The Trans Pennine Trail for families

The Trans Pennine Trail is a brilliant facility for families with younger children.

Besides going through wild and beautiful countryside, the Trail passes through or close to many of the major cities and towns of northern England – a quarter of the UK population live within 20 miles (35 km) of the Trail, so it won’t take you long to get out onto the Trail.

The Trail is largely purpose-built using disused railway lines, canals, riversides, minor roads and urban cycle paths – over 70% of the Trail is traffic-free. The paths are wide, relatively flat and well-surfaced, great for prams and pushchairs, and allowing children to run free or practice cycling. For older children, it’s a great place to start cycling on two wheels (see traffic free cycling), walk a little further or even have a try at horse riding.

The Trail has railway heritage, canal and riverside paths and bridges to explore. There’s even a tunnel, 340 yards (310 metres) long at Thurgoland between Sheffield and Penistone. You can also plan a day out at an attraction using the Trail – look out for castles, abbeys, museums, villages, historic houses, minsters and country parks along the way. For more details of what you can find along the Trail, take a look at the Places on the Trail section.

And why not visit our kids pages? Here you’ll find fun things to do off the Trail, things to look out for on the Trail, and some treasure hunts to do as you go along different sections of the route.