Haligonians: 2 Halifax's Lost Canal | Exploring Halifax

[@johndover3626]

Loved to go walking with my mum down there in the 1950s. Even as a child it struck me as disgusting, smelly, and creepy. There was a dried up canal and rotting barges with one or two rats scurrying past. A short walk took you through a wide range of smells--gas works, mills, power station steam, toffee and carpet factories, then over Lilly Bridge where railway engine shunters clanking their way underneath would envelope you in thick clouds of smoke and steam. Hebble Brook would be roaring after heavy rain and the cobble stone walkways would shine in the light from gas lamps. Mill girls eating apples on the fire escapes would throw their cores down at you. Millstone grit memories to last a lifetime!

[@wandojames]

Great memories!

[@pamelacroftcraemer5499]

Enjoyed watching this video. It was of particular interest as we lived in Salterhebble right next to the canal until 1951.

[@wandojames]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@davidthompson2591]

Spent a lot of time around there as a kid growing up in Siddal ...but in recent years have gone back and walked that old canal route at different times of day and night...love how eerie the graffiti part is, even though my 90's tag is long gone !! Can't beat the Shears for a pint along the way either 😅

[@davidmacgregor5193]

There isn't much of the old Warner & Swasey Turning Machines factory left standing, it started below the railway bridge were it crosses Water Lane to the bend in the road at Stoney Royd. I worked for W & S in the 1970's and 1980's until it closed in 1983 and the business moved to Telford in Shropshire. The Hebble Brook still flows under what was Warner & Swasey's final assembly shed. There was also an old WWII air raid shelter just off Water Lane, next to Warner & Swasey's car park.

[@wandojames]

Great insight, thank you.

[@ronhunt2254]

The canals ln siddal bottom's were still full of water but unused when I was a child

[@TheMeddy54]

Thanks for posting this James, gave me an insight into an area I used to spend some time in back when I was a young fella in the early 60's. Would be interesting to see more of the canal back towards Sowerby Bridge.

[@harrysanderson9877]

brilliant thanks for sharing

[@wandojames]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@looneytune6955]

Love this sort of stuff, my interest coming frim when i worked for my dad in the joiners shop he had. It was an old canal building on the bradford branch of the Leeds Liverpool canal. Watched them take out the last remaining lock called Spinkwell lock in the early 90s, the canal had been long derelict by then.

[@wandojames]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.

[@andrewhatfield5132]

Parts of the canal basin still exist under the factory, and form part of the basement - used to work there a few years ago and a colleague showed me the sloping walls etc thar were originally part of the canal.

[@wandojames]

Wow, I had no idea. Just assumed it had been filled and built over.

[@MetalboxJ]

Great video. Knew bugger all about that route . I look forward to exploring.

[@wandojames]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.

[@juliemaher6586]

The canel ran under the Nestle factory. We can see the shape of the canel walls in the cellar.

[@marsdacreator]

I used to hang out with my friends here after college, didn't know there used to be a canal here.

[@coisi2940]

Interesting stuff James. Well done.

[@wandojames]

Thank you.

[@nickgardner1507]

Pretty nice countryside.

[@wandojames]

Thank you. It is.

[@chromiumphotography5138]

Hand spikes aren't really that difficult to use, really depends on how much love the C&RT can afford to gove each paddle. In reality rhat means every other one is really stiff and hard to move, that is regardless of whether you need a spike or windlass to wind them. Great video, interesting on so many levels.

[@wandojames]

Cheers!

[@markholroyde9412]

I live in Sowerby Bridge, me and my Dad were the original mechanics in ;73 ( I was 13) when Shire Cruisers was formed by Mark Andrew. I have every photo of the re opening of the locks in S Bridge from day one dig to day opened.