Pennine Bridleway Map and Information

Public Transport

The Trail is accessible by public transport.  If you are planning to travel by train or bus with your bike, we recommend that you contact the operator first as not all trains/buses carry bikes and some restrict the number they will carry.

The nearest train station to Middleton Top is Cromford, a mile from the start of the High Peak Trail.  Public buses also stop about a mile away from Middleton Top.

At the northern end of the trail the official route ends at the A683 in Ravenstonedale. The nearest train station is on the southern edge of Kirkby Stephen, approximately 6km away. There is an alternative route branching off the Pennine Bridleway which will take you directly to Kirkby Stephen using public rights of way (pdf map 1Mb).

There is an in-frequent bus service between Ravenstonedale and the train station at Kirkby Stephen, see the Dales Bus website for details.

Within the Yorkshire Dales National Park, the Trail follows and leap-frogs the Settle to Carlisle Railway line providing options to enjoy sections of the trail and return by train to your starting point.  Further information is available here: Settle-Carlisle Railway

For detailed rail information please see www.nationalrail.co.uk

You can find up-to-date public transport information including a journey planner at www.traveline.info

Parking

If you want to leave your car in a public place whilst spending several days walking or cycling on the Trail, we recommend that you inform the local police of your intentions.  You may be able to leave your car with your accommodation provider.

There are a number of places along the Trail that are suitable for short stay horsebox parking.  These are shown on the Interactive Map.  We don’t recommend that you leave horseboxes overnight in rural car parks.  Many of the farmhouse accommodation providers are able to arrange secure horsebox parking – check the accommodation details on the map.

There are plenty of campsites along the Trail and they can be viewed on the Interactive Map or by selecting ‘camping’ from the list of accommodation options for each section of the Trail.

If you plan to camp please note in England and Wales, there are normally no rights for national trail users to wild camp along the way – so seeking the landowner’s permission is recommended.

There are several companies that will arrange to move your bags for you, help you plan your trip, or arrange a full package.

View a list of these companies here.

The best time to complete the Trail is April to October, when the weather is most favourable. However the route itself can be steep and exposed, so always be prepared, especially if you are planning a journey of a day or more.

Most people start in the south. The southern section of the Trail offers an easier and gentler start to a journey and the National Trail handbook for the Derbyshire to the South Pennine section and the Cycling Guide for the Mary Towneley Loop to Cumbria section are both written heading south to north.

We recommend that you take a map and/or guidebook with you, or a copy of the walk/ride leaflet if you are doing a shorter walk/ride.  You may also find a compass useful.

If you are walking/riding solo you may want to tell someone where you are going as there can be mobile black spots along the Trail.  Ensure your phone is fully charged before setting off.

Weather in the UK can be changeable so it’s wise to be prepared.  You’ll need good footwear, waterproofs and warm layers.  Take plenty of water and just in case, pack a few plasters for your feet.  In the summer you may need sun cream.

If you are cycling the Trail make sure you carry a puncture repair kit, spare inner tubes and brake blocks.

If you are riding the Trail we recommend that you carry a horse boot in case your horse loses a shoe.  It is also worth carrying a collapsible bucket – there are troughs and streams but access to water in some places can be tricky.

Phone reception can be patchy in the Pennines.  Don’t rely on being able to use your phone to help you navigate.

Wi-Fi is available at some accommodation and pubs/café’s along the route.

The UK is unique in having a network of paths that the public can use; this is the Public Rights of Way network. You can see these paths on Ordnance Survey maps.

National Trails are signed with an acorn symbol and/or the Trail name which you will see on stiles, gates and signposts. This is the symbol used by all the English and Welsh National Trails.

As you are walking/riding along the Trail you will also see waymarkers pointing to other paths. You can use the public rights of way network to leave the Trail to explore places of interest, reach your accommodation and find places to eat and drink.

You will often find a coloured arrow on signs which indicates the status of that section of path. The most common are yellow arrows which are footpaths and blue which are bridleways.

A GPX file can be downloaded from the Create Your Own Trip page (the button is below the map).

A complete circuit of the Mary Towneley Loop will see you covering 47 miles (76 km) and more than twice the climbing height of Snowdon!

Depending on your level of fitness, it might be possible to cycle the Mary Towneley Loop in a day but it’s much more sociable and enjoyable split over two or even three days.

As it’s a circular route, if you’re completing the whole Loop, you can obviously start and finish anywhere and end up back at your starting point.

It can be cycled either clockwise or anticlockwise but anticlockwise seems to be the most preferable.

The route is a mixture of rough gravel tracks, bridleways, grassy tracks and old packhorse routes.  The old packhorse routes are large setts (paving blocks) in a single row or smaller setts like a traditional pre tarmac road surface; both will shake any loose bolts and fillings out so be prepared!

The terrain is constantly changing so may appear a little unforgiving at first if you’re used to cycle paths or road riding.  You might get a section of smooth gravel for a kilometre or so and this will then change to an old track surface.   Stick with it and enjoy the variety.

