North Pennine Ring

North Pennine Ring
Two narrow boats in Kings Road Lock give an idea of the size of locks on the Aire and Calder Navigation.
Specifications
Length	184 miles (296 km)
Locks	215
Status	Canal ring
Navigation authority	British Waterways

The North Pennine Ring is a canal ring which crosses the Pennines between Manchester, Leeds and Castleford. It follows parts of five canals, and shares much of its route with the Outer Pennine Ring, which uses a different route for the southern crossing of the Pennines.

The concept of a canal ring was created in 1965, as part of a campaign by the Inland Waterways Association to prevent the complete closure of the Rochdale Canal. Initially the canal was described as part of the "Cheshire Canal Ring", which was soon shortened to the "Cheshire Ring". It described a series of interconnecting canals which could be navigated, usually in a week or two, without having to cover any section twice, and has subsequently been applied to several other such routes. The North Pennine Ring is a recent addition, as it was only with the restoration of the Rochdale Canal in 2002 that the ring became a possibility.

The term was coined by enthusiasts as an adjunct to the South Pennine Ring, devised as a marketing tool by British Waterways.

The North Pennine Ring follows parts of the following canals starting from Castlefield Junction in Manchester, and proceeding clockwise around the ring.

From Castlefield Junction, the route follows the Bridgewater Canal to Waters Meeting, where the main line turns to the left to reach Runcorn and the ring follows the Stretford and Leigh Branch to an end-on junction with the Leeds and Liverpool Leigh Branch at Leigh. This was originally considered to be the main line, as the canal was connected to a series of underground levels which ran into the coal mines at Worsley. One feature was a huge aqueduct, 38 feet (12 m) above the River Irwell, which allowed sailing ships to pass beneath it. It was demolished when the Manchester Ship Canal was built, and replaced by the famous Barton Swing Aqueduct. The canal opened in 1761, and is often thought to be the first canal in England, although it was preceded by the Sankey Canal, which opened in 1757, and the Stamford Canal, which opened in the 1670s.