Well that sucked, I found an mmo route of the MTL and printed out a big detailed map. It was wrong, it took a slightly different route to the MTL in a few places and a completely different route on heptonstall moor. So when the MTL signs did get thin on the ground and I needed a map check I often wasn't where the map suggested I was and took a wrong turn – yes this could have been solved by double checking the map before I set off but MTL = MTL I'd have thought. Anyway I figured out what was wrong halfway round and used the map as a rough guide from then on and did OK. Will try to figure out where I got this mmo from and have a moan at the creator.
Official signage is mixed, in one rat run with no turn offs there were loads of signs in other places like open moorland with loads of turn offs there was only a sign every 2 miles or so.