Mary Towneley Loop

Mary Towneley Loop

The Mary Towneley Loop is one of those MTB trail epics to tick off the list. Forming the original section of the Pennine Bridleway National Trail, it traces a full 75km (47 miles) circuit along the South Pennines, across the Lancashire, Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire border country. It is not overly technical, but the distance and the steady run of steep climbs make it a serious day out: budget 7 to 10 hours for a single push, or spread it over 2 to 3 days.

The Trails

This is one continuous waymarked route rather than a network of separate trails, so there is nothing to choose between: just the loop. Surfaces mix stone causeway, gravel, grass and short stretches of tarmac, and the route is marked throughout with the National Trail Acorn symbol. It is a full circuit, so you can join it at any point, but most riders prefer to travel anti-clockwise. Because it loops back on itself, there is no single official start, and where you begin comes down to transport rather than the trail itself.

The Mary Towneley Loop was the first section of the Pennine Bridleway National Trail to open, completed in 2002, and later became part of the full 205-mile Pennine Bridleway running from Derbyshire to Cumbria. It is named after Lady Mary Towneley, a horse rider who campaigned for the creation of the Pennine Bridleway, giving walkers, riders and cyclists a purpose-built long-distance route across the Pennines.

Getting Here

The Summit, on the B6225 at 140 Summit, Littleborough, OL15 9QX, sits directly on the route and is a straightforward, well-known place to start. Two other car parks are commonly used to join the loop: Watergrove Reservoir at Wardle, a couple of miles from Littleborough, and Blackshaw Head above Hebden Bridge, handy for riders wanting easy access to the New Delight pub partway round.

Rail stations close to the loop include Littleborough, Smithy Bridge, Walsden, Todmorden and Hebden Bridge, all served from Leeds and Manchester, so download a route or use GPS navigation before you set off and pick a station near your preferred start.

Closest Bike Shops

• Rawtenstall / Waterfoot
• Hebden Bridge
• Todmorden
• Broadley

Maps and Guides

• National Trails: The Mary Towneley Loop - official route page, maps and planning information.
• A Mountain Biker's View of the Mary Towneley Loop - a rider's detailed, photo-led account of riding the full loop anti-clockwise.

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