Mary Townley Loop

Gloi

Too little time, too much to read.
Joined
8 May 2012
Messages
11,229
Location
Lancashire
Visit site
We are thinking of riding the Mary Townley Loop in September over 3 days.
I'm currently trying to do the planning. There will be 3 people, 3 ponies and 2 cars/trailers.
Can anyone recommend any of the places to stay on the route and give your experiences if you've ridden it/stayed somewhere. I'm not sure yet where we will be starting from and I'm not sure yet whether we'll use a baggage carrying service or organise it ourselves.

The other possible alternative is to ride the newer section of the Pennine Bridleway around Settle/Gisburn. If you've done that I'd also be interested in hearing your experiences.
Thanks
 

Honey08

Waffled a lot!
Joined
7 June 2010
Messages
19,009
Location
north west
Visit site
Never done it, always meant to! If you look up Townley Trail Riding, they do packages where they arrange digs and carry luggage etc. Even if you decide to do it yourself, they have addresses for farms on their site..
 

Mahoganybay

Well-Known Member
Joined
9 February 2009
Messages
1,460
Visit site
I have done part of the Loop, we got on at Widdop Resevoir and rode clockwise to Todmorden.

We stayed here:

http://www.towneleytrailbedandbox.co.uk/page3.html

Would highly recommend staying with Sue & Lawrence, fab place and the swimming pool is just lovely after a day in the saddle (Sue even brought us a glass of wine whilst we were splashing around in the pool - bliss) Can't recall how many miles it was, just remember that we were riding for about 6/7 hours.

We were dropped off at Widdop and the my OH & my mates OH took my trailer & our belonging to the b&b and then they drove home.
 

dollymix

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 September 2006
Messages
2,069
Location
North Wales
Visit site
On iPhone but will try and do a longer response on a PC tonight or tomorrow. We did it with Towneley Trail Riding - I would record Badgerfield B&B very highly. Lovely people
 

Gloi

Too little time, too much to read.
Joined
8 May 2012
Messages
11,229
Location
Lancashire
Visit site
Thank you. Towneley Trailriding, Badgerfield B&B and Towneley Trail Bed & Box have been among the places I have been looking at today.
 

RamblingRosa

Active Member
Joined
13 July 2013
Messages
43
Location
West Yorks
Visit site
Hope you have better weather than I did, it rained nonstop! Peers Clough farm is very good they do evening meal as well. Make sure you're good at gates there are lots on some sections.
 

Gloi

Too little time, too much to read.
Joined
8 May 2012
Messages
11,229
Location
Lancashire
Visit site
Thanks, I'll look up Peers Clough farm. I hope for good weather too :D Fortunately all 3 ponies are excellent at gates as we have a lot on our rides at home.
 

EstherYoung

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 September 2004
Messages
1,957
Location
Yorkshire
Visit site
Everyone has to do the MT Loop at least once in their life.... Peers Clough are lovely, too :) It's not a fast ride and it's not easy in places, but it's well worth doing. Do it over three days and then you can give yourself the chance to take your time and enjoy it.
 

dollymix

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 September 2006
Messages
2,069
Location
North Wales
Visit site
Right – a bit more time and on a PC, so longer response coming up!

The Mary Towneley Loop is a lovely ride, easily done over 3 days. It is worth bearing in mind that it is not a fast ride….although there are some lovely sections for a good gallop (particularly on the section between Badgerfield and PeersClough). Sections of it are also ‘challenging’ with very steep climbs and descents and parts are also very rocky. (I had shoes put on my horse that had previously only been shod in front, at the recommendation of a friend who had done it and I was glad I did, as I think she would have struggled otherwise.)

A couple of sections also take you briefly onto quite busy roads, or crossing them at least.
My recommendation would be to contact one of the companies that move your stuff around between places. We did it with Towneley Trail Riding, but there are others. This meant that when we arrived at the first place, the company moved our own gear between the other B&Bs whilst we were riding, so when we arrived at the next place, all our stuff was there ready and waiting!

We started from Birchenhead Farm in Wardle. It is a livery yard and the people there were lovely too. Many of the liveries came and said hello and were offering all sorts to take with us if we had forgotten anything! One lovely livery even offered me a spare saddle cloth! The B&B isn’[t on site here, it’s a separate business, but was very nice too.

