The Mary Lady Towneley memorial

Welcome to the Mary Towneley Loop, a (47 mile) circular route which forms part of the Pennine Bridleway National Trail.

The loop can be accessed at any point you like,
but I started the ride in the Rossendale Valley and the small town of Waterfoot.
First you climb very steeply out of Waterfoot
to meet an historic route, the "Grovey" Rooley Moor Road that straddles the hills above Rochdale and Ramsbottom.  "It was built with stone sets to provide work during the cotton famine in the 1860's."

Mary Towneley Challenge Sept 2009
Well done everybody!
Perfect weather and a great day out.
Did anyone find my pair of Foster Grant,
Ironman sunglasses on the top of the widdop climb?

How fit do you need to be?

You need to be fit!  With the Loop a healthy 47 miles,
the ability to ride at least 30 cross country miles is a must.

The loop is a 7 hour ride at a respectable pace and you will need to build up a good bomb proof base...
Give yourself 3 months to build up your riding time.  Try to get out and ride three times a week, making the weekend ride 10% longer each time. When you reach 5 hours of continuous riding comfortably you are just ready. Don't be tempted to ride 4 days prior to the big day, the rest will do you good!
Take energy type bars, gel, sandwiches and 3 litres of high glocose type drink.

You can get away with less, but it will really hurt!

There are no shops on the route itself, and only a handfull of Pubs: The Ram Inn at Holme Chapel is spot on for a mid ride feast, and so are the New Delight at Jack Bridge above Hebden, the Shepards rest and the Topbrink both at Mankinholes.
In Waterfoot there are a couple of good Bakers (Mon - Sat only) 100 meters away.  Hebden Bridge is actually a mile or so off route, so it takes extra effort to bring your ride length up to the 50 mile mark!
There are other shops if you know where to look.  But I never fail to stop at the famous Aladdin's Cave, 200 meters the opposite way along Edge lane above Jack Bridge.  You will be astounded at what's for sale in that fantastic farm shop. "Water Water". This nugget of info is invaluable.  The Spring water that you hear gurgling away while you shove that potato pie into your mouth outside the shop runs pure and clean.
"Fill yourself to the Gills! "

North of Rochdale, the route passes over open moorland close to
Brown Wardle and Watergrove Reservoir, then onto Calderbrook.

The Trail then follows an old packhorse route from Bottomley to Erringdon with stunning views across the Calder Valley.

After brilliant hack along the flanks of stoodley pike you descend
near the historic town of Hebden Bridge.

The climb out of Hebden is cruel, but has to be done.
Its then the ancient Gorple Road that crosses open countryside
providing splendid views towards Burnley.
finally, the ride takes you up over Deerplay Moor and the descent
back into Waterfoot.

   The best map for the route is O/S Explorer 21

If you would like to see more Mary Towneley loop pictures click here

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3

Oh no, the Rooley Moor Rd!

Going down it will shake you to bits!
Try to ride next to the verge for a bit of relief.

If your comming the other way whilst doing
the Mary Towneley Challenge clockwise,
you will wish you had not been born!

Its cobbles then loose gravel and small round rocks.

if your comming up, its goes on forever, or 22mins middle ring
2-3 gear down the block ! "its a love hate thing!"

 

At the barrier at bottom of the Rooley Moor Rd
turn left and cruise down into broadley fold.

Oh Please no more bloody Cobbles!
"Never mind 29" wheels, you need 50" for these babies!"

In the distance is Brown Wardle.
you will be climbing up to the right hand side
of that hill shortly,

"Looking back"

Watergrove Res on the left and the
Eastern side of Brown Wardle.
In the far distance you can just make out Rooley Moor,
You remember Rooley Moor Rd don't you?
Yes thats right, its were you had your first puncture!

The next couple of miles are the brill, and most of it is downhill.

7

Calderbrook

What about that for a bit of good riding?
In the far distance is Blackstone Edge,
in front of you Calderbrook,
and to your right is the famous
Pennine Trout fishery.
More 10lb plus trout are caught in this
fishery then any other water in the country.

"turn left at the bottom."

Summit
Down below run the main arteries between
Todmorden and Littlebourgh.
  The main rd, The Rochdale Canal, and the summit railway tunnel.

Climb steadily and then you drop almost vertically down the valley to Bottomley.  Turn left at the main road then first right.
Go over the Canal and "push" climb steeply on an old Packhouse trial to a farm yard. turn left in the yard to continue onto the lovely Walsden Moor.

