Aspley Basin in Huddersfield

Wednesday, 16 September 2009 08:01

We walked from Stanley Dawson Lock towards Aspley Basin

Bend towards university

Boat moored to footbridge at end of the visitor moorings

Moored because of trees in the way at moorings?

University main building

This warehouse, just after the university, is probably the oldest surviving example of the precursors to the large multi storey warehouses of the 19th century. The crane beside it dates from the early 19th century.

1778 warehouse

Crane

Huddersfield town ring road crosses the canal at this point and Frith Street Bridge has been absorbed into the new bridge carrying Wakefield Road. One side has number 20, the Aspley Basin side says 18.

New bridge

We were now in Aspley Basin

The two canals - Huddersfield Narrow and Broad meet here

Aspley Basin and marina

Here were the warehouses and transhipment facilities that enabled the cargoes from the broad square-rigged sailing keels of the "Yorkshire craft" to be transferred to the narrow barges. The cargo was then taken further across the Pennines using the later built Narrow Canal. Specially shortened, so-called West Riding narrowboats were developed to overcome this problem.

None of this remains, as the Kingsway Shopping centre and a large Sainsbury's dominate the area. An excellent guide to the section we walked from Queen Street to Aspley is here.

We left the canal behind and walked up into the shopping centre. We noted that the Aspley Basin area was probably the best place for boaters to moor for access to the town, with all the facilities required!

Sani-station!