This guidebook covers the northern stages of the Pennine Bridleway, through Lancashire, Yorkshire and Cumbria, a dedicated and waymarked mountain biking and horse-riding trail that opened in 2011. Using part of the Mary Towneley Loop, the route is described for mountain bikers from Summit, just outside Rochdale all the way to Ravenstonedale in Cumbria, in about 176km.

11 circular day mountain bike routes are included for those who do not wish to ride the whole route as a linear trail. It splits the main bridleway into rides of 8 - 16 miles in length.

A grand total of 384km of trail are covered, mapped using OS map extracts and illustrated with profiles, photographed and described in enough detail to suit all levels of navigational ability. Appendices also offer information on local facilities, accommodation, bike shops and other useful contacts for planning your days out or longer trip along the Bridleway, and information provided before each route description includes distance, ascent, grading, estimated time and percentage of route off-road, as well as maps needed and pubs and cafes en route.

Overview map

Introduction               

Where to start?            
Getting there   
Who is this guide for? 
When to go     
Accommodation         
Safety 
How far can I ride in a day?   
What type of bike will I need?
Waymarks and access
Using this guide         
What to take   

Section 1: The Mary Towneley Loop 

Summit to Hurstwood (anti-clockwise)         

Section 2: A linear description of the Pennine Bridleway     

The Lancashire Link

Part 1   Hurstwood to Barnoldswick   
Part 2   Barnoldswick to Long Preston           

The Yorkshire Dales

Part 1   Long Preston to Horton-in-Ribblesdale         
Part 2   Horton-in-Ribblesdale to Garsdale Head       
Part 3   Garsdale Head to Ravenstonedale      

Section 3: Day loops off the Pennine Bridleway        

Route 1            The Settle Loop          
Route 2            Giggleswick, Wharfe and Catrigg Force       
Route 3            Clapham, Crummack Dale and Feizor           
Route 4            Horton-in-Ribblesdale, Helwith Bridge and Sulber Nick      
Route 5            Ribblehead to Ling Gill and Horton-in-Ribblesdale  
Route 6            Ribblehead to Dentdale, via The Craven Way           
Route 7            Cam High Road and The Ribble Way
Route 8            Arten Gill, Dent Head Viaduct and the Driving Road           
Route 9            Garsdale to Dentdale, via Dandra Garth        
Route 10          Lady Anne’s Highway           
Route 11          Ravenstonedale, Pendragon Castle & High Dolphinsty        

Appendices

Appendix A    Route summary tables
Appendix B     Local facilities
Appendix C     Useful contacts           
Appendix D    Accommodation         
Appendix E     Bike shops     

Seasons

perfect in spring and summer when the Dales are at their most attractive; winter conditions offer a new adventure but the Pennines can be tough in bad weather.

Centres

Littleborough, Burnley, Barnoldswick, Long Preston, Settle, Horton-in-Ribblesdale, Dentdale, Garsdale Head, Ravenstonedale, Kirkby Stephen

Difficulty

graded routes from easy, family rides for beginners through to tough challenges for experienced riders; routes can be linked for longer days

Must See

classic limestone country, including the Yorkshire Three Peaks - Ingleborough, Pen-y-ghent, Whernside; Ribblehead, Garsdale, Ravenstonedale, Mallerstang

Ordnance Survey provides maps of the area covered in both 1:50,000 (Explorer) and 1:25,000 (Landranger) scales. The most up-to-date 1:50,000 scale mapping has been used in this guidebook, and each route description details the relevant OS map (or maps) required for that ride. From south to north these are:

• OS Explorer OL21 South Pennines
• OS Explorer OL41 Forest of Bowland & Ribblesdale
• OS Explorer OL2 Yorkshire Dales (Southern & Western area)
• OS Explorer OL19 Howgill Fells & Upper Eden Valley

Equivalent Landranger maps covering the route are as follows:

• OS Landranger 103 Blackburn and Burnley (Mary Towneley Loop and Lancashire Link Parts 1 and 2)
• OS Landranger 98 Wensleydale and Upper Wharfedale (Yorkshire Dales Parts 1, 2 and 3)
• OS Landranger 91 Appleby-in-Westmorland (Yorkshire Dales Part 3)

We do not yet have any updates available for this book

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