South Pennines is a region of moorland and hill country in northern England lying towards the southern end of the Pennines. It is bounded to the west by the Forest of Rossendale (sometimes referred to as the West Pennines) and the Yorkshire Dales to the north. To the east it is fringed by the towns of West and South Yorkshire whilst to the south it is often considered to end at the northern edge of the Peak District national park. However some definitions of the region include the Peak District which extends to the eastern fringes of Greater Manchester and Cheshire and into north Derbyshire and a small part of north west Staffordshire.
Within the South Pennines are a number of distinct upland areas including; Boulsworth Hill, Hail Storm Hill, Blackstone Edge and Hameldon. Kinder Scout, Black Hill and Bleaklow all lie within the Peak District.
A number of densely populated valleys are incised into these uplands, notably that of the River Calder which provides a low-level route for road, railway and canal between Lancashire and West Yorkshire. The towns of Hebden Bridge and Todmorden are situated within their confines. The region is surrounded by former mill towns such as Burnley, Nelson, Colne, Littleborough and Halifax.
Walking, mountain-biking and horseriding are common pastimes enjoyed in the area. Numerous walking trails have been established including, amongst many others, the Calderdale Way and the Bronte Way. The long-established Pennine Way also runs through the area of course. The South Pennines Walk & Ride Festival takes place annually in September and is a two-week long celebration of the area's landscape. Typical events include guided walks, mountain bike rides, horse rides, orienteering events, evening talks by noted outdoors people and more. The event is overseen by Pennine Prospects (see external link, below) and has been organised on its behalf since 2008 by outdoor journalist and consultant John Manning (see external link, below).