THE MARSDEN MOORS MEANDER
LONG ROUTE 23 MILES (3650ft ascent). SHORT ROUTE 18 MILES (2500ft ascent)
Please take care when crossing and walking on roads. Use pavements wherever possible. Some of the pathways are slippery and uneven.
1. Leave Marsden Parochial Hall (SE 047117) and turn right. After a few yards turn left to cross over narrow stone bridge.
2. Turn left with river on left. After about 50yds turn right at footpath sign uphill on path with concrete posted/metal tubed fence on your right.
3. On reaching road continue straight ahead to cross bridge over the canal and railway
4. At road junction turn right. After about 50yds turn left up Spring Head Lane.
5. Continue up this steep wooded lane for about 200yds.
6. Pass to right of house, through yellow posts to tarmac lane
7. In about 20yds turn left at footpath sign to go through kissing gate.
8. Uphill on enclosed path for about 300yds to reach and go through kissing gate.
9. Straight on across track and through kissing gate.
10. Continue upwards with wall on right. After about 150yds the path becomes enclosed. This enclosed path/track (Huck Hill Lane), which can be very wet, is followed through gates and gateways. Continue with bend following wall on left to reach open moorland by NT sign Shaw Heys at [1¼ MILES SE 042130]
11. Follow path across the moorland for about I mile. Along the way you pass over some paved and boarded sections keeping ahead at a path junction where there is a stone seat. Towards the end you will have Cupwith Reservoir on your left. Finally go through metal kissing gate onto road at [2¼MILES SE 039146]
12. Turn right on road. After about 80yds, at FPS, turn left into enclosed track.
13. Follow this for about 400yds passing through out buildings and continuing ahead passing farm on your left to reach and cross stile in fence at the end of the track.
14. Immediately turn left downhill with fence/wall and farm to your left.
15. Cross stile in corner and follow path diagonally left to reach a fence which is then followed directly down to corner of reservoir.
16. Go through small metal gate, over metal bridge to gain access to the dam of Deanhead Reservoir.
17. Cross over dam with reservoir on your left. Cross stile to left of gate and turn left, with wall to left.
18. Continue to cross stone stile in corner of walls.
19. Immediately turn right uphill on very faint path with wall immediately to right. After about 150yds this will have you crossing a broken wall into a gully with a small metal gate in fence.
20. DO NOT go through this gate but continue steeply uphill with fence on right to reach another small rusty metal gate in the fence.
21. Here bear left upwards across the hillside on a more obvious path/track. Follow it round to the right passing stones and remains of wall on your right, with painted direction arrow to stile
22. A little further ahead you should be able to see a footpath sign to aim for.
23. Go over stile at footpath sign to reach road at [3.2 MILES SE 035155]
24. Cross straight over road to go over stile opposite and follow fence, later wall, on your right. Traffic noise from the M62 can now be heard.
25. Follow wall round to the left to enter descending gully, wall still to your right and on reaching crossing wall turn right through gate-posted gap in the wall in corner you have followed down the hillside. Follow indistinct path/stream to track.
26. Follow track over stile and past barn on your left to reach and follow line of M62 eastwards. It may be necessary to open and close some gates as you proceed.
27. Follow track as it goes through the tunnels under both carriageways of the M62. You join the farm track as you go through the first one.
28. After the second tunnel follow the farm track down hill but as it swings sharply left continue ahead over the grass descending with fence on right.
29. Go through gap between wall and fence then bear slightly left to go through kissing gate onto lane [4 MILES SE 033164]
30. Cross straight over lane and enter wood at footpath sign. Descend on path through wood to go over stile onto road. Turn left and follow road passing dam on left, continue uphill ignoring FPS on right.
31. On reaching blocks of stone on left pass through them and follow old road back towards dam.
32. After about 75yds take narrow un-waymarked path on right and climb up hillside to emerge into car park and CP 1 (Opens 9:15) [4½ MILES SE 031166]
33. Leave checkpoint via car park entrance and cross road with care to driveway opposite.
34. Follow drive as it swings left, keeping dwellings on your right, to cross cattle grid. Continue ahead passing through farm and dwellings (via small gate if necessary) and about 150yds later emerge onto road.
