Longdendale Trail

The Longdendale Trail is a 6.5-mile (10.4-km) point-to-point route from Hadfield’s Platt Street to Woodhead Tunnels, following the former railway through the reservoir valley. Its shallow gradient and compacted-earth surface make it an easy walk or cycle. Allow 2½–3 hours one way. It is not a loop: arrange a lift or retrace the route for about 13 miles.

From Hadfield, the line rises gently east past fields, short wooded stretches and Torside, Rhodeswood, Valehouse and Bottoms reservoirs. Gravel gets rougher beside Woodhead Reservoir; wet patches can bog and winter ice makes the path slippery. One B6105 crossing near Torside dam interrupts the traffic-free track. At Woodhead Tunnels, the old station layout marks the end. The railway linked Manchester and Sheffield until 1981; the trail opened in 1992. At Torside, include the gravel path beside the reservoir in your photo.

Start at Hadfield’s Platt Street access by the station; the public car park is nearby around SK13 1DW. Torside and Crowden lots provide more access; Torside has toilets, an information point and picnic area. Hadfield has shops, cafés and toilets. United Utilities guidance welcomes dog-walking; bring waste bags. The tourism guide calls the route suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs, though coarse gravel and the road crossing may be less comfortable.