Standedge
Encyclopedia
Standedge is a moorland
escarpment
in the Pennine Hills
of northern England
. Located between Marsden
and Diggle
, on the edges of the metropolitan counties
of West Yorkshire
and Greater Manchester
respectively, Standedge has been a major moorland crossing point since Roman times
and possibly earlier.
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.
Much of Standedge forms part of the National Trust's
Marsden Moor Estate
. From an administrative perspective, Standedge is split between the metropolitan borough
s of Kirklees
and Oldham
.
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.
After the roman road fell into disuse, travel across the moors was restricted to simple tracks, used by packhorse
s. One such crossed from Marsden to Rochdale
. Narrow and steep packhorse bridge
s can still be found in several places on the moors, including the Close Gate Bridge near Marsden.
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.
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.
Four parallel tunnels run under Standedge from Diggle to Marsden. The single canal
tunnel is the oldest of these, having been opened in 1811 as part of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, and is still in use. The three railway tunnels were opened respectively in 1848, 1871 and 1894, and only the 1894 tunnel still carries rail traffic.
All four tunnels are linked by cross-tunnels or adit
s at strategic locations within the tunnels, and the 1848 rail tunnel has been made accessible to road vehicles so as to be used as an emergency access and evacuation route for the other tunnels.
s, both within a few hundreds metres of each other along the A62 road.There are also a couple of reservoirs and pathways for hikers to walk along.
Standedge can be accessed by bus on the 184
service running between Huddersfield
and Manchester via Oldham
. The service is jointly run by First Manchester
and First Calderdale & Huddersfield
.
Moorland
Moorland or moor is a type of habitat, in the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome, found in upland areas, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils and heavy fog...
escarpment
Escarpment
An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that occurs from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.-Description and variants:...
in the Pennine Hills
Pennines
The Pennines are a low-rising mountain range, separating the North West of England from Yorkshire and the North East.Often described as the "backbone of England", they form a more-or-less continuous range stretching from the Peak District in Derbyshire, around the northern and eastern edges of...
of northern England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Located between Marsden
Marsden, West Yorkshire
Marsden is a large village within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, west of Huddersfield and located at the confluence of the River Colne and the Wessenden Brook...
and Diggle
Diggle, Greater Manchester
Diggle is a village within the Saddleworth parish of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England. The village is situated on the moorlands of the Pennine hills....
, on the edges of the metropolitan counties
Metropolitan county
The metropolitan counties are a type of county-level administrative division of England. There are six metropolitan counties, which each cover large urban areas, typically with populations of 1.2 to 2.8 million...
of West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
and Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
respectively, Standedge has been a major moorland crossing point since Roman times
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
and possibly earlier.
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
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
from York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
to Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
, whilst the latest is the current A62
A62 road
The A62 is a major road in Northern England that runs between the two major cities of Manchester and Leeds.The road is approximately 40 miles long. It runs north east from Manchester through Failsworth and Oldham then Saddleworth before crossing the Pennines at Standedge into West Yorkshire...
. The Huddersfield Narrow Canal
Huddersfield Narrow Canal
The Huddersfield Narrow Canal is an inland waterway in northern England. It runs just under from Lock 1E at the rear of the University of Huddersfield campus, near Aspley Basin at Huddersfield to the junction with the Ashton Canal at Whitelands Basin in Ashton-under-Lyne...
and the railway
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
line from Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
to Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
both burrow below Standedge through the Standedge Tunnels
Standedge Tunnels
The Standedge Tunnels are four parallel tunnels that run beneath the Pennines at the traditional Standedge crossing point between Marsden and Diggle, on the edges of the conurbations of West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester respectively, in northern England.There are three railway tunnels and a...
. The Pennine Way
Pennine Way
The Pennine Way is a National Trail in England. The trail runs from Edale, in the northern Derbyshire Peak District, north through the Yorkshire Dales and the Northumberland National Park and ends at Kirk Yetholm, just inside the Scottish border. The path runs along the Pennine hills, sometimes...
long distance footpath also crosses Standedge, but in this case the path runs south to north along the Pennines.
Much of Standedge forms part of the National Trust's
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
Marsden Moor Estate
Marsden Moor Estate
The Marsden Moor Estate is a large expanse of moorland situated in the Pennines, between the conurbations of West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester in the north of England...
. From an administrative perspective, Standedge is split between the metropolitan borough
Metropolitan borough
A metropolitan borough is a type of local government district in England, and is a subdivision of a metropolitan county. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, metropolitan boroughs are defined in English law as metropolitan districts, however all of them have been granted or regranted...
s of Kirklees
Kirklees
The Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees is a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 401,000 and includes the settlements of Batley, Birstall, Cleckheaton, Denby Dale, Dewsbury, Heckmondwike, Holmfirth, Huddersfield, Kirkburton, Marsden, Meltham, Mirfield and Slaithwaite...
and Oldham
Metropolitan Borough of Oldham
The Metropolitan Borough of Oldham is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It has a population of 219,600, and spans . The borough is named after its largest town, Oldham, but also includes the outlying towns of Chadderton, Failsworth, Royton and Shaw and Crompton, the village of...