35. Turn right up road and in about 75yds turn left onto track. Follow this for about 550yds passing Rishworth Lodge and Hunters Hollow on your left as you go.
36. Follow track round to right (ignoring rusty kissing gate ahead). As you approach the farm aim for and cross ladder stile about 15yds to the left of the farm [5 MILES SE 022168]
37. Continue ahead as indicated by way markers to cross stile by gate to enter field.
38. Continue upward aiming to pass to right of solitary standing stone.
39. Up the next field with remains of wall on your left. As you approach the wall at the top aim for and cross stone stile in it about 25yds to the right of where the remains of the old wall meets the crossing wall.
40. Turn left and follow faint path with wall on left. When wall turns left continue ahead, soon to have another wall to your left.
41. Continue on this path for about 850yds, initially aiming for Windy Hill radio mast. Just after end of wall, swing right towards Dog HilI, look for yellow topped post.
42. Reach a yellow topped way marker. Turn left (West) on path (Do not ascend to Dog Hill). Follow yellow topped marker posts along the path (ditch on your right, passing stone cairns).
43. On passing the remains of a stone shooting butt on your right, the path rises up to a yellow topped way marker. Continue ahead, descending slightly for 200yds, again following yellow topped marker posts (Do not descend left down the gully). Bear right on faint path to cross footbridge with footpath marker, follow yellow topped marker post down to the bridge at [7MILES SD 999168]
44. Cross bridge and turn right following channel on your right and ignoring any bridges across it, for about 850yds. Then turn left with track keeping Green Withens Reservoir on your right.
45. Follow track as it swings right to reach and go through metal barrier by water sports centre.
46. Turn left and follow track for about another 850yds with reservoir conduit on you right
47. Leave the metalled track at a blue notice board to follow a grass path/track alongside the conduit [8½MILES SD 992154]
48. In about 800yds the conduit reaches a railed concrete water catchment. Pass it and then turn right up hill on path with M62 to your left.
49. On reaching footbridge turn left, joining the Pennine Way (PW), cross over bridge and M62.
50. Once over continue ahead to Layby to find CP2 (Opens 10:00) [9½ MILES SD 983143]
THE SHORT ROUTE SPLITS HERE AND FOLLOWS THE PENNINE WAY (PW) FOR 2.75 MILES UNTIL IT MEETS THE LONG ROUTE NEAR THE CAIRN ON NORTHERN ROTCHER (GR SE004113)
SHORT ROUTE
From CP 2, cross A672 (with care) to PW finger post & gate. Continue on PW, past White Hill trig point (1mile). Cross A640 (with care, 2mile) Note - path is at RHS of layby. At prominent sign Fork Right on PW (Do not Fork Left to Marsden). Reach path junc with Oldham Way (OW) coming in from right, marked by a stone thanking the Thomas Lockerby Footpath Fund. [SE 004113]. Turn left, now on PW & OW.
GO TO NOTE 66.
LONG ROUTE CONTINUES
51. Leave checkpoint retrace route to mast access road turn left to mast fence on your left to go through gate.
52. At track junction immediately after the gate bear left along rough brick track.
53. After 100yds as track swings right, continue ahead (approx. 230°) on faint path not as on map. The path becomes more defined as you descend to arrive at fence & gate.
54. Go through gate and follow fence on your left around the flank of Windy Hill.
55. This path is now followed, mainly downward for 1¼ miles. The path/track suffers from ‘off-road’ damage and can be wet in places. Sometimes with a single fence and other times enclosed paralleling the M62 away down to your right.
56. Go through a bridle gate at bottom [11 MILES SD 961133]
57. Turn left at junction on Pennine Bridle Way towards Piethorne Reservoir.
58. This track (PBW) is now followed for almost 1¾ miles. Initially it rises slightly but then descends in a meandering fashion to go through a gate just before passing across the head of the reservoir. After the reservoir the track continues steeply up hill (ignore a track off to the right) to go through a gate at the top.
59. In about 110yds turn left off track through gate following PBW as it goes round to the right to arrive at a road crossing (A672) [12¾MILES SD 978120]
60. Cross road and turn left on enclosed track between fence and road. Cross over Water Board entrance road and continue on enclosed track to footpath sign.
