Todmorden's pleasures are those of a Pennine market town: grand civic architecture built with mill-era money, bracing moorland walks, and a canal that has quietly become one of the most scenic waterways in northern England. The town hall alone is worth stopping for, a building so confident it straddles a county boundary without apology.
The surrounding hills are the real draw for many visitors. Stoodley Pike, the brooding hilltop monument a few kilometres east, is the most satisfying short walk from town. To the west, Gaddings Dam — sometimes called England's highest beach — rewards the climb with swimming and views across the South Pennines. The Rochdale Canal towpath provides easier going and links Todmorden to Hebden Bridge to the east.