Calder Divide Trail

Calder Divide Trail The Calder Divide Trail is a long distance circular route that connects the old network of packhorse

09/09/2026

With 12 valleys to climb that means there are lots of descents like this one after Piethorne valley.

www.calderdividetrail.co.uk

One bonus of the wind farms up on our Pennine Moors, beside the logic of using a renewable energy, is that the access tr...
08/09/2026

One bonus of the wind farms up on our Pennine Moors, beside the logic of using a renewable energy, is that the access tracks make vg bike trails.

On this section of the 240km route riders are in the shadow of Hades Hill where in 1898 an archaeological big at the Bronze Age burial chamber revealed bones, food vessels and pottery.

Of course on the 5th CDT in a weeks time riders will be thinking of more earthly matters such as ‘how far is to the finish’ and ‘can I have extra peas with my pie’ 😋

The answers are 35km and yes.

www.calderdividetrail.co.uk

At the head of the Holme Valley we climb up this lane to the mountain Col at Wessenden Head. Then it’s a long flowing de...
07/09/2026

At the head of the Holme Valley we climb up this lane to the mountain Col at Wessenden Head.

Then it’s a long flowing descent to Marsden in the Colne Valley.

Riders on the 5th Calder Divide Trail then face the toughest section of the route as they climb Marsden Moor on an old packhorse track and onto Blackstone Edge.

The finish line is at Mytholmroyd Community Centre about 50kms away.

Event: Calder Divide Trail
Date: 19th - 20th September
Routes: 100 miles or 140 miles

www.calderdividetrail.co.uk

The ‘Washlands’ (grvl) route for the 5th Calder Divide Trail has had a make over with two short detours and a new sectio...
07/09/2026

The ‘Washlands’ (grvl) route for the 5th Calder Divide Trail has had a make over with two short detours and a new section of route

The detours are due to infrastructure works.

The first is a long running rail project in Dewsbury requiring us to go over three roundabouts instead of the quiet towpath.

The second is engineering works at a reservoir with the detour pretty decent as it goes into Holmbridge and up a quiet lane.

The new section of route is to the west with riders climbing up to Free Holds Top, picking up Ramsden packhorse track, over Flower Scar Moor and down to Portsmouth then a climb up to Sagar Lane, onto Dukes Cut and a fab long descent via Blackshawhead.

The old route was 230km / 3,533m
The new route is 235km / 3,771m

An embroidered cloth badge with gold edges is the reward.

www.calderdividetrail.co.uk

01/09/2026

Eastergate packhorse bridge was built some time around the 1720’s to serve the busy trade route between Marsden, Oldham and Todmorden.

On the Calder Divide Trail we cross the bridge and head over Marsden Moor on a well marked but rough track.

The moor is an important area for wildlife and the National Trust have undertaken vital tree planting on the heavily eroded banks using seeds gathered from local trees.

The moor is in effect a huge bowl collecting water that flows into the River Colne and onto the River Calder.

As we climb the moor P**e Hill rises up to the north and forms the upper headwaters.

This prominent hill with its Pen y Ghent face was the site of a Mesolithic camp with worked flint and stone.

4,000 years ago the landscape the first hunter gathers found was forested and alive with a rich variety of animals. Hopefully it will be again.

Event: Calder Divide Trail
Date: 19th - 20th September
Routes: 100 miles or 140 miles

www.calderdividetrail.co.uk

Just four weeks to go and it’s the 5th Calder Divide Trail event from Mytholmroyd Community Centre.I had a look at my ‘t...
20/08/2026

Just four weeks to go and it’s the 5th Calder Divide Trail event from Mytholmroyd Community Centre.

I had a look at my ‘to do’ list and most things are in order.

- event room and farm campsite are booked

- GPX files have been edited to take into account the diversion at Yateholme reservoir

- embroidered cloth badges have been ordered

A lot of tasks are just me on the computer so it was a nice change this week to have a lovely conversation with Sarah from the Overgate Hospice fundraising team about the donation our event will make. More on that soon.

There is one important job I haven’t done and that is to order the pie n peas! So first thing tomorrow I’ll ring Di’s Pies and get 132 of the best pies in Yorkshire ordered 😋

Adrian

www.calderdividetrail.co.uk

Shout out to my newest followers! Excited to have you onboard.www.calderdividetrail.co.ukMark Whitham, Digger Walsh, Rac...
19/08/2026

Shout out to my newest followers! Excited to have you onboard.

www.calderdividetrail.co.uk

Mark Whitham, Digger Walsh, Rachel Rose, James Partington, John Marshall

There are two diversions in place on the CDT both due to works being done on public infrastructure and so the off-road t...
18/08/2026

There are two diversions in place on the CDT both due to works being done on public infrastructure and so the off-road tracks we want to use are closed.

The Dewsbury diversion has been in place for 3 years with no end in sight as apparently it takes that long to upgrade a track whereas building the whole line from scratch took two years!

The only positive is that it shouldn’t take 3 more years to get the train line upgraded and our route can then go back onto the Spen Valley Greenway cycle bridge over the Calder and east to the fab Saville Town canal basin.

The Yateholme diversion is more straightforward and is in place till December.

The GPX files for the 5th CDT event on 19th -20th September will be updated and sent out by 14th September.

Adrian

www.calderdividetrail.co.uk

On the ‘Whirlaw’ MTB route (135 miles) riders enjoy one final descent with a track running from Bean Hole Farm down to t...
14/08/2026

On the ‘Whirlaw’ MTB route (135 miles) riders enjoy one final descent with a track running from Bean Hole Farm down to the valley floor.

In places it’s narrow and set between stone walls with sudden drops and rock gardens.

A section of the track is set at the edge of a ravine and so you ride amongst the upper canopy of an oak wood.

The track does open out to give you a panoramic view of the Upper Calder Valley with Stoodley Pike on its gritstone plateau.

After the rock fest it’s a smooth run on the towpath of the Rochdale Canal as you head to the event room in Mytholmroyd and your pie n peas 😋

Event: Calder Divide Trail
Date: 19th - 20th September
Routes: 100 miles or 140 miles

The 5th event now has a waiting list with invites going out when riders cancel and spaces freed up.

Adrian

www.calderdividetrail.co.uk

Address

Mytholmroyd Community Centre
Mytholmroyd
HX75AF

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