Whitod one

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Whitod here.

You'll need to cherish a challenge to complete this walk, but it is fun, exposed, and fairly picturesque, particularly around the Todmorden end. If you’re not daunted by sketchy paths, it’s well worth the effort, with farm buildings and cattle ponds serving as useful landmarks. As you near Whitworth navigation becomes more difficult. The paths tend to disappear, and access issues arise when trying to pass via the high ground. These can be surmounted by taking the lower route, though just barely, which can be a bit frustrating. And on the last bit getting to the road, access is cut off from the direction suggested by the Slow route - the low path gets you there.

The route starts off with some pleasing canal-side industrial architecture as you leave Todmorden, but soon takes you on a steep climb up onto the moor. Be sure to carry enough water.

There are sections where the path becomes unclear, particularly in boggy areas where it’s easy to lose your way. You’ll need to orient yourself towards the farm buildings and be prepared to wade through the bog. There are also spots where the Slow Ways path diverges from more established routes, and it’s often better, or necessary, to stick to the more well-trodden paths and red marked paths.

We walked this route Tod - Whitworth. Supply yourself with all you need in Tod as it's a rugged walk and there's not much in Whitworth. It's pleasing canal industrial architecture on the way out of Tod, then a steep climb up onto the moor. Take water! And make the most of the last bit of shade before the top where it is quite exposed if sunny. The way onto the path is not well described by the route - see photo 1 - annotated.
The path up top is agricultural for most of the way so good. Maybe accessible by mountain bike at the Tod end, but not easily so, and definitely not at the Whitoworth end due to access issues.
There are a couple of places where the path gets lost in the bog - there are some blue signs but basically the path is sketchy and you have to orient towards the farm building and wade through.
There are also a couple of points the Slow Ways path tries to cut off the established paths and it is better or necessary to stick to them - see photos. One where you need to stay lower down than the SW path shows, and on the red marked path, and one (photo '2') where you need to follow the red path and can go back up Clough Road, or stick on the red path until it joins the SW again.
It's a fun, exposed and fairly picturesque walk though at the Tod end, so if you're not afraid of sketchy paths I would recommend it. It's easy to orient with the farm buildings and cattle drinking pond.
As you come towards Whitworth, it becomes very hard to orient. Paths get lost and there are access issues if you pass via the high ground which are surmountable if you pass by the low ground, but only just. A bit frustrating.
In Whitworth, the Brass Band club is a friendly spot to get a drink (and charge a phone if you need to).

Todmorden- Whitworth

I’d rate this walk between 2 and 3 partly because it’s easy to lose the path on the moors. Leaving Todmorden affords some great views, and feats of engineering - a beautiful enormous brick wall is one, a lovely view of the railway running through the landscape another. We found it hard to find the path onto the moor and once on it, a challenge finding a path to tally with the way to hook up with the track down to Whitworth. More people treading this slo way will help establish the route - we got lost in boggy patches trying to follow the green line. No faulting the views though, which were good lung fillers.

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