Standedge
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  Map sources for Standedge at grid reference SE020096
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Standedge (normally pronounced Stannige) is a moorland escarpment in the Pennine Hills of northern England. Located between Marsden and Diggle, on the edges of the conurbations of West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester respectively, Standedge has been a major moorland crossing point since Roman times and possibly earlier. Much of Standedge forms part of the National Trust's Marsden Moor Estate.
From east to west, Standedge is crossed on the surface by no fewer than five generations of road crossing, the earliest being a Roman road from York to Chester, whilst the latest is the current A62. The Huddersfield Narrow Canal and the railway line from Leeds to Manchester both burrow below Standedge through the Standedge Tunnels. The Pennine Way long distance footpath also crosses Standedge, but in this case the path runs south to north along the Pennines.
Standedge should not be confused with Stanage, an escarpment in the Derbyshire Peak District with a very similar sounding name.
[edit] Surface crossings
The earliest known crossing of Standedge is the Roman road connecting the Roman forts of Slack and Castleshaw, on the way from York to Chester. The road is believed to have been built in AD80. Its course was identified in 1969 to the north-east of Castleshaw fort, climbing Standedge Ridge by means of a graded terraceway. The road was originally more than 22 feet (6.7 m) wide but has been considerably eroded.[1][2]
After the roman road fell into disuse, travel across the moors was restricted to simple tracks, used by packhorses. One such crossed from Marsden to Rochdale. Narrow and steep packhorse bridges can still be found in several places on the moors, including the Close Gate Bridge near Marsden.[1]
The first metalled road from Huddersfield to Manchester was built in 1760. This was followed by another road, known locally as the coach road, was built by John Metcalf (Blind Jack of Knaresborough) in 1791. It crossed the Pennine ridge south of the present Standedge cutting.[1]
In 1839 the coach road was replaced by a new turnpike road, the Wakefield and Austerlands Toll Road. Trenches were cut in the coach road, to prevent it being used as a free alternative. This route is still used today by the A62 road, crossing the summit of Standedge in a cutting. However the more recent M62 motorway that carries most cross Pennine road traffic uses a different route to the north of Standedge.[1]
[edit] Tunnel crossings
Four parallel tunnels run under Standedge, one canal tunnel and three rail tunnels. All four tunnels are linked by cross-tunnels or adits at strategic locations within the tunnels.
The canal tunnel is the oldest of these, having been opened in 1811 by the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. It has a length of 5,500 yards (5029 m) and is 638 feet (194 m) underground at its deepest point and 645 feet (197 m) above sea level. These statistics make it the longest, deepest and highest canal tunnel in Britain. Closed in 1943, the canal tunnel was re-opened in May 2001.[3]
The three railway tunnels were opened respectively in 1848, 1871 and 1894. The first two tunnels carried a single line of track each, and are 3 miles, 57 yards (4803 m) long; neither of these tunnels still carries rail traffic although the older is still used as an emergency exit route for the other tunnels. The most recent tunnel carries two lines of rail track, is 3 miles, 60 yards (4806 m) long, and is still in use.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e Communications and Transport in the Marsden area. Marsden Local History Group. Retrieved on January 7, 2007.
- ^ RIGODVNVM. roman-britain.org. Retrieved on January 8, 2007.
- ^ About Standedge Tunnel.
