England's northwest is offering adventure sports enthusiasts the opportunity to try out a series of new mountain bike loops that show off some of the region's most stunning scenery.

The Pennine Bridleway National Trail is being championed by Natural England, which has created a series of downloadable leaflets outlining a number of "exhilarating" cycle routes.

Starting in Derbyshire, the national trail skirts east Manchester, goes up through the South Pennines, continues to Cumbria and finishes at Byrness in Northumberland.

The new northwest cycle routes include the so-called 'Diggle Jiggle' near Oldham, the 'Tintwistle Moor Fun' in Glossop and the 'Hayfield Highs' near New Mills.

Ginny Hinton, Natural England's Pennine Bridleway advisor, said: "We want mountain bikers young and old to come and try out our new cycle loops and enjoy the beautiful countryside."

As well as cyclists, horse riders and walkers are invited to enjoy the trail and the scenery.

The leaflets include details of train times from major cities and towns, a map of each route and information on gradients and route surfaces.

Natural England's main aims are to conserve, enhance and manage the natural environment.