Todmorden Reservoirs

Route Information

Stats: 20.5 miles & 2460 ft of ascent

OS Map:
Refreshments

Todmorden has a good choice of eateries, including great veggie options. Bikes shops in the area are renowned for their service, and the place is all around friendly. Nearby Youth Hostels provide cheap accommodation options, and the town has several B&B options as well.

Character

A typical Pennine trip, with steep climbs and rolling moorland trails, finishing with some great descents. Be prepared to work and to get the benefit of doing so. A great introduction to Pennine Mountain Biking.


Route

1. Start on Jumps Lane, by the large railway viaduct, climbing the lane, entering the treeline as you do so. Once the climbing eases off, near to Dyke Farm on your left, turn onto the bridleway on the right (Sager Lane) and ride this to the road.

2. Turn left on the road and continue along (Long Causeway) until joining the Pennine Bridleway on the right, as it crosses the moor and passes first Cant Clough then Hurstwood Reservoir.

3. At the T junction of the bridleway, turn right onto Gorple Stones bridleway and climb on the excellent track, before descending to Widdop Reservoir and the road – turn right at the road.

4. At a car parking area to the left of the road, a track is seen opposite on the right (by green gates), leading to the bridleway which crosses the damn wall of Gorple Lower Reservoir, heading over the moor and dropping you down to Edge lane as the bridleway continues, eventually joining the Pennine Bridleway and descending on doubletrack, becoming tarmac as you pass farmsteads, heading along to a track/ lane junction on the right – turn sharp right and follow the Pennine Bridleway down ‘School Land Lane’.

5. A small stone bridge crosses the river down this lane, where a fork is reached. Continue around to the right, on the tarmacked lane until it leads into the mixed track after passing farms (Salt Pie Farm). The track climbs alongside meadows, then heading to moorland scrub and descending to the Long Causeway.

6. Turn right at Long Causeway/ Kebs Road until a bridleway signed on the left (metal gate) just before an auto repair garage complex. 200 yards along this bridleway a junction is taken on the left, joining the superb bridleway that drops down on mixed trails to Hole Bottom and across the Golf Course and into Todmorden for tea and medals and cake – lots of cake.

click below for gpx file