Field Lock, Leeds and Liverpool Canal (geograph 2746506) Field Lock, Leeds and Liverpool Canal (geograph 2746506). Photo: JThomas / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Open the interactive map → Map of NCN 66 - Central Pennines

Official route · Sustrans

NCN 66 - Central Pennines

226.3 km 1257 m climbing About 3 days 16% off road Road cycling North West England

The route runs east from Manchester across the Pennine watershed, climbing steadily through Collyhurst, Hollinwood and Middleton Junction before the valley narrows toward Walsden and the hills close in.

About a sixth of the route is off road, scattered across the middle section rather than concentrated in one place. Beyond Halifax the line eases across the broad Vale of York, passing through York itself before the final stretch to Etton over flat agricultural ground.

The figures

Distance226.3 km
Climbing1257 m
Off road37 km, about 16% of the route
Riding timeabout 13 hours, roughly 3 days at a moderate pace
RegionNorth West England
Route fromSustrans

Worth knowing before you go

Manchester to Rochdale is well served for resupply, but the stretch through the upper Calder Valley between Walsden and King Cross is thinly stocked and worth planning around. Navigation wants attention through the Bradford and Leeds conurbation, where the route threads through Barkerend, Wrose and Greengates on roads that change character quickly. East of York the route is straightforward but long, with a significant gap in settlements between Murton and Goodmanham.

Put your own dates on this and TourTrax splits it into days at your pace, finds somewhere to sleep at the end of each one, estimates what it will cost and gets you to the start without flying.

Plan this route → Download the GPX

Other route guides

NCN 66 - Central Pennines is an official route from Sustrans (their website).