hi-viz jackets issued, additional fire extinguisher and portable lamps on board. 

Don't we look good in our fashionable outfits!? 

What can I say about the tunnel? I disliked it! I have been through many tunnels, mostly brick lined with reasonably high ceilings but the Standedge is something different again. 

We had a C&RT chaperone with us and the first thing he said was 'Starts with a low bit here!' Thank goodness for the hard hat! Oh, by the way, we had to take off the chimney for the hot water boiler and lower the engine funnel as well. 

After that - Stygian darkness! I couldn't see a thing! The tunnel went from brick lining to raw stone where you could see marks from the pick axes used in the 1800s. Then came vast caverns followed by navigating through a gap only just wider and higher than the boat. Although we had been advised to remove the brass navigation lights I still lost one bulb on the side of the tunnel. Most of the time it felt like caving in a narrowboat. Luckily we had two additional lights, one of which went up front to help light the way. 

Our chaperone looked up at me, removed his face mask (worn because of diesel fumes) and said 'S bend coming up). The tunnel had been dug out from both ends but didn't meet in the middle - about 7 metres out - so a bend had to be put in. 

The one item of comfort in all this was that a C&RT van was shadowing our progress along a parallel disused rail tunnel and every now and again an eerie voice would call out from the darkness to see if we were all right. At times I wished we could get off, get in the van and get out of there! 

The Standedge tunnel is the highest, longest and deepest in the UK. It's over 3 miles long and it takes 2 hours to get through. It took 17 years to build and initially boats had to be legged through by 2 men lying on their backs and walking along the roof or sides of the tunnel. That journey would have taken 3 hours, so, we were lucky really that ours only took 2. 

Here's the exit at Diggle. One or two scrapes to the handrails, a navigation light that was soon repaired and relief after two hours solid concentration. I think it will be some time before I try that again! 

A lunch of Coronation Chicken jacket potato, several cups of coffee and all well again. 

Decided to moor up for the rest of the day, slap some paint on the scratched, have a walk round Diggle and then, a bit of roast beef for supper. Boy, was I glad to fall into bed after all that.