9

"It just gets better at Rake end "

Stoodley Pike dead ahead!

Ah, let your eyes follow the track into mountain bike Heaven.
Bounce your way down the stone sets to the road and your first potential pub stop, "The Shepards Rest".
After this there's a quick tarmac downhill,
look out for the sudden left turn at the bottom and up some steep cobbles. "OMG hit the granny ring!"
"Behold" your second chance for some grub,
The Top Brink.
Then its up on to that wall line you can see below the monument.
Its a great section, slowly climbing until you are well behind the monument. Enjoy your well deserved plummet on the long descent to the valley floor.

Half way !


You are unlikly to stop during your magical decsent, so I have taken the time and trouble to stop and take the camera out of my rucksack and show you what you missed!

Callis Wood to my left,
Hebden Bridge to the right,
and Heptonstall up above.

when you get to the bottom, go across the pegasus crossing, turn left then first right
and continue with the second half of your epic.
You may however wish to turn right and make a detour to Hebden Bridge.
"Oh go on, Lets get some nosh!"

Hebden Bridge is about a mile off route.
So it takes a little extra effort to bring your
ride length up to the 50 mile mark.
Its a perfect stopping over place.
Loads of shops, ducks, trout, pigeon's,
Oh sod it, whats a couple of miles!

Time to deposit well earned Pennine Crud
and sheep Sh*t  from various bit of you body
onto floors of Cafe's, Pub's and Chippy's.

Oh did I mention, "its the Lesbian capital of
England!"

13

Gorple Lower Res.

Edge Lane finally turns into bridleway,
it tops out over the crest of the moor at Reaps Coppy.

This fellow lady mtb,er is also enjoying the wonderful
tracks of the area, but unfortunatly is going the wrong way.
I just held open the gate and let this beauty slip away!

Enjoy the fast downhill to the house.

"Looking back"

The final section of the Widdop Climb,
"If you can get around this bend you've nailed it"

I love this climb, it starts way down there on the Dam wall of Widdop Res.
Its quite an achievement to
clean, as the track is
almost back to what it was a few years ago.
Lots of fist size rocks to have you
scrambling for traction.
This picture was taken just after the track was laid.

Gorple Gate.

This is the Yorkshire/Lancashire
boundary At the summit of the
Gorple gate track.

funnily there's no gate!

"Never mind your gonna enjoy this next bit"

Are you still in one piece?

This is Cant Clough Res, its just a little climb over the hill from Hurstwood.

Another nice piece of track takes you near to
Coal Clough wind farm in the distance.
Turn right when you get to the main
road, look for gate on opposite side.

From near the wind farm
A new fast downhill with a small climb in it.
This takes you down into the Cliviger Gorge and
Holme Chapel.  This is the last pub of the epic, The Ram Inn.

One more big climb to go now,
and that's Deerplay Moor.
"There it is in the distance"

"Looking back half way up the climb,"
After crossing the main Rd at the Ram Inn, its left down a track and under the railway.
As you look back you can see the wind farm and
Holme Chapel down below.
This is one of the few unsurfaced bits.
Its a grassy push unless your legs are like Iron!
If you can make it through the two hairpins
onto the grassy field you have a good
chance of cleaning this one.
Zig zag up the grassy climb to make the grade.

21

 

 

At the top of the grassy climb
you will come across this
monument.
  When I arrived here, the late afternoon sunshine picked out the inscription to its best effect.

Take some time out here to reflect.

Thank you
Mary, Lady Towneley.

"Not a dry eye in the house"

If you would like to see more mary Towneley loop pictures click here

And finally here we go,
30 minutes from the end.
The last leg of the epic.  The undulating descent back
to Waterfoot. There's lot of gates,
but not as many as there used to be.

There in the far distance is
Cowpe Lowe again.

I have to admit that this ride is
an absolute classic, and
is a must for any mountain biker.

if you would like to add any
comments regarding the Mary Towneley loop then please
sign the guest book or
email me...Ian Donohoe.

This Trail has been made possible by the generosity of Sport England
for their financial contribution and of landowners including United Utilities,
Yorkshire Water, The Towneley Estate, Manor of Rochdale Estate
and numerous other private landowners who have dedicated new bridleway links.
Many thanks to the staff at The Countryside Agency for their help with the map.

Pennine Bridleway web-site

   The best map for the route is O/S Explorer 21

 idonohoe.com