The Longdendale Trail
THE LONGDENDALE TRAIL
A gentle walk along part of the Trans Pennine Trail
A FAMILY FRIENDLY PEAK DISTRICT WALK
The Longdendale Trail is a gentle Peak District walk along an old railway line following the beautiful chain of reservoirs in the Longdendale valley. This is a family friendly walk with options to make it as long or as short as you like.
2.6-12.8 miles
1-5 hours
EASY
STARTING THE LONGDENDALE TRAIL
We normally drive to the car park in Hadfield to srart the Longdendale Trail as it puts you right at the start of the trail, although you could easily start your walk from the holiday cottage. Head off along the trail and you'll soon come to a point where the view across the valley opens up. This bench provides a nice spot to pause and take some photos.
SHORT WALK OPTION
Continue along the footpath and you will come to a sign post pointing down the hill towards the Valehouse Reservoir. Turn left onto this path if you want to do a short loop down to the reservoir and back to the car park, taking about an hour in total. Otherwise continue straight ahead for the medium to long walk options.
MEDIUM WALK OPTION
Most groups tend to opt for the medium length walk which is approximately 4.6 miles long and takes just under 2 hours. Continue along the Longdendale Trail and look for another path that turns off to the left. This takes you down to Rhodeswood Reservoir. From here you can cross the dam, then turn left to follow the path on the other side of the reservoir. When you get to the Valehouse Reservoir dam you can cross back over and rejoin the original path back to the car park.
LONG WALK OPTION
If you'd prefer a long walk then carry on along the Longdendale Trail until you reach a staggered cross road in the path. Turning left takes you down to Topside Reservoir where you can cross the dam and loop back on the other side of the valley.This walk is approximately 6 miles and takes about 4 hours in total. Or if you're feeling really energetic, turn right to extend your walk all the way to the end of the trail.
THE FULL TRAIL
Not for the faint hearted, this option takes you along the full length of the Longdendale Trail all the way to the Woodhead tunnels where the original railway tunnelled under the Peak District. The path is approximately 7 miles long which means you'll need the best part of 6 hours to walk the full trail there and back. Cross the road and turn left to pick up the trail and continue along Topside Reservoir. You'll know you're on the right track when you see the blue information sign about the Longdendale Trail.
THE LONGDENDALE ACCESSIBILITY PROJECT
The next part of the walk covers the Longdendale Accessibility Project. This section of the path has been upgraded to make it more accessible for people with various disabilities. There are four soundboxes with recordings by Brian Blessed which tell you the fascinating history of the trail, the railway and the reservoirs. There is also a handy (and well maintained) public toilet in the car park.
WOODHEAD RESERVOIR AND TUNNELS
The final section of the route reveals some sensational scenery and culminates at the Woodhead tunnels. It's hard to believe but these tunnels used to take trains under the Peak District through to Sheffield. Take a moment to read the information on the signs and appreciate the feats of engineering involved before heading back.You can either take the same route back or cross over on any of the dams to walk back on the other side of the valley.
