76 | Cycling World
LONGDENDALE Route Map cyclist to brave the four miles on the hairy A6 from Buxton station to the start of the trail at Millers Dale . Families tend to bring their bikes in the car or take a taxi from the station and hire bikes at Blackwell Bike Hire , a mile ’ s walk from the car park .
www . peakdistrict . gov . uk
LONGDENDALE TRAIL
On the morning of the Tour de Yorkshire this busy former railway track between Manchester and Sheffield buzzed with the whirr of tyres on tarmac as thousands of spectators rushed to Holme Moss to get a prime viewing spot on the moor . The sevenmile Longdendale Trail to the Woodhead Tunnels is a peaceful traffic-free section of the Transpennine Trail linked by road to another off-road path from Dunford Bridge to Penistone , and popular as part of a daytrip to Sheffield . The start of the Longdendale Trail is conveniently located close to Hadfield station , so you can take the whole family along a ride on the train from Manchester without getting out the car , though you will need to turn round and go back again . You ’ ll cruise past a string of reservoirs and wild open moorland , with magnificent views of the Nine Holes Bridge and Torside reservoir , which once powered cotton and paper mills and now supplies much of Greater Manchester ’ s water . The surfaced path is an easy , mainly flat cycle to the Woodhead tunnels , with a crossing at the B6105 Glossop road . Three parallel tunnels , which are closed to the public , are each three miles long and now carry electricity via cables . Famous as the location for filming of ‘ League of Gentlemen ’ the traditional mill town of Hadfield has shops , toilets , a cafe and bike hire ( Longdendale cycles ). Real ale fans may want to make a detour to larger Glossop , where Music pub The Globe serves up a fine selection of beers , and is also , unusually , a destination throughout Greater Manchester for vegan food .
www . transpenninetrail . org . uk