Most of it is on good paths, pavements and quiet roads, but note that the path up the hill from Binn Lane is narrow and may be overgrown, the path further up the hill is steep and a little rough underfoot, and the descent from the corner of Deer Hill Dam is a little steep (but has easier and slightly longer alternatives). The upper part of the path is a little rough, but you are soon on the surfaced road that leads to a farmhouse and the access to the higher moor....

Hugh Hudson

Eventually we reach fields and cross right onto Blackmoorfoot Road, which is surprisingly busy and has no pavement, though there is a path of sorts in the verge on the right hand side. We cross the A62 Manchester Road (which may need patience) and continue down stone steps steeply down to the bridge over the river Colne, then take the road right a short distance to the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, which leads us directly to the Slaithwaite Meeting point...

Hugh Hudson

This is almost a great route but the GPX plotting lets it down badly - most of the waypoints are well off the paths when you zoom in - maybe it looks better at 1:50000. I have submit a better plotted version as MarMel three, and have posted a detailed review with pictures there, but will give this a reluctant snail as the route can be followed by reasonably fit walkers with a bit of common sense and a map. Not suitable for wheels as there are steep paths, narrow sections and one high stone stile....

Hugh Hudson

There's a long stretch of road, which is quiet, before some fields, then the village of Upperthong and a track leading to Holmfirth. On Cooper Lane, there is a footpath leading off into Victoria Gardens which avoids some of the narrow road....

Tansy Hepton

After climbing up roads, you take the footpath at the end of Tudor Road and go straight up the hill on a track, through a yard and over a stile into a field. Crossing into the next field, keep to the RIGHT of the stone wall and follow it up the hill to the stile at the top....

Tansy Hepton

Here I investigated an alternative route that looked a good way of reducing the steep climbing, but the lower part of this path is not easy and has a potentially awkward stream crossing so I decided to retain the original route when drawing this one. I chose to investigate the shortcut path to the Pennine Way, which is easy in dry conditions but does some boggy spots that may be tricky when wet, so use this with caution. This section of the path requires care, as there are steep drops below and the path crosses a lot of rough stony ground. We cross the dam then turn right, following a good path below the old railway. I used the first path to reach the Longdendale Trail - this is fairly easy in ascent but the tunnel under the old railway is dark and has quite a steep gradient, so I wouldn't fancy doing it downhill without a torch. So the route uses much better alternative that stays on the lower path longer to an easy short switchback up to the old railway. Eventually we leave the railway where a signposted path goes left....

Hugh Hudson

This is almost a great route, but the access point to the Longdendale Trail at Summerhouse Lane needs to be clarified as it does not work as drawn. I will submit a new version and write a longer review there....

Hugh Hudson

This is almost a great route, but the access point to the Longdendale Trail at Summerhouse Lane needs to be clarified as it does not work as drawn. I will submit a new version and write a longer review there....

Hugh Hudson

I already knew the lie of the land and have done some parts of this route at various times, but there were also parts I'd never walked before, which was nice. The weather was good whilst I was on the route, and I enjoyed some great vistas. I was surprised at how long it took to do the first part, from Meltham centre to Deer Hill reservoir, which made up over half the entire route. The track continues to be reasonably well surfaced and easy going, and benefits from good views over Marsden, well before you get tom it, until Binn lane, which goes all the way down into Marsden where there is a choice of train or bus, depending on where you need to get back to....

Bex Moore

I knew most of the route as had walked it before, but never from Slaithwaite centre, so it was nice to see some different parts of Slaithwaite and Linthwaite I'd not come across before. Starting from at the bus stop on New street, the route quickly leaves the main street and follows the canal path for a little while, which I enjoyed, before crossing the second foot bridge, which takes you uphill, along a leafy footpath, eventually coming out onto the Manchester road. A little while after that it turns right up Tudor Rd and through a housing estate, before turning left at the end of the street up a footpath which leads to some cottages, where it continues uphill and over a few fields, which may or may not have cattle in them. Turning right here, along Blackmoorfoot Rd, the route follows this to Slaithwaite Rd where it turns left , and follows the road down into Meltham....

Bex Moore

Overall, the route is pretty well accessible for walkers, with only the odd short ascent....

Chris Green

This route starts in the centre of Slaithwaite, easily accessible from Leeds and Manchester by train. The route links in nicely with the the Melhol route, so you can start in Slaithwaite and finish in Holmfirth, where there are some fantastic pubs and restaurants....

Chris Green

Going from Slawit (Slaithwaite, accesible by bus and train), the route starts at Slawit Spa park just along the canal from the village centre going east, then crossing the bridge over the River Colne and over the very busy A62 at the top of the steps on to Linfit Fold directly opposite! As you get up the hill on Linfit lane, make sure you turn right on to Tudor Road don’t go up the hill, but if you do make that error, turn right on Jerusalem lane to get back on track....

Tom Reed

Near Lane takes us to the path right, which goes fairly steeply downhill to meet the Meltham Greenway. Our path has stiles and starts between fences, and I missed the right turn through the second field, a mistake easily rectified using the next crossing path. After crossing a stream, we start climbing, and the path has been diverted left to avoid a farmhouse - both the OS map and OpenStreetMap now show the correct line which goes a little wider than what the GPX shows. A little path right takes us into a pasture, which we cross, then another field takes us to an old lane between stone walls, which we follow most of the way to the farm before turning right onto the rather overgrown James Lane. Beyond the third field the path has been diverted left and now goes along the north side of the wall not the south. Eventually you should get to the far side of the main road, where we turn right over the bridge then left on Lockwood Scar....

Hugh Hudson

Had I been designing the route, I would have stayed in the park rather than diverting right - this would mean more steps but Cooper Lane is steep, has no pavements and is rather busier than I expected. At Binns Lane we go right a few steps and follow a signposted footpath up some very steep steps between gardens to reach Hill Lane. We follow the lane past the houses, then head straight on down Coach Road, which has a good pavement on the north side. We follow Holmfirth Road then turn right onto Huddersfield Road to the oddly situated Meltham meeting point, at a bus stop with no seats....

Hugh Hudson

The route starts in the centre of Holmfirth and quickly and steeply takes you out and up, through Victoria park, where it is worth turning around to look at the vista across the town (yes, it is a town, albeit small) and up via a very steep snicket with a couple of flights of steps, cutting between residential back gardens. After that its easy going, Pretty clear route, along well signposted paths and lanes, through the old part of Upperthong (very quiant) and up towards Wolfstone Heights, before heading down to Meltham via the golf course. The route finishes at the bust stop outside the Coop, but I cheated and cut off the last corner as I know the lie of the land round there, and finished in the car park behind the coop, where I met my husband who was taking me for well-earned Sunday lunch!...

Bex Moore

You have to cross 3 rivers which are quite dangerous in winter. The conditions can be quite tough so keep this route for a clear day free of wind....

Simon Burrow

And I’d recommend staying on the catch water path until Upper Acre Head where there is a gate and Good access to a quiet road down to or up from Marsden....

Andrew Lee

One was on the Transpennine Trail where it seemed to want me to go through a fence onto an adjacent path, but no access was visible....

stevepaget

Easy to follow without a description....

bikerider

Track between Crosland Edge and South Crosland often very muddy. Wide-ranging views from the open fields after South Crosland. Route passes along the length of Beaumont Park with views of the Holme Valley and Castle Hill....

robm

Unfortunately the route as plotted has a major problem as it passes along a lane past houses which has no right of way. (between SE1251013497 and SE1269313605) This necessitates a detour back uphill in the wrong direction, before 500m along a busy main road...

robm