Rochdale Canal

Rochdale Canal
The castellated railway viaduct of the Manchester and Leeds Railway just south of Todmorden
Map
Specifications
Locks91 (92 as built; two locks merged)
StatusOpen
Navigation authorityCanal & River Trust
History
Date of act1794
Date completed1804
Date closed1952
Date restored2002
Route map
Map
Rochdale Canal
Calder and Hebble Navigation
Start of canal
1-2
Sowerby Bridge Locks (2)
Tuel Lane Tunnel under A58
3/4
Tuel Lane Lock
5-6
Brearley Locks (2)
 A646  Halifax Road Bridge
7
Broadbottom Lock
 A646  Falling Royd Bridge
8
Mayroyd Mill Lock
Station Road, Hebden Bridge
9
Black Pit Lock
Hebden Aqueduct
Hebble End
10-11
Stubbing Locks (2)
Stubbing Brink
Caldervale Line
12
Rawden Mill Lock
Pennine Way
13
Callis Lock
Stoodley Glen
14
Holmcoat Lock
Stoodley Lane
Shaw Wood Road
15
Shawplains Lock
16
Lobb Mill Lock
Haugh Road
Woodhouse Road
17
Old Royd Lock
Key Syke Lane
Stack Hills Road
18
Shop Lock
 A6033  Todmorden
19
Library Lock
Dobroyd Road
20
Wadsworth Mill Lock
21
Shade Lock
Caldervale Line
22-23
Gauxholme Locks (2)
 A681  Gauxholme Arch
24
Gauxholme Highest Lock
Caldervale Line
 A6033  Copperas House Bridge
25
Smithyholm Lock
26
Pinnel Lock
Alma Road
27
Hollings Lock
Hollins Road
Saint Peter's Gate
28-33
Locks (6)
34-35
Warland Locks (2)
36
Longlees Lock
summit
37
West Summit Lock
Chelburn
River Roch
38-44
Locks (7)
Sladen
45
Pikehouse Lock
Lightowlers Lane
46-47
Locks (2)
 A58  Halifax Road
Ealees Road
48
Littleborough Bottom Lock
 B6275 
Little Clegg Road
 A640  Milnrow Road
Manchester Metrolink
Oldham and Rochdale Line
Burnside Road
 A664  Kingsway
Moss Bridge Road
Rochdale Wharf
49-50
Moss Locks (2)
Calder Valley line
Bedford Street Mills arm
Durham Street
 A671 
Rochdale Branch Junction
Milkstone Road
Dicken Green Lane
 A664  Edinburgh Way
Gorrels Way
Heywood Wharf
Green Lane
51
Blue Pits Highest Lock
Canal Street
 A664  Castleton
Hope Street
52
Blue Pits Middle Lock
Calder Valley line
Montrose Street
Old (blocked) route
 M62 
Heywood Branch Junction
Blue Pits New Lock 53
Earl Street
Old (blocked) route
54-55
Laneside Locks (2)
 A664  Slattocks
56-58
Laneside Locks (3)
Calder Valley line
59-60
Locks (2)
61
Scowcroft Lock
Calder Valley line
62
Coney Green Lock
63
Walk Mill Lock
River Irk Aqueduct
 A669  Mills Hill Bridge
64
Kay Lane Lock
Drummer Hill Branch
Grimshaw Lane Lift Bridge
The Causeway
 A671 
 M60  and Semple Way
 A6104  Hollinwood Avenue
Manchester Metrolink
Oldham and Rochdale Line
65
Failsworth Top Lock
 A62  Oldham Road
Sisson St/Failsworth new Bridge
Ashton Road West
66-68
Tannersfield Locks (3)
Droylsden Road
69
Newton Heath Lock
Old Church Street
70-76
Newton Heath Locks (7)
Huddersfield line
77
Anthony Lock
Hulme Hall Lane A6010
78-80
Coalpit Locks (3)
81
Butler Lane Lock
82
Lock
 A665  Great Ancoats Street
83
Brownsfield Lock
Tariff Street
Junction with Ashton Canal
84
Dale Street Lock
Dale Street
85
Piccadilly Lock
Aytoun Street
Manchester Metrolink
City Zone
Minshull Street
86
Chorlton Street Lock
Chorlton Street
87
Princess Street Lock
88
Oxford Street Lock
Oxford Street
Basins
Manch'str & Salford Junc Canal
Bridgewater Hall Basin
89
Tib Lock
Albion Street
90
Albion Mills Lock
91
Tunnel Lock
 A56  Deansgate
Link to Bridgewater Arm
Liverpool–Manchester railway
92
Duke's Lock
Castle Street
Castlefield Junction
Bridgewater Canal

The Rochdale Canal is in Northern England, between Manchester and Sowerby Bridge, part of the connected system of the canals of Great Britain. Its name refers to the town of Rochdale through which it passes.

The Rochdale is a broad canal because its locks are wide enough to allow vessels of 14 feet (4.3 m) width. The canal runs for 32 miles (51 km) across the Pennines from the Bridgewater Canal at Castlefield Basin in Manchester to join the Calder and Hebble Navigation at Sowerby Bridge in West Yorkshire.

As built, the canal had 92 locks. Whilst the traditional lock numbering has been retained on all restored locks, and on the relocated locks, the canal now has 91. Locks 3 and 4 have been replaced with a single deep lock, Tuel Lane Lock, which is numbered 3/4.