As you leave Lancashire and enter North Yorkshire there are a few sections of field crossings. These can be pretty challenging by bike, especially if the fields haven’t been cut.  Keep an eye on your rear mechanism and make sure it doesn’t get clogged and damaged with grass.

Pennine Bridleway Ranger, Bill (also an experienced cyclist), shares his top tips and advice for cycling the Pennine Bridleway whilst answering this popular question.

“There is no need to rush out and buy the latest bike for the Pennine Bridleway! You can ride the route on any bike but it might not be fast or comfortable and it might not stand up to the terrain for long. The route is not a canal towpath, or a smooth cycle path, nor is it a well-groomed forest gravel track. The Pennine Bridleway takes in a variety of surfaces, well away from towns and villages, on old routes that can shake your fillings loose in sections.

“A full suspension bike, although comfortable will be slower than a hardtail.  I personally would avoid a hybrid bike as although they may be part road, part mountain bike, they tend to have an emphasis on road or smooth surface riding.  The majority of the Pennine Bridleway is off road so your bike choice should reflect this.  A cross country hardtail with front suspension is the best compromise for comfort and speed.

“Tyres are again a personal choice. I personally go for a grippy tyre on the front and a fast rolling cross country (XC) tyre on the back. The majority of the route has some sort of stone surface so a heavy mud tyre would be unnecessary and would create more drag.  Very fast rolling, lightweight file treads or hybrid town and country tyres will offer little grip in Pennine conditions (think rain and mud!) and may suffer sidewall damage easily.  If you’re riding a rigid bike, having tyres with volume will help with comfort over those bumps.

“In terms of gears, there are a lot of short stabby climbs and some long drags uphill so gearing that you can winch uphill is recommended.  It’s also advisable to make sure you’ve got suitable shoes for walking in – there’s nothing wrong with getting off and walking, be that uphill or downhill.  Road cleats would not be recommended.

“Make sure you’re carrying spare parts that are specific for your bike.  Whilst there may be cycle shops near the route, they will need a detour of several miles to reach them.  Some sections of the trail are very remote.  Having a selection of maintenance skills and spares that can get you off the hills is worthwhile.  A few recommendations would include:

• Brake pads: Wet South Pennines grit can happily destroy a set of pads in day so start with fresh pads and bring a couple of spares. (FUN Fact: the quarries around Rossendale provided the stone slabs for Trafalgar Square in London. It was used for paving in London because of its hard-wearing nature!)
• Rear mechanism hanger. There’s nothing worse than snapping this and having to ride the rest of the route with a single speed.  A split link and chain splitter is also a useful addition to your pack
• Spare inner tubes. Even if you run tubeless, it’ll be easier to fit an inner tube than to try to re-seat a flattened tubeless. A tyre boot is always useful in your kit bag.

“How you pack and what you bring will also affect your ride; their would-be little point in using a lightweight gravel bike only to overload it with excessive baggage.  It’s possible to spend a lot on bike packing gear but remember, the more you carry the heavier (and harder to handle) your bike becomes.  It might be better to spend some money on a couple of nights’ accommodation meaning you can lighten your load, and remembering the Pennine weather, you might also have the option to wash and dry your kit too!

“Saddles sores on a multi-day trip are no fun. Chamois cream, dry/clean bib shorts and a small tub of Sudocream (usually used for nappy rash) would be my top tips.

“Always check your kit before a big multi-day ride and in particular consider how easy it is to load up and how it sits on the bike.  It’s always best to go for a day ride before attempting a multi-day ride to sort out any issues with packing stability.”

Whatever your level of experience, for every cyclist there are a few basic points to consider before heading out on to the Trail.

Plan ahead, go prepared and postpone your visit if necessary. The unmade surface and terrain of the Trail means you’ll cover far fewer miles than on tarmac routes.   The Trail is exposed and prone to changing weather conditions which can make surfaces challenging.  If you start from Middleton top the first 10 miles (16 km) are on a disused railway.  This is the smoothest the Pennine Bridleway will be and is not typical of the majority of the Trail – it will get hillier and the surface will get rougher!

The Trail is a ‘shared use’ route. This means you could come across not just other cyclists but also horse riders, walkers, dogs, people using mobility scooters or trampers, event runners and so on.  You may also come across people who live and work alongside the Trail and also livestock being farmed on land which the Trail crosses.   Everyone’s experience of the Pennine Bridleway will be more enjoyable if we are friendly and considerate towards each other.

There are some useful tips for how to pass horse riders safely in this video produced by Cycling UK and the British Horse Society: ‘Be Nice Say Hi’ campaign

Cyclists should make themselves familiar with the Countryside Code and Cycling UK’s Off-Road Code of Conduct before heading out on the Pennine Bridleway.

Please respect the Pennine Bridleway and keep erosion to a minimum by keeping to the worn track and not straying either side of the main trail route.

The official guidebook and map for the Trail are available from the The Trails Shop along with a wide range of gifts and other merchandise.

You can find a list of Ordnance Survey maps for the Trail here.

Certificates are available from the The Trails Shop.

There are a wide range of useful leaflets to download, which will help you explore some of the different sections of the route.  Find these in the Further Information section.