This mountain bike route of 21.4 miles follows the trails across the moorlands north of Calderdale, in South Yorkshire. After starting from Hebden Bridge the route goes through Oxenhope, then along the Bronte Way to Ogden Water, before returning. It's a great ride with a mixture of terrain for the descents, which includes Pecket Well, and some big climbs that will get your legs burning. If you do this on a bad day bear in mind it can be a bit bleak on't moor, as there is nowhere to hide from the weather.
1. Start from the car park in the centre of town, just over the bridge from St George's Square, near the A6033 (GR992274). Leave the car park from road junction and turn left to go across the bridge to St George's Square. At the square turn left to the junction with the A6033 a short distance later. Turn left and climb the A6033. At the traffic lights go straight ahead to continue up the A6033. After the lights take the third road on the left, at a four way junction (GR993280).
2. Follow Midgehole Road all the way to the public toilets, just before the National Trust car park (GR988291). Directly after the toilets turn right up the thin track between the dry stone walls, signed as a bridleway. At the junction at the top turn right and climb the lane up the left hand side of the valley. The lane soon becomes gravel track as it re-enters the trees. Climb straight ahead past all the tracks on either side. After leaving the trees behind continue up the valley and go through a gate, by a farm on the right. This leads on to a flat section of trail that leads to a junction with a gate on the left, by a derelict building (GR989313).
3. Go straight on past the building and continue up the valley. The trail then bears left to a gate. After the gate go through a right hand bend to another gate. Go through this gate and descend the main trail, going past the tracks on the left, to a bridge over the stream at the bottom. Go over the bridge and follow the track to a junction with a lane (GR995324).
4. Turn left, and climb the steep lane straight on, past the junctions on either side. When the lane becomes a gritstone track follow it straight on. At a junction with a track on the left go straight on for the final tricky kick up of the climb. At the top of the hill follow the wall on the left along a flat section of trail. Before long the track heads down hill for a very rocky start to the descent. Go through the gate at the bends then continue ahead, along the main track. The trail flattens off slightly before bearing left through the next gate, which leads on to a steep rocky section that finishes at a farm, on the left. At the farm follow the track straight on down to the reservoir. Follow the track around the right hand side of the reservoir to the junction in front of the dam (GR017352).
5. Turn right and go past the cottages to a crossroad junction. Turn right and descend straight ahead on the road through the dip, to where it ends at a junction with the main road (A6033) on the outskirts of Oxenhope (GR031348). Turn left and descend the main road through a left hand bend to a junction with a road on the right, by a Bay Horse Inn on the left (GR032348). Turn right and descend the road to the next junction, then turn left and follow the road to where it ends a junction with the B6141 (GR034348).
6. Turn right and climb the steep road out of Oxenhope, all the way to a crossroad junction by the Dog & Gun Inn near the top of the hill (GR048342). Turn right and climb the dead end lane. At the junction on the left hand bend turn left to climb steeply up the lane to the house at the top. Follow the lane around the back of the house, where it becomes a flat dirt track. The track then goes through a right hand bend to a gated junction. Go straight on through the gate along the wide track, keeping the reservoir on the left. The track soon bears left and comes to a gated junction (GR046333).
7. Go through the gate on the left to climb the gravel track, which is the Bronte Way, to the top of the hill. At the top continue straight ahead along the rutted, criss crossing singletrack. The track soon points down hill for a great descent of many lines. Keep follow the obvious track straight ahead. When the track reaches the top of a small valley bear left on the trail and continue descending. The track eventually comes to a gate, after which it thins down as it descends through a small cutting. Go through the next gate and descend the wide broken track to a lane (GR068309).
8. Turn right and follow the lane to the next junction then turn left and descend to the Ogden Water dam. Go straight on through the gate then along the cobbled path across the dam. On the far side of the dam bear right and climb the wide cobbled concessional bridleway. Climb this track all the way to a junction with a road at the top (GR045306). Turn right and follow the road past the wind farm on the right, to where it becomes a wide gravel track, just after a gated junction on the left. Continue straight on along the gravel track, above Warley Moor Reservoir on the left. The track eventually becomes a tarmac lane again just before it comes to a junction with a gated track on the left, where the lane starts descending steeply (GR033323).
9. Turn left, through the gate and descend the grassy double track to the next gate. Go through the gate and follow the boggy track over a few thin wooden bridges, to a junction at the far right hand corner of the reservoir (GR026320). Turn right and go through the gate then follow the grassy singletrack along the left hand side of the drainage ditch for about 1.5 miles to a junction with a track on the left, by a small stone bridge (GR014300). Go straight on, then soon after bear right and climb the boggy trail to the trig point at the top of High Brown Knoll (GR009304).
10. After the trig point bear slightly right and follow the singletrack that weaves through the rocks as it crosses the top of the moor. The trail eventually comes out to a steep, stepped grassy descent that ends at a gate at the A6033 (GR999311). Go through the gate then turn left and descend the main road into Pecket Well. Bear right on the main road through the village and go past the Robin Hood Inn to a junction with a road on the left (GR996293). Continue straight on down the main road and go past the bus shelter, immediately after. Directly after a junction with a tarmac track on the right, a short distance after the bus shelter, turn right down the thin, rock paved track (GR996292).
11. Descend the steep rocky track, by the dry stone wall on the right, into the trees. At the next junction turn right and descend the cobbles, then bear left over the stream and up a short climb. The trail soon starts descending again, becoming rocky and quite technical. Go though a number of bends to a junction by a house. Continue straight on down the drop to where the track finishes directly on a lane at the bottom (GR990291).
12. Turn left and follow the lane to the junction with the A6033 on the outskirts of Hebden Bridge. Turn right and descend the main road into the town to the junction at the bottom in the dip (GR993273). Turn right, then at St George’s Square, a short distance later, turn right over the bridge and return to the car park to complete the ride.
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