New lock gates will be installed on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal at Saddleworth as part of a national waterway improvement project.

Two locks on the canal that runs through the area's villages have been selected for the "15 locks for 15 years" programme, funded by Postcode Lottery players. They are Lock 22 East at Slaithwaite and Lock 6 West at Stalybridge.

The 20-mile canal between Ashton-under-Lyne and Huddersfield passes through Saddleworth and the Pennine landscape before reaching the Standedge Tunnel. The new gates will help keep the trans-Pennine waterway navigable for boaters and accessible for local communities.

Lock gates control water levels and allow boats to move through changes in elevation. They typically need replacing after about 25 years due to weather exposure and daily use. The new bespoke gates are being made by the Canal & River Trust's specialist workshops.

The investment comes as the canal celebrates 25 years since its 2001 reopening, following a major restoration project. The waterway is now used by boaters, walkers, cyclists and paddlers.