NORTH West Water produce a series of three cycle routes in the lovely West Pennine Moors. For details contact North West Water Information Centre, Rivington, tel: 01204 691549. A popular route in this series is route no. 3 covering Tockholes and Darwen. It covers some country lanes but is primarily off-highway, covering in parts rough terrain.

You can start from a number of locations armed with Ordnance Survey Landranger maps (Nos 109 & 103) or Explorer Map no. 19. An excellent starting point is at Ryal Fold at Roddlesworth where there is the Royal Arms pub, a visitor information centre and a free car park.

The route takes in the largest woodland in Lancashire at Roddlesworth covering 200 acres, Upper and Lower Roddlesworth Reservoirs, Rakebrook Reservoir, Earnsdale Reservoir and Sunnyhurst Reservoir, as well as Darwen and Longworth Moors. This cycleway can also be explored from the southern end of the route, from Belmont over to Rivington and Lever Park.