Huddersfield Narrow Canal: Slaithwaite to Marsden

Saturday 30th September 2023

Leader: Andrew Kafel

A linear walk along the Huddersfield Canal with a bus ride back to Slaithwaite.

Concluding the Spring/Summer Programme of field trips, Andrew led a walk from Slaithwaite to Marsden along the Huddersfield Canal….a beautiful part of Yorkshire along the Colne Valley. It was a cheerful little group of eleven who set off in pleasant warm weather, mindful though that a band of rain would be coming later on. To counter-balance this gloomy forecast, most were looking forward to the promise of a species new for them.

We set off at a fairly brisk pace peering down the canal walls where Fuchsia (Fuchsia magellanica) were flowering abundantly with Redshank (Persicaria maculosa) and Fool's Parsley (Aethusa cynapium) on the banks. Water Bent (Polypogon viridis) was nearby. A lot of Slender Rush (Juncus tenuis) and Intermediate Polypody (Polypodium interjectum) was found. Throughout the walk we noted the water plants along the way, Reed Canary-grass (Phalaris arundinacea), Water Horsetail (Equisetum fluviatile), Water-plantain (Alisma plantago-aquatica) and Floating Sweet-grass (Glyceria fluitans).

The tow path narrowed out and went through woodland where the mind concentrated on foliage and counting leaves on a cinquefoil which was identified as the hybrid Potentilla x mixta. Also identified were Bugle (Ajuga reptans), Sweet Cicely (Myrrhis odorata) and Fringecups (Tellima grandiflora).

We stopped for lunch by one of the locks and still the sun shone on us but not long after it seemed wise to put on cagoules. The last half of the walk contained some surprises. The first person to get a surprise was Paula who was in the vanguard and arrived at Sparth Reservoir and disturbed a Kingfisher so had a glorious view of it in flight. It didn`t re-appear for any of the group to see it unfortunately! However some of us had to be satisfied with Long-tailed Tits!

By then we had seen our target species – Orange Balsam (Impatiens capensis) – and as we walked further along, each plant was more sparkling than the first one! To see a new plant in such abundance was a special treat.

We came to yet another lock and on the far bank could see a mixture of yellow (Monkeyflower, Mimulus guttatus) and orange (more Orange Balsam) growing in a small channel, and on the grassy bank Bruce spotted something mauve so a few walked round to investigate and found Autumn Crocus (Crocus nudiflorus).

Towards the end of the walk there was a long wall by the tow path where Wall Rue (Asplenium ruta-muraria), Maidenhair Spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes) and Black Spleenwort (Asplenium adiantum-nigrum) were easy to see, but suddenly amongst it all were two plants of Rustyback (Asplenium ceterach). This was a good plant to find!

Nearing the end of the walk we were once again peering into the canal and our last surprise for the day was to find Fortune's Holly-fern (Cyrtomium fortunei), another new plant for some.

We reached the end of the walk just as the rain became serious so adjourned to the pub and then to the bus – a bit soggy by then – but still smiling and thanking Andrew for taking us to such a lovely location and doing the recording. It is one of the added bonuses of belonging to our botany group in that one gets to visit places which you never knew existed!

Text by Rita

Photographs by Ian D and Tom