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Walk Summary:  Hard 8.5 mile circular walk from Marsden, via Owlers, March Haig Reservoir, Pennine Way, back to Marsden via Standedge trail.
Start : New Inn at Marsden
Locality: Marsden
Area: West
Start OS Grid reference: SE0498111515
Start What3words : fallback.monk.chill
Difficulty: Hard
Distance miles: 8.5
Ascent meters: 357
Estimated Walk Time hours: 4.8
Pub & Locality: New Inn at Marsden
Parking: Street parking nearby
Public Transport: Bus 335 from Holmfirth to Slaithwaite Carr Lane then change to Bus 935 to Marsden. Journey time circa 1 hr 10 min.   Alternative with similar journey times Bus 310 Holmfirth to Huddersfield then Transpennine train to Marsden. 
Walk Description:  Start the walk from the station car park in Marsden and proceed by passing the National Trust office. As Station Rd is approached, keep right, past the shelter and join the canal towpath, which is followed to the left (west).   At the end of the towpath cross the bridge and take the tarmacked road past the warehouse building (1) on your right.   A road junction is reached and straight ahead there is a short entry and a signposted path through a pedestrian gate and onwards past a house on your right.   Ascend steeply to a pedestrian gate and turn left onto Stonefolds Lane.   Follow this lane for about 500m, past a number of cottages and when a junction is reached follow the tarmacked lane to the right. This passes two “farms” and after the second of these, Fair Hill Farm, the lane becomes a path passing to the rear of the building.   The path is clear and climbs quite steeply through rough, uncultivated land, then descends and crosses a stream before climbing again to reach a tarmacked lane.  Turn right, past Lower Green Owlers and at a junction turn left to climb towards White Hall Farm. Keep on the lane, ignoring the lane on the right, signed for White Hill Farm and in 50m a stile on the left starts a path to March Haigh reservoir.   The path is clear but may be wet in places.   After the stile a stream is reached in about 200m.   There is now a choice of routes, the original path is straight ahead or there is now a Yorkshire Water road to your right.   The road provides easy walking but access to it is awkward.   There are various trails through wet, boggy land which lead, in about 100m, to a flight of steps to the road. Generally the best option seems to be to keep on the right side of the stream but there is also a muddy path on the left side.   It’s a case of trial and error!   Either the original path or the new road lead to the reservoir which you pass on a path to its right (north) side.   This continues steeply up the prominent hill ahead, March Haigh (2).   The summit provides a fine view point, which having been enjoyed, is then departed from on the continuing path, initially westward and then tending to the southwest as it descends.   It is clear to follow across peaty ground, sometimes boggy in places, until it meets the Pack Horse trail from Marsden.   Here there is the option of going straight ahead, again on wet peaty ground or of turning right onto the paved Pack Horse trail, either option connecting to the Pennine Way.   Turn left here and follow the well made path to a prominent cairn where the path turns to the south and becomes a stony, broad track along the escarpment of Millstone Edge.   If blessed with good weather this section provides expansive views across Manchester and the Lancashire and Cheshire plains.   If you are not so blessed this is a bleak and exposed place demanding only the shortest dalliance.   It would be a shame though to miss the memorial to Saddleworth’s noted poet, Amon Wrigley and which may be found just below the Dinner Stone, the highest point on the edge.   One of his poignant and affecting verses is attached to one of his much loved rocks.   Hopefully, having enjoyed the attractions around the Dinner Stone you now continue along the path, descending through old, long disused, and depressingly poor fields until a path junction is reached where you turn left.   This leads to a prominent track which you briefly follow until it swings right and you keep straight ahead to a stile and gate onto Thieves Clough (3).   A well paved path leads down towards spoil heaps and the prominent remains of access shafts, all associated with the railway tunnels below you. Just before these landmarks are reached there is a path to the right which is followed, across a stream and then contouring the hillside until it reaches the A62.   Cross the road and almost opposite is the dam of Redbrook reservoir which you cross and continue ahead on a rough path.   After approximately 250m beyond the dam the path becomes rougher and less distinct at a path junction.   Have faith and continue straight ahead, although rough, the path will lead you to Mount Road, which you join and follow to the right.   Another 250m and Old Mount Road is on your left, take it and then bear left onto a track, signed for Hades Farm.   Follow for approximately 800m and as the track curves left, leave it down a path on the right, alongside a wall.   Pass through a gate and although the track continues straight ahead it is very rough so a better course is to use the adjacent field to the right, still following the course of the original lane, an old Roman Road (4).   As a wall ahead is reached, keep to a faint track to the left, which leads down to Manor Farm. Keep the farm buildings to your right and locate a crude gate ahead, which you pass through and follow a ditch or hollow road down to a stile and into Rookwood.   The path leads down to a track, which is followed down to Throstle Nest and left to the A62.   Cross the road and pass St Bartholomew’s church on your left, across a road bridge and then onto Station Rd where you turn left for the car park and your start point.
Other comments and Points of Interest:  (1)  Music & Arts – the warehouse building is now enjoying a new lease of life as the North of England Centre for Music and Arts and providing performance space, training facilities and instrument repairs. A lively and interesting facility.
(2) March Haigh – March (Old English “mearc” meaning boundary) Haigh is a noted site of Mesolithic remains.
(3) Thieves Clough is thought to be an early, possibly earliest, route across the South Pennines.  Presumably a hazardous crossing.
(4) Roman Road –  In this field archaeological excavations have revealed the surface of a Roman road. This is thought to have been the route of a road from Castleshaw Fort in Saddleworth to Slack Fort near Outlane. The full route has not yet been established with certainty but the section uncovered here is heading to present day Marsden and a ford by the junction of the Colne river and Wessenden brook, outside the River Head pub.

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