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The Huddersfield Broad Canal runs between the Huddersfield Narrow Canal in the centre of Huddersfield to the Calder and Hebble Navigation at Cooper Bridge.

The Huddersfield Broad Canal was originally known as the Cooper Canal, as it branched off the Calder and Hebble Navigation at Cooper Bridge. It was later known as Sir John Ramsden's Canal, after the Lord of the Manor and main land-owner. It later became known as the Broad Canal to distinguish it from the Narrow Canal.

Opened in 1776, the canal was vital to the rapidly developing textile industry in Huddersfield, bringing in coal and shipping out finished textiles. It became part of a trans-Pennine route in 1811 when the Huddersfield Narrow Canal was opened, joined the Broad Canal at Aspley Basin

Canal traffic began to decline in the mid to late 1800’s with the rise of the railways but the Broad Canal continued to carry commercial traffic, particularly coal for power stations, until 1953. After the formation of British Waterways in 1962, the canal was designated a cruiseway in 1968, which meant that its future use was mainly for leisure traffic.