Butterley Reservoir

5 miles (8 km)

This walk uses part of the Kirklees Way to visit three pretty reservoirs on the splendid Marsden Moor Estate in the Peak District.
The walk starts from the large village of Marsden near Huddersfield. It sits at the�confluence of the River Colne and the Wessenden Brook and has an interesting milling history as a major centre for the production of cloth. You can easily pick up the Kirklees Way at Marsden train station and follow it south to Butterley Reservoir. The trail continues to Blakeley Reservoir and Wessenden Reservoir with lovely views over the Wessenden Valley. You can extend the walk by continuing along the Pennine Way to the nearby Digley Reservoir. If you head west you will soon come to Swellands Reservoir and Black Moss Reservoir.
The Huddersfield Narrow Canal also runs through Marsden so you can pick this up and head towards Huddersfield or Greater Manchester.

Postcode

HD7 6NW - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locations

Butterley Reservoir Ordnance Survey Map - view and print off detailed OS map

Butterley Reservoir Open Street Map - view and print off detailed map

Butterley Reservoir OS Map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Butterley Reservoir Open Street Map - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Pubs/Cafes

After your walk we recommend heading north into the attractive village of Marsden for some refreshments. One good option is the The�Riverhead Brewery Tap. It does good food and is an excellent place for real ale connsiseurs. On the ground floor in the bar, there are 10 real ale hand pumps several of which are permanently dedicated to the popular Riverhead beers brewed on-site. The famous Riverhead micro-brewery is housed downstairs in the cellar. Here they brew a wide range of beers all with a local connection. Hot and cold food is served regularly with all dishes freshly prepared on site. You can find the pub in the picturesque village, next to the River Colne, on Peel Street with a postcode of HD7 6BR for your sat navs.

Dog Walking

The reservoir and surrounding moorland are great for dog walking so you'll probably see plenty of other owners on your visit. It is best to keep them on leads or under close control on the Marsden Moor Estate because of the wildlife and cattle. The�Riverhead Brewery Tap mentioned above is dog friendly.

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

The circular Meltham Walk visits the reservoir from the nearby settlement. In the town you can also visit Meltham Mills Reservoir, Honley Woods and the lovely Folly Dolly Falls which are something of a local hidden gem. Just to the north east there's Deer Hill Reservoir and Blackmoorfoot Reservoir which is a good place for spotting wildfowl.
Just to the north are the Sparth Reservoirs. The two pretty lakes sit either side of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal in a lovely scenic spot.
To the north west is the dramatic scenery around March Haigh Reservoir and the fine viewpoint at Buckstones Edge.
For more walking ideas in the area see the Peak District Walks page.