HEPTONSTALL is a fascinating hilltop village with a cobbled main street, a parish church, a ruinous 13th century church, an old grammar school of 1772, two pubs, a shop and tearoom.

Starting from the village centre, head up the main street, and beyond the two pubs turn right on Townfield Lane, continuing past the last houses as a cart track.

When the way emerges into a field, advance to the corner ahead, then bear left across two fields onto a road.

Go briefly left to a stile in the opposite wall, then turn left on a fieldside path. This runs a largely level course just above and in the top of Hebden Wood.

At a fork fifty yards after a natural viewing platform, ignore that into the trees, and turn up an enclosed path, leaving at once by a stile on the right.

Across a field the path resumes on the wood top, then soon runs beneath the wall.

Very soon, before it begins a descent, a lesser fork goes left the short way up to a corner wall-gap.

Leaving the woods an enclosed path rises through fields, at the top joining a drive at an old house.

Joining the road above, a few paces right a path rises onto Popples Common: this becomes bolder amid bilberry then heather.

Curving up with the wall, at the top rise to a path junction and bench beneath a tall wall.

A wallside path goes left, crossing an access road and curving right on another track onto a road at Colden.

Turn right past stone terraces, remaining on this road down to Jack Bridge and the New Delight pub.

Just up the road behind, turn left at a hairpin bend along a driveway.

Ignoring a right branch keep on above a house, becoming a bridleway above Colden Clough.

As open country develops, soon a thinner path drops to charming Hebble Hole Bridge on Colden Water.

Across, a path slants up to the right, and keep right at an early fork on a flagged path above the drop to the beck.

Entering Foster Wood, cross a stile in the accompanying wall, and the stone causeway crosses several fields.

When the flags end the path becomes enclosed before merging with a similar way to rise to an access road.

Go right, passing left of a house to a further paved section along to a spring before another enclosed path.

Turn briefly down it, but keep left at a fork to run along to a narrow road. Head up this briefly until a path goes right into Eaves Wood.

Clambering through odd boulders, keep to the upper path as a grand level walk ensues, opening out to give dramatic views from precarious gritstone outcrops.

Stoodley Pike is well seen across the main valley.

The path remains with the left-hand wall until an enclosed path strikes off left. Keep straight on between houses to emerge beneath the church.

Past here keep straight on beneath the old church back into the centre.