The 'bucket list opportunity' to paddle under the Pennines

It's hailed as a wonder of Britain's vast network of waterways - the longest canal tunnel in the UK.

Three-and-a-quarter miles long and almost 200 metres underground, Standedge Tunnel, which links Oldham with West Yorkshire, forms part of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal and the wider national canal network.

Now watersports fans are being offered the chance to see the entire length of the tunnel canal from the inside like never before - by canoe. The national waterways charity Canal & River Trust has announced the 'bucket list opportunity' to 'paddle under the Pennines'.

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It will see guided tours by canoe for the first time through the tunnel, which runs between Marsden in West Yorkshire and Diggle in Oldham, Greater Manchester.

The canal, which took more than 17 years to dig by hand and was completed in 1811, is described as one of the seven wonders of Britain's waterways. As well as being the longest, it is also the highest and deepest canal tunnel in the UK. The charity said it is hoping the cash raised from trips will help to keep the nation's canal network maintained.

Gordon McMinn, from Canal & River Trust, will be leading trips through the tunnel. Mr McMinn, a volunteer team leader and qualified paddle sports instructor, said: "This is a once-in-a-lifetime, bucket list opportunity for keen canoeists to paddle though this magnificent tunnel and explore its three and a half miles.

"It will give participants a real sense of this remarkable tunnel, one of the seven wonders of the waterways, which is steeped in history. The trips just emphasise that life's better by – or in this case on – water."

There will be 18 paddle trips over nine days in June, July and August. Each trip, which takes approximately two hours, will be one-way only, from either Marsden to Diggle, or Diggle to Marsden.

Participants will use Canal & River Trust’s open canoes and the cost of the trips will be £100 for two people in a tandem canoe or £55 for a solo paddler. The limited places are bookable on canalrivertrust.org.uk.

Sean McGinley, regional director for Yorkshire and the North East at Canal & River Trust, said: "We're excited to launch a new chapter in the history of Standedge Tunnel, a real wonder of the waterways."

He said: "This experience is one of the many ways people can help support our work, contributing to the vital funds needed to help us maintain our 2,000-mile network of canals and assets, while discovering this amazing treasure under the Pennines."

Standedge Tunnel is unlike any other boating passage in the country, passing under miles of Pennine countryside under Standedge Moor. Construction began in 1794, and it’s credited with helping to fuel the industrial revolution in the North West of England.

The tunnel was hewn and built under the guidance of several different lead engineers, meaning there are a variety of different architectural styles and mining methods identifiable as you pass through.