Does Anybody know a good way of getting to Pecket Well, top road to descend towards hard castle craggs midghole, from widdop direction.

It looks like I should be able to get there via Walshaw Dean reservoir area, is that right, are there any good fun routes to do this?

I normally drop down to gorple lower then blackshaw dean drop down the woods into hebden and then climb back up but it’s am awful long way around after leaving hurstwood , I’m too knackered to head back upto Pecket well so keep missing out on that area.

Follow the route of the calderdale mountain bike Marathon. Easier to look it up than me describe it. It should do what you fancy with a couple of great descents.

Cow

You could have a gander at the routes people have taken on Strava.

https://www.strava.com/segments/1191772

Thanks Darren,I did know where it starts and how to get there but only from the east side of hebden which means working it into my usual loop towards the back end of a ride when I’m normally pretty knackered and then have to climb back up and over widdop.

I’m just wondering if I can get there via Walshaw dean widdop direction rather on the way back up from hebden.

I will check if anybody by chance has worked a similar route.

^those Pecket well Strava times- I’ve only come across a horse once when going down there but occassional runners and walkers/dogs- theres one unsighted bit that is asking for trouble if you are hitting the Strava heights.

Yes, you can go Walshaw Dean, interminable hill of doom, house of shit, Haworth Old Road, drainage ditch, Cockhill, tarmac down to Pecket. Back half of this route.

I’m always saying it on here: why not buy the OS map? You’ll be amazed at what you’ll discover.

This is the most useful map I own and consequently the most tatty and worn out:

https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop/explorer-map-south-pennines.html

From Walshaw you can loop over the top of the hill to House Of Shit, then down a decent little drop to Lumb Falls. Push out the other side and then a road section down to the top of Peckett Well.

“House of Shit”?

Believe me, you’ll know it when you see it.

@chris_db It’s an old farmhouse at the junction of the bridleways beneath Shackleton Knoll, basically it’s now a bad weather shelter for whatever animals are about.

The route DaveyBoy describes has probably got the least amount of ascent, though crossing the field from Walshaw up to Shackleton Knoll can be damp and draggy at times.

At times

Except during drought

Yep, its definitely better as a descent! In fact from Gorple(ish), I’d probably head down towards Slack, maybe across Heptonstall Moor and do Barely Legal/Blue Pig/Black Pig/Stannys and then spin up the BW/road from Hardcastle Craggs to the House of Shit and pick up from there. Yes, its a couple of miles maybe longer but loads more excellent riding rather than the farm track from Gorple to Walshaw and then that drag over the tops.

OP – where are you riding from / what kind of loop do you want to do?

Daveyboy I’m normally starting from hurstwood car park or the windmills on the long causeway so would go via gorple rocks dropping to widdop or the narrow track that runs parallel to the long causeway (sorry I forget the name) which comes out near todmorden golf club.

I normally go blacks haw Heath down Hudson mill, then either up midghole and a long boring drag back over widdop, or up towards hapton stall. The rouble is once I’ve climbed back up there and knowing it’s along way uphill and tedious bck I can’t face dropping back down the blue pig and losing the altitude I’ve just gained.

Something like this.
https://www.strava.com/activities/78388050

Like I said, I’m always west hapton stall side and wondered if I’m missing some good stuff out by not finding a way around clockwise via the west or Pecket wel. Side.

kirky
I’ll be blunt -that route is almost as sh8t as the house of sh8t 🙂 imho of course.

I’d drop down from Gorple rocks to Gorple upper res,on to lower then up to the Pennine Way over to Colden then down zigzags up Green lane,then from Hep one of the Midges pit descents.Then MTFU,go up Hep road and do Blue pig lower half or from further up the road Blue pig DH.Gird your loins then up the main rd for the peckett dscent or just push up the path at the back of the disused factory on Midgehole rd and just do the bottom half of Peckett descent .Then go to hebden and have a coffee and cake and ring your mum to come and pick you up,save riding back up the hill 😉

Thanks your right blunt, but not very helpful.

Sorry I posted before seeing your more helpful reply.

‘m really after some input with replacing some of the dull bits with more interesting sections without too many climbs up and down the valleys as I have a longish drag back to hurstwood.

The route via delf lane to tod golf club is slightly better but again I’m struggling other than climbing back up to heptobstall and found the blue pig I can’t fit too much more good stuff in between end of blue pig and netting back to widdop.

I think I’ll just drive to hebden itself once in a while and save some legs for the fun stuff.