The Mary Towneley Loop

The Mary Towneley Loop is a section of the Pennine Bridleway National Trail for horse riders, mountain bikers and walkers. It follows bridleways and byways or short sections of public road.

Generally this Loop is reasonably demanding because of the way it dips into and out of the steep sided South Pennine valleys. There are a variety of tracks - grass gravel, grass, aggregate, stone causeway, stone sets as well as some short sections of tarmac. The going is not fast for horses because of the amount of stone track but there are some grassy sections too!

Particular care should be taken on the approaches to the A6033 crossing near Bottomley where the track either side of the road is very steep. To the north of the crossing the stone sets can be slippery when wet. Between the road crossing and Summit care is required as the route passes along Reddyshore Scout where there is a sheer drop on the east side.

Getting to the Loop

Choose your starting point according to your transport needs. The railway stations closest to the Mary Towneley Loop, at Smithy Bridge, Littleborough, Walsden, Todmorden and Hebden Bridge, are all served by direct trains from Leeds and Manchester (Victoria).

Mountain-bikers in particular may find it best to travel the Loop anti-clockwise. The route is physically challenging because it climbs up and down the steep-sided South Pennine valleys.