Stairway to Heaven from Wessenden
The stepped pull out of Wessenden that gives the route its name delivers you straight onto the roof of the moor, with the whole reservoir valley dropping away behind you in one go.
Effort: Moderate distance, manageable climb
Underfoot: Open fell or rough terrain
E2·T3 — how we grade routesA 13.8km moor loop above Marsden through the Wessenden valley, climbing the stepped track known as the Stairway to Heaven onto the high Pennine moor. Reservoirs below, open bog and big views on top.
The stepped pull out of Wessenden that gives the route its name delivers you straight onto the roof of the moor, with the whole reservoir valley dropping away behind you in one go.
The route
From Marsden the route heads up into the Wessenden valley, running the track past the reservoirs that step down the clough. Where the valley steepens you take the flagged, stepped climb known locally as the Stairway to Heaven, a sharp pull that lifts you out of the valley and onto the open moor near the Pennine Way. From the high ground the route loops back across the moor and drops to the reservoir track for the run home, 13.8km with 342m of climbing, most of it in that one memorable staircase.
The valley
Wessenden is the finest of the Marsden cloughs, a chain of dark reservoirs strung down a steep-sided valley below the open moor. The tracks along it run well, and the contrast between the sheltered valley and the exposed tops above is what gives the loop its shape. Up top it is classic Dark Peak blanket bog, wet and featureless off the main line.
Why it works
The reservoir tracks make the valley sections fast and friendly, and the Stairway gives the run a clear, satisfying crux. It is a good introduction to Marsden Moor running - reachable by train, obvious to follow in clear weather - though the open moor at the top still needs navigation in cloud.
Good to know
The run starts five minutes from Marsden station, so it needs no car, and the Wessenden track leads you gently in and out either side of the climb. The Stairway itself is the crux, a sharp flagged pull that lifts you onto the open moor, so save something for it. Up top the ground is wet and featureless in cloud, so carry the means to navigate and pick a clear day. Ground-nesting birds from March to July mean dogs on the lead on the open moor, and there is grouse shooting on the tops between August and December.
The moor above Wessenden is blanket bog, wet and featureless in cloud, and the tops are fully exposed with no shelter. Ground-nesting birds from March to July, and grouse shooting on the moor from August to December.
Safety on this route
- No signal? Text 999 — pre-register first: text register to 999
- Tell someone your route and expected return time before you head out
Leave No Trace
- Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but memories.
- Please respect the countryside and all its inhabitants.
- Dogs on leads near livestock, and around ground-nesting birds from March to July.
- Gates as you find them — open or closed, leave it that way for the farmer and the next runner.
- Take it all home — wrappers, peel, tissue, the lot. It doesn't count as biodegradable if you can still see it.
- Stick to the path where the ground either side is wet, planted, or nesting habitat.
Common questions
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