Second place we stayed was Badgerfield. As I said in previous mini-post, Badgerfield was amazing…stunning views and people who could not do enough for us. There were four of us and they had assumed all our horses could be turned out together. However, one of the horses was a mare and we had a very ‘riggy’ gelding in the group, who was fine with the mare, but would attack the other geldings if she was in the same field so we had to split them up. When we arrived the farmer said to put them in the stables for an hour and he would sort something out. He then went out with his sheep dog and moved all his sheep from another field so we could have two separate fields! Although we protested and told him we’d leave the mare in overnight he wouldn’t have it and said it was no trouble! The food was also great and the rooms lovely.

Our third stop was at Peers Clough. This was nice, really good stables, but sadly, they could only give us one paddock. We did try all four horses in together, as we didn’t want them in a stable all night, but the other two geldings had a rough hour or so with the riggy one chasing them off the mare, so we had to bring them into the stables which was a shame in the nice weather. The B&B was lovely though….your own private cottage, and the breakfast was lovely too.

In my opinion, the best day’s riding was the second, between Badgerfield in Blackshaw Head and Peersclough in Water. It took you over the tops of Burnley and across open moorland and was just beautiful. There was also plenty more grassy sections here which were good for cantering and kinder on the horses’ feet too. Also worthy on this section is the fantastic Ram Inn at Holmes Chapel. It is a horse friendly pub with tie rings and even a paddock to let the horses graze in for an hour or so for a rest! The landlord even ran out with buckets of water for the horses!

Sorry for info overload – any other questions – please let me know and I’ll try to help if I can
:)
 

Velma

Active Member
Joined
5 March 2008
Messages
44
Visit site
I did the MTL last year and it was very challenging but an absolutely amazing experience even though the weather wasn't kind to us on a couple of the days. My horse's shoes were pretty battered after it though but the horses coped fine and really seemed to enjoy it.

We did it over 3 days, starting off at Birchenhead Livery where we parked the lorry and they drove our stuff over the first night's stay. Offered us a lovely cup of tea before we set off and water for the horses too. We stayed at Peers Clough on the first night and Badgerfields on the second. Both places were lovely, welcoming and very comfortable with gorgeous home cooked food and great packed lunches! The horses were well catered for too with a choice of a paddock or stabling, and hay and feed was included, plus somewhere secure to store tack overnight etc.

We booked through Townley Trail riding - can highly recommend. :)
 
Last edited:

Gloi

Too little time, too much to read.
Joined
8 May 2012
Messages
11,229
Location
Lancashire
Visit site
Thank you all. At the moment I think we're going to try and set off, like you did from Birchenhead Livery and stay at Peers Clough & Badgerfields. I'm going to check how much it is for bags to be transferred but my friend's partner said they would drop stuff off at the lodgings for us, so we might do it that way.
My pony has sweet-itch so I'll have to be careful where I turn him out, he might have to stay inside if the weather is itchy, but all 3 are used to being together so the field isn't a problem.
 

Gloi

Too little time, too much to read.
Joined
8 May 2012
Messages
11,229
Location
Lancashire
Visit site
Well, I've rung the places up and found out when they have spaces so I just need to work out with my friends now which weekend we are going :D
 

Gloi

Too little time, too much to read.
Joined
8 May 2012
Messages
11,229
Location
Lancashire
Visit site
We've booked and we're going the week after next :D Today we all went out for a 21 mile ride just to check how fit the ponies were. The answer - plenty fit enough, running strong till the end, not too sure about the riders, I'm off for a soak in the bath now.
 

Gloi

Too little time, too much to read.
Joined
8 May 2012
Messages
11,229
Location
Lancashire
Visit site
The two places we stop at are £70/night for each person and horse Dinner b&b , packed lunch and stabling.
 

Izzwizz

Well-Known Member
Joined
6 June 2009
Messages
2,828
Visit site
Is the Peers Clough owned by a lady called Chris Thomas? If so thats where we stayed about 6/7 years ago . It was a lovely place and so welcoming. Food was good too!
 

Gloi

Too little time, too much to read.
Joined
8 May 2012
Messages
11,229
Location
Lancashire
Visit site
Yes, I believe it is. I'm looking forward to it though I'll be taking some paracetamol with me as my shoulders are stiff today after the long ride we did yesterday.
 

Gloi

Too little time, too much to read.
Joined
8 May 2012
Messages
11,229
Location
Lancashire
Visit site
Well we made it. We had a great time even though I was completely exhausted at the end of each day. The terrain was pretty tough but the ponies were brilliant. I though mine might find it hard but he just went from strength to strength and charged up the steepest hills without a second thought. The only thing he didn't like was having to stay in a stable overnight.
Both the places we stayed were really good to us. We hope do another multi day trip next year. :)

101_0774.JPG
 
Top