.
Surface crossings
Castra
The Latin word castra, with its singular castrum, was used by the ancient Romans to mean buildings or plots of land reserved to or constructed for use as a military defensive position. The word appears in both Oscan and Umbrian as well as in Latin. It may have descended from Indo-European to Italic...
of Slack and Castleshaw
Castleshaw Roman fort
Castleshaw Roman fort was a fort in the Roman province of Britannia. Although there is no evidence to substantiate the claim, it has been suggested that Castleshaw Roman fort is the site of Rigodunum, a Brigantian settlement. The remains of the fort are located on Castle Hill on the eastern side of...
, 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.
After the roman road fell into disuse, travel across the moors was restricted to simple tracks, used by packhorse
Packhorse
.A packhorse or pack horse refers generally to an equid such as a horse, mule, donkey or pony used for carrying goods on their backs, usually carried in sidebags or panniers. Typically packhorses are used to cross difficult terrain, where the absence of roads prevents the use of wheeled vehicles. ...
s. One such crossed from Marsden to Rochdale
Rochdale
Rochdale is a large market town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the foothills of the Pennines on the River Roch, north-northwest of Oldham, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester. Rochdale is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan...
. Narrow and steep packhorse bridge
Packhorse bridge
A packhorse bridge is a bridge intended to carry packhorses across a river or stream. Typically a packhorse bridge consists of one or more narrow masonry arches, and has low parapets so as not to interfere with the horse's panniers.Packhorse bridges were often built on the trade routes that...
s can still be found in several places on the moors, including the Close Gate Bridge near Marsden.
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
John Metcalf (civil engineer)
John Metcalf , also known as Blind Jack of Knaresborough or Blind Jack Metcalf, was the first of the professional road builders to emerge during the British Industrial Revolution....
(Blind Jack of Knaresborough) in 1791. It crossed the Pennine ridge south of the present Standedge cutting.
In 1839 the coach road was replaced by a new turnpike road
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
, 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
A62 road
The A62 is a major road in Northern England that runs between the two major cities of Manchester and Leeds.The road is approximately 40 miles long. It runs north east from Manchester through Failsworth and Oldham then Saddleworth before crossing the Pennines at Standedge into West Yorkshire...
, crossing the summit of Standedge in a cutting. However the more recent M62 motorway
M62 motorway
The M62 motorway is a west–east trans-Pennine motorway in Northern England, connecting the cities of Liverpool and Hull via Manchester and Leeds. The road also forms part of the unsigned Euroroutes E20 and E22...
that carries most cross Pennine road traffic uses a different route to the north of Standedge.
Tunnel crossings
Four parallel tunnels run under Standedge from Diggle to Marsden. The single canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
tunnel is the oldest of these, having been opened in 1811 as part of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, and is still in use. The three railway tunnels were opened respectively in 1848, 1871 and 1894, and only the 1894 tunnel still carries rail traffic.
All four tunnels are linked by cross-tunnels or adit
Adit
An adit is an entrance to an underground mine which is horizontal or nearly horizontal, by which the mine can be entered, drained of water, and ventilated.-Construction:...
s at strategic locations within the tunnels, and the 1848 rail tunnel has been made accessible to road vehicles so as to be used as an emergency access and evacuation route for the other tunnels.
Standedge today
Standedge is a sparsely populated area, although it does have two public housePublic house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s, both within a few hundreds metres of each other along the A62 road.There are also a couple of reservoirs and pathways for hikers to walk along.
Standedge can be accessed by bus on the 184
Greater Manchester bus route 184
Greater Manchester bus route 184 is a frequent bus route, operated by First Manchester with journeys between Huddersfield and Manchester jointly run by First Manchester and First West Yorkshire. The service runs hourly Monday-Saturday daytime on its full route and also runs hourly to Diggle via...
service running between Huddersfield
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
and Manchester via Oldham
Oldham
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
. The service is jointly run by First Manchester
First Manchester
First Manchester is one of the bus companies serving Greater Manchester, a metropolitan county in North West England. It forms part of FirstGroup, a company operating transport services across the British Isles and in North America...
and First Calderdale & Huddersfield
First Calderdale & Huddersfield
First Calderdale & Huddersfield is one of the bus companies serving the area of West Yorkshire, England. It forms part of FirstGroup, a company operating transport services across the British Isles and in North America...
.