61. Turn right through bridle gate on track (PBW). You now follow this track for almost a mile, going through a gate, passing across the dam of Readycon Dean Reservoir and then walking along the south-eastern side of the reservoir. The path rises away from the reservoir to reach a track junction [13¾MILES SD 992124]
62. Here turn right on track (PBW Castleshaw 2½mls). Follow track for 1000yds to arrive at small gated enclosure. Go through gates (or broad metal gate) and turn left downhill on track to go through another gate and pass over head of Dowry Reservoir
63. After which, bear right on track with stone wall on right, through gate, to ascend to road/lay-by and CP3 (Opens 11:00) [14¾ MILES SD 987111]
64. From CP continue up road for 25m. Turn right through first gate to follow PBW (Castleshaw1½mls) climbing up hillside with wall/fence on your right. After about 750yds you arrive at a junction of paths.
65. Turn left uphill on the Oldham Way (OW). The OW is followed for about a mile until it meets the Pennine Way (PW) at Northern Rotcher.
66. Initially the path climbs steadily before swinging right to a prominent cairn on the skyline. After passing this cairn there is a series of marker posts to follow through the peat hags (there are many cycle tracks to help too). Note-The path is slightly south of that marked on the map. Continue until you reach the PW path coming in from the left, marked by a stone thanking the Thomas Lockerby Footpath Fund. [16¼MILES SE 004113]
THE SHORT ROUTE REJOINS THE LONG ROUTE HERE
BOTH ROUTES CONTINUE
67. Go up a slight rise, past a prominent cairn on the right. You now follow the PW & OW for about 1½ miles south-eastwards along the gritstone edges passing the trig point at Millstone Edge and then through a couple of gates to drop onto a broad track. Follow this left to the road (ignoring the PBW) which goes off to the right).
68. Cross road, with care, to car park opposite and CP4 (Opens 11:30 Cut off 1530) [17¾MILES SE 018095]
AFTER 1530 YOU WILL BE ASKED TO TAKE THE CUT OFF ROUTE BACK TO MARSDEN
(A ROUTE DESCRIPTION WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU)
69. Leave the checkpoint by climbing the steps at the eastern end of the car park to follow the Pennine Way.
70. After about half a mile and passing through a gate you arrive at footpath sign number 357, Bear right on Wessenden and Black Hill footpath (do not take either of the paths signed Marsden and Standedge).
71. Drop into and out of stepped gully to follow paved path across open moorland for about half a mile going through two kissing gates as you proceed.
72 Follow the paved path which turns left about 100yds before reaching Black Moss Reservoir.
73. In about 75yds you reach a fence corner. Follow fence on left with the reservoir across to your right.
74. On reaching ‘open area’ bear right on path to cross the head of Black Moss Reservoir with Swellands Reservoir away to your left. Cross small wooden bridge [19 MILES SE 035088]
75. Once over bridge re-join paved path over open moorland. Follow this path, sometimes paved sometimes not for a mile and a half, latterly with a clough to your right and then crossing a stream via stones to climb onto a track where you go left to arrive at some metal covered drains and a radio mast [20¼MILES SE 053088]
76. Immediately before the drains/mast turn left, still on Pennine Way and descend steeply down the hillside to cross the footbridge in the valley bottom.
77. Once over the footbridge go left and continue on pleasant path alongside Blakely Reservoir
78. At end of path go through gate and turn left on broad track
79. Follow track as it descends passing Butterley Reservoir on your left.
80. On reaching tarmac road continue ahead downhill to the houses on the outskirts of Marsden
81. Continue down to reach a roundabout (cross roads). Here continue ahead on Fall Lane, passing bus shelter.
82. At next junction bear left to go through tunnel under A62
83. Once through bear left and ahead you will see a sign for Towngate.
84. Ignore Towngate and continue ahead to pass church on your left.
85. Immediately after end of church grounds turn left on road, Clough Lea, and return to the Parochial Hall for some well-earned refreshments [SE 047117]
WELL DONE & CONGRATULATIONS ON COMPLETING
THE MARSDEN MOORS MEANDER