Twenty years have passed since the Rochdale Canal reopened following a
restoration scheme that faced almost impossible hurdles. One of three
commercial waterways across the Pennines, the canal links the industrial
North West and North East, flowing through mill towns, beneath dramatic
bridges and traverses spectacular hilly scenery. Its ninety-one locks
present a strenuous challenge for boaters, while it has become popular
with walkers, cyclists, houseboat residents and casual sailors. The
revival of the canal has helped to bring new life to the towns and
villages along its route. This book tracks its 32-mile length, telling
its story in colour through historians, canals users, lock keepers and
all those who today utilise the canal in ways its originators never
conceived.