In Tod’s country: a walking break around Todmorden, West Yorkshire

In the Calder valley, the industrial past blends with nature, the community runs on kindness and it’s home to England’s highest beach

I’m back in Todmorden for my fourth visit in recent years, to rewalk familiar trails and strike out on new ones. Here, the Pennine Way, Pennine Bridleway, Mary Towneley Loop and Calderdale Way are close by, as is England’s highest beach.

“Tod” is a compact town of Victorian sandstone buildings, deep in the Calder valley, with the Rochdale canal running through.