Walk 1703 - Longdendale from Hadfield Station

  
Click thumbnails for larger images.

This is a gentle low-level wander up the deep Longdendale valley along the route of the old Woodhead railway and returning along reservoir paths under the brooding slopes of Bleaklow and Black Hill. The start is at Hadfield station (grid ref. SK024960), which is served by half-hourly trains from Manchester Piccadilly, alternatively there is car parking by the Longdendale Trail (grid ref. SK024961).

Leave Hadfield station and go right onto Platt Street and when the road swings under a bridge go left into the car park and join the Longdendale Trail. From here it is a simple matter of following the trail up the valley all the way to where it meets the road by the Woodhead Dam. It’s an easy stroll with the views growing ever more wild and impressive as you head up the valley, the section from the Pennine Way crossing to Pasture Wood beneath Torside and Wildboar Cloughs is particularly spectacular.

At the Woodhead Dam leave the trail and go right down the road for a short distance then cross it and take a signed concessionary footpath down through the wood. It crosses a weir beneath the dam then turns east by the shore of Torside Reservoir for about 1 ½ miles, meeting the Pennine Way for a short section to Torside Dam. Along the way there is a turn off to Crowden, just over the road where refreshments may be bought at the campsite.

Instead of following the Pennine Way over the dam wall take the lower of two tracks on the northern side of Rhodeswood Reservoir for lovely quiet section with Bramah Edge and the Devil’s Elbow looming above on the opposite side. Eventually the dam is reached and you should cross it and soon the track becomes a tarmac lane by Deepclough. Follow this lane until it crosses over the Longdendale Trail then immediately take a signposted footpath on the right, passing through fields with superb views of Hadfield, Hollingworthhall Moor and back up the valley. It turns into a walled lane to emerge between houses at Padfield.

Go right then take the second left onto Post Street to a t-junction then go right again on Platt Street which leads downhill back under the Longdendale Trail to the railway station.

OS Map showing start

Ordnance Survey Map showing starting point of walk - Click Here

Suggested Maps

It is recommended you take a map with you when following a walk route. The preferred scale is 1:25000 used by the Explorer series.

	OS Explorer	1:25,000	Sheet OL1
	OS Landranger	1:50,000	Sheet 110

Note : If two maps are listed at the same scale then either (a) both are required for full coverage of the route or (b) the route is covered on both maps.

Spring Bank Cottages, Hayfield
Self Catering - 5.7 miles / 9.2 km away

Hey Cottage, Hayfield
Self Catering - 5.7 miles / 9.2 km away

Ollerbrook Cottages, Edale
Self Catering - 9.1 miles / 14.6 km away

Saffi House, Chapel en le Frith
Self Catering - 9.3 miles / 14.8 km away

Twitchill Farm Cottages, Hope near Edale
Self Catering - 10.9 miles / 17.4 km away

Spring House Farm, Castleton
Self Catering - 11.1 miles / 17.8 km away

Swiss House, Castleton
Guest House - 11.4 miles / 18.2 km away

Tyas Cottage, Slaithwaite
Self Catering - 11.9 miles / 19.1 km away

Shatton Hall Farm Cottages, Bamford
Self Catering - 13.9 miles / 22.3 km away

Hargate Hall, Wormhill near Buxton
Self Catering - 14.4 miles / 23.0 km away

Self Catering Directory
A wide range of properties throughout UK & Europe

NOTE - all distances are "as the crow flies"

'