Marsden 10 Mile Challenge

The route

From Marsden village the route climbs onto the moor and makes a big 16.4km circuit of the National Trust estate, linking the Wessenden reservoirs, the Pennine Way along the Standedge watershed and the old crossings that thread the moor together. The climbing, 357m of it, comes in steady pulls rather than one long haul, and much of the route runs on good moor tracks and reservoir roads that keep it moving. It is a tour of the moor rather than a summit bid, and it takes in more of Marsden Moor's character than any single out-and-back.

The moor

Marsden Moor is a vast sweep of blanket bog and heather crossed by drovers' routes and reservoir tracks. The Wessenden valley, with its string of dams, is the heart of it, and the Pennine Way runs the high western edge past Black Moss and the Standedge cutting. It is exposed, historic country, bleak in bad weather and glorious in good.

Why it works

The good tracks make it one of the more runnable big moor loops in the north, and Marsden's station puts it within reach without a car. Off the tracks the ground is wet and the tops featureless in cloud, so pick a clear day and carry the means to navigate.

Good to know

Few big moor loops are as easy to reach as this: Marsden's station, on the Manchester to Leeds line, sits right at the start, and the village around the canal has cafes and pubs for afterwards. The good tracks make it runnable, but off them the ground is wet and the tops featureless in cloud, so carry map and compass and pick a settled day. The National Trust estate office in Marsden can advise on shoot days and access, and the ground-nesting bird season from March to July means dogs on the lead and care to keep to the paths.