By ADF Newsdesk –

The quiet canals that wind through Huddersfield and much of Northern England are often seen as peaceful places for a walk, a cycle ride, or a moment of calm.

However, these waterways also carry a deeper and more uncomfortable history tied to the rise of the British Empire.

Speaking on African Descendants Forum hosted by Kirklees Local TV (KLTV), Professor Jodie Matthews from Manchester Metropolitan University discussed the often-overlooked global role Britain’s canal network played during the Industrial Revolution.

Far from being purely local infrastructure, the canals could be described as the “arteries of the British Empire,” connecting the industrial towns of Northern England to colonial trade routes across the Atlantic.

Through these waterways, goods produced by enslaved labour, including indigo, cotton and logwood, were transported into the heart of Britain’s manufacturing centres.

In Huddersfield, sites such as Aspley Mill are widely remembered for their role in the wool industry. However, the canals that powered these industries also carried raw materials linked directly to the transatlantic slave economy.

Professor Matthews also highlighted how some of the infrastructure still visible today was funded in part by compensation payments following the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833.

When slavery was abolished across the British Empire, slave owners, not the formerly enslaved, received financial compensation from the British government, with funds drawn from wealth accumulated through the slave trade.

The canals were not only routes for goods but also spaces where ideas travelled.

Abolitionists such as Frederick Douglass and Moses Roper spoke along canal-side wharves and towpaths, often near the very locations where slave-produced commodities were unloaded.

According to Professor Matthews, many of these connections have faded from public memory, replaced by a narrative that focuses mainly on the scenic and recreational value of Britain’s waterways.

However, she argues that recognising this history does not diminish people’s enjoyment of canals and green spaces. Instead, it provides a fuller understanding of how industrial towns developed and why they look the way they do today.

Professor Matthews’ latest book, The British Industrial Canal, explores these historical links in greater depth.

A full interview from the African Descendants Forum will be released later this month on Kirklees Local TV. Check out this preview above.

How do you see the canals? Let me know in the comments below.