I ran this is an ‘out-and-back’ run, starting at Hulme End, in the car park by the café / toilets (toilets handy pre-run; café handy post-run!). The route is tarmacked along its whole length, although there are some potholes and uneven sections. It starts off gradually downhill, to approximately halfway, then rises gradually uphill to Waterhouses. I turned round when I reached the end of the trail at the A523 in Waterhouses, then it was the same in reverse, except the last few miles seemed to be far more noticeably uphill than they had seemed going down on the way out!
It was sunny and very warm and humid, so I was glad I had decided to carry drinks with me. The route is popular with walkers and cyclists, so there was a certain amount of people-dodging, but it was definitely much quieter towards the Waterhouses end. The route runs along the valleys, passing through some shady, wooded sections, with towering limestone hills on either side. I ran it in July when the verges and meadows were full of lovely wildflowers. There are several small bridges over the rivers, and one tunnel.