Mary Townley Loop

[MarkR]

 

Decided to do the Mary Townley Mountain bike loop last weekend ,for anyone who is unaware of this , it is part of the Pennine Bridleway and is a 47 mile off road cycle loop around the Pennines   I started the loop in Rossendale at 8.00 am on Saturday and  finished my first day at Makinholes Youth Hostel at about 2.30 pm totally knackered where I spent the night finishing the loop on the Sunday starting from the youth Hostel at about 8 .30 finishing in Rossendale at about 12.30

 

Worth doing but quite hard for me , lots of climbing on two rather warm days.

 

Good Climbs - Rooley Moor , Holmes Chapel

Sections Pushed - Bottomley up to Reddyshore, out of Hebden Bridge

Great Cross County - Rooley Moor , Homes Chapel to Gorple, Calderbrook to top of whitworth all worth doing as smaller sections/loops

Crap Sections - Callis  Woods poor signing steep 

 A bit Technical - Mackinholes to summit 

Good Pubs - Sheperds Rest Inn Lumbutts had the footy on which the the top brink did not 

Good egg and bacon muffin - Healey before you enter the dell l(ook for the flag sign by the road)

Place to find brand new tents - downhill from Gorple ( gave it back though)

Map - Harveys Pennine Bridleway South

 

Some photos , sorry not indirection of travel which was clockwise around the route 

 

 

 Start of the Technical section from Makinholes

 

Rooley Moor Cobbles fantastic mountain biking with a  new skills area at the end of the bridleway overlooking Rossendale

 

 

Easier section from around Watergrove reservoir -  a great easier ride from Reddishore to the top of Whitworth - worth doing on its own

 

Downhill into Makinholes -nice

 

 

Great climb up to top of Widdop 

 

Passing numerous reservois on route -Worsthorne

The rememberence stone to Mary Towneley the founder of the route

 

 

Climbing out of Rossendale

Early Start over a misty Rossendale

 

 

Dropping down in to Cliviger

 

Towards Hurstwood Reservoir

Holmes Chapel climb - good 

Lubutts single track

Easy macadam top of Summit leads to a nice fast downhill

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MarkR]

Thanks chaps see you all soon

[Derek Kenyon]

Good effort Mark, and a nice selection of photos which will inspire people to do it.

Thanks for sharing that with us.  Derek

[Rick Riding]

Nice one Mark. Looks like a great route and without all the traveling to some remote part of the country. You've inspired me. I really fancy having a go...looks great from your pics. I'll need to do a bit before i attempt it though.

[Mark Davies]

Well done Mark. Keith Eastwood and myself were talking about having a go sometime soon, sounds great Mark Davies