Geograph - photograph every grid square

The Huddersfield Narrow Canal runs between Huddersfield in West Yorkshire and Ashton under Lyne in Greater Manchester.
The lock gate in the picture is 32W at Diggle.
These locks are unusual in having only one gate at each end, both being hung on the side opposite the towpath.
A path runs along the canal opposite the towpath for the paddle operator.
These arrangements were presumably designed to speed up the passage of boats, enabling the tow ropes to remain attached to horse and boat without snagging the lock gate arms.
The canal opened in 1811 and closed in 1944.
In 1974 the Huddersfield Canal Society was formed with the objective of seeing a re-opening of the canal and in May 2001 the whole canal became navigable once more Link

The ice on the canal was about three to four inches thick in places when this photograph was taken due to almost three weeks of continuous freezing weather conditions in the month of January 2009.
SE0007 : Railway and Frozen Canal in Diggle