A Forgotten Waterway: Walking the Halifax Branch Canal

The Calder and Hebble Navigation is one of Yorkshire's great industrial arteries, but one short spur holds a particularly fascinating, and largely buried, history: the Halifax Branch Canal. Recently, I took a walk along the small, navigable section that remains today, from Salterhebble Top Lock to the Salterhebble Basin, and was inspired to look deeper into this forgotten waterway.

The Last Surviving Stretch

The walk starts where the main navigation meets the spur. The modern-day journey is short, a serene quarter-mile of placid water contrasting sharply with the busy road nearby. This short section is a peaceful haven, offering moorings and a tranquil reflection of the industrial past.

The basin at Salterhebble, now a calm, boat-filled pool, was once the hive of activity for the main canal's final push towards Halifax before the branch opened. Today, it’s a spot to pause and appreciate the peaceful coexistence of nature and history.

The Buried Climb to Bailey Hall

What many people don't realise is that this short length is just the beginning of what was once a mighty, ambitious climb right into the heart of Halifax. When the branch opened in 1828, it extended for about a mile and a quarter, rising an astonishing 110 feet via 14 locks to terminate at Bailey Hall Basin, near the modern-day railway station and the former Mackintosh (now Nestlé) factory site. This monumental civil engineering feat was necessary to bring heavy goods like coal and stone directly into the thriving industrial town. The canal was crucial, as one horse could haul up to 60 tons by boat, a huge advantage over carting goods over the steep, difficult roads of the area.

An Expensive, Challenging Engineering Feat

The Halifax Branch was notoriously expensive to run. The terrain was challenging, and local mill owners were fiercely protective of the water supply in the Hebble Brook. This meant the canal company couldn't rely on the usual gravity-fed reservoirs.

The solution was a feat of ingenuity: a brick-lined culvert was built to carry water from the bottom of the arm all the way to a reservoir near the top at Phoebe Lane, where a massive steam-powered pumping engine then lifted the water to the highest level. The cost of running this engine and maintaining the long, leaky canal meant tolls were double those on the main Calder and Hebble.

The Ghosts of the Locks

The branch’s life was relatively short; it officially closed in 1942 and much of it was quickly drained and infilled. The route is now largely preserved as the Hebble Trail, a fantastic walking route that traces the canal's former path.

Walking this trail is like following a ghost. You walk over what were once the lock chambers—those well-built stone walls and depressions you see are the tops of the buried locks! It's an incredible sensation to know you're traversing a route where barges once struggled up and down a staircase of water.

Interestingly, the old structures, including bridges and the lock chambers themselves, were so robustly built that demolition would have been too costly. They were simply buried—a fascinating thought for a history enthusiast! Even the aqueduct that carried the canal over the Hebble Brook at Farrah Mill Lane still stands, though it faces problems today.

A Legacy of Industry and Leisure

Though its commercial life ended over 80 years ago, the spirit of the Halifax Branch lives on. The remaining section at Salterhebble serves as a reminder of the colossal ambition that shaped the West Riding's industrial landscape. The Hebble Trail ensures the route isn't completely forgotten, allowing walkers and cyclists to literally walk in the footsteps of the horse-drawn barges of old.

So next time you're in the area, don't just see the tranquil waters at Salterhebble. Take a moment to think about the 14 locks and the 110 feet of elevation that lie buried beneath your feet, connecting the busy present with a forgotten past.

I took these pictures with a Polaroid is2132 camera on the 13th June 2015, clicking any of them should open a link in another window to my Colin Green Photography store on Zazzle.

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Autumn Whispers on the Knottingley and Goole Canal

Inspired by the serene, almost cinematic view captured near Whitley, Eggborough, North Yorkshire, this photograph of the Knottingley and Goole Canal on a crisp November day speaks volumes. The glassy, dark water reflecting the overcast sky, the scatter of fallen leaves, and the line of moored narrowboats create a scene that is both tranquil and a reminder of the region's industrial past.

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The Working Waterway: A History of Innovation

The Knottingley and Goole Canal is a vital section of the Aire and Calder Navigation, a waterway system with a rich history dating back to the late 17th century. This specific cut, opened in 1826, bypassed a slower, more circuitous route to the River Ouse, cementing its importance for trade.

Unlike many canals that faded completely after the railway boom, the Aire and Calder Navigation adapted and continued to thrive as a key commercial artery. Its enduring legacy is tied to the movement of coal from the Yorkshire collieries. This section of canal was engineered for efficiency, most famously through the use of 'Tom Puddings'—compartment boats linked together in long trains and towed by steam tugs. These innovative trains, which could carry up to 740 tons of coal per trip, were a remarkable feat of Victorian engineering and helped establish the inland port of Goole.

• 1704: Initial improvements to the Rivers Aire and Calder are completed.

• 1826: The Knottingley to Goole cut opens, shortening the route to the Humber.

• 1860s: The famous Tom Pudding compartment boat system is introduced, enabling the bulk transport of coal.

• Today: The navigation remains a working waterway, carrying freight like oil, sand, and gravel, alongside its use for leisure.

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Life on the Water at Whitley

The image captures the modern reality of this historical canal: a peaceful mooring spot for residents. The row of narrowboats, nestled against the grassy bank, suggests a life of tranquillity and connection to nature, even with the backdrop of distant industry (note the high-voltage power lines and commercial buildings in the distance).

The boats themselves are miniature homes, often equipped with solar panels (visible on the roof of the narrowboat closest to the camera), highlighting a blend of traditional canal living and contemporary, sustainable technology. The contrast between the brilliant blue narrowboat and the subtle, autumnal colours of the foliage and the grey sky is striking. The reflective water amplifies the calmness of the scene, broken only by the gentle ripples spreading from the stern of the boat.

For those interested in exploring this area, the village of Eggborough is known for its proximity to the River Aire and its own rich local history, including the decommissioned power station which was a major landmark.

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Your Next Yorkshire Canal Adventure

Whether you're a seasoned boater, a history enthusiast, or simply looking for a peaceful walk, the towpaths along the Knottingley and Goole Canal offer a unique blend of heritage and nature. It's a place where you can trace the paths of the Tom Puddings while watching modern-day narrowboats cruise by. It's a reminder that sometimes, the oldest routes are still the best.

I took this image on the 10th November 2025 with a Canon r100, I was in the area to picture the nearby railway station and closed All Saints Church at Nearby Whitley, the church will feature in my next post.

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The pictures remains the copyright of Colin Green.