Marsden, West Yorkshire
Marsden, West Yorkshire
Marsden is a small Pennine village with a busy high street and a variety of shops including local butchers, bakers, Co-op and pharmacy.
As well as wine bars, there is a real ale pub and a wide selection of eating places including pubs, pizza restaurant and a fabulous gourmet restaurant, all within walking distance of Hey Farm Barn. There are also a number of cáfes and an ice cream parlour.
Why not time your visit to coincide with one of Marsden’s popular events? Marsden Jazz Festival is a lively annual festival that brings traditional and modern jazz to the valley in October each year. Imbolc, a festival of fire and Marsden Cuckoo Day – an event that celebrates the arrival of Spring, are annual events held in February and April respectively.
You can step out of the door and be on the Moor within minutes, no need for a car or to worry about parking. Numerous routes are available for all types of walkers, including the Pennine Way and the Colne Valley Circular.
Please visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk for full information on the walks available which also include organised walks, with a guide, all year round. The NT Estate, covering nearly 2429ha (5685 acres) of unenclosed common moorland almost surrounding the village of Marsden, takes in the northern part of the Peak District National Park, with valleys, reservoirs, peaks and crags, as well as archaeological remains dating from pre-Roman times to the great engineering structures of the canal and railway ages. The landscape supports large numbers of moorland birds such as the golden plover, red grouse, curlew and diminutive twite. The estate is a designated SSSI forming part of an international Special Protection Area and is a candidate Special Area of Conservation. At the National Trust Estate office, at the Old Goods Yard next to the Railway Station, is the ‘Welcome to Marsden’ exhibition, giving a good insight into the area.
The immediate surrounding area includes Holmfirth, Slaithwaite and Saddleworth as well as the northern part of the Peak District National Park. Huddersfield, Manchester, Leeds and York are all easily accessible by train from Marsden railway station.
Horse riding is available at the local stables.
