Cycle Touring
Pennine Cycleway ( Route68 )
 The Pennine Cycleway is England's longest 'challenge' cycle route and runs from Derby to Berwick-upon-Tweed, through remote and beautiful scenery in the National Parks of the Peak District, Yorkshire Dales & Northumberland. It follows quiet country lanes for 80% of its length, with traffic free paths, forest tracks and disused railway lines making up the remainder of the route.
Running from Derby in the Midlands the Pennine Cycleway visits the Peak District, climbs the Pennines in South and West Yorkshire, passes under Pendle Hill in Lancashire, and travels through the Yorkshire Dales before reaching Appleby in the Eden Valley. From here there is a traverse of the Northern Pennines at Hartside before continuing on to Haltwhistle and the end of the route at Berwick-upon-Tweed on the magnificent Northumbrian coast.
The route is split into three sections giving you the option of tailoring a cycling holiday to your needs so you have the choice of doing the whole route in one go or maybe just attempting the one section leaving the others for another time.
- Southern section - Derby to Holmfirth - 81 miles
- Central section - Holmfirth to Appleby - 124 miles
- Northern section - Appleby to Berwick -150 miles
"Its a marvellous route from beginning to end, with so many highlights you'd need a phone directory to list them all"
Julie Welch - Guardian travel writer
Along the whole of the route there are many tourist attractions, towns and villages each with their own unique character as well literally hundreds of breathtaking vistas along the route to force you to take a breather now and again.
Places
The Pennine Cycleway passes through many wonderful towns and villages which offer a warm welcome and a chance to pick up refreshments.
Route
Cycleway middle Section - Holmfirth to Appleby
The central section of the Pennine Cycleway begins with a long steep climb away from Holmfirth and for me the next 20 or so miles is the hardest section of the whole route. The hills are straight up then straight down (or so it seems!) and lots of you will end up walking your bike up some of the steeper ones. Don't let this put you off though as the views are absolutely glorious and it is the PENNINE Cycleway after all.
After the steep climb out of 'Last of the Summer Wine' country at Holmfirth there is a fast descent into Meltham (watch out for the hairpin bends at the bottom) from where quiet roads lead you past Blackmoorfoot Reservoir before a big long climb out of Slaithwaite. From here it is a generally downhill cycle which includes a couple of miles of traffic free section with a short stretch along side Scammonden Water (you will notice in these parts a reservoir everywhere you look!) before the long descent into Sowerby Bridge. Minor roads then lead you to Hebden Bridge and a choice of route:
A: Head east over the moor to Burnley where a 7 mile stretch of (flat!) canal towpath awaits you
or
B: Take the ultra scenic (and shorter) route over Widdop Moor to just out of Colne where the routes rejoin. From Colne you have 5 more miles of flat canal towpath and then a mildly undulating and absolutely gloriously scenic section on minor roads through Gargrave and into the Yorkshire Dales. Cycling on wonderfully quiet roads through Airton you then face a long climb up onto the moors above Settle before dropping down steeply into this historic market town. Upon leaving Settle a traffic free section (can be a bit rough and busy at times) awaits at Clapham before arriving at Ingleton and then the ascent through Kingsdale and a steep descent into the village of Dent.
A very undulating route on minor roads then takes you through Sedbergh and the base of the Howgills before crossing twice under the M6 over open moorland into the isolated village of Orton from where a long but slight uphill beckons you on before dropping down to past green fields and the end of the Pennine Cycleway central section at the historic market town of Appleby-in-Westmorland
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