GM Ringway Day 1

Stages 1 & 2 Manchester to Didsbury

Distance 13 miles

Weather: warm

Whitethroat, heron, goldcrest, reed warbler

Squirrels: just 1

Insect bites: 1

The GM Ringway is a new 200 mile walk that goes around all the boroughs of Greater Manchester, in 20 stages. It actually passes not far from where we live, but we decided to follow the official route starting in the city centre but change things up a bit to avoid duplicating routes and join some of the stages together to make the walks a bit longer and reduce transport.

Using the tram we arrived in St Peters Square and headed towards Bridgewater Hall and on to the Bridgewater Canal towpath through Castlefield. The canal was lined with ox-eye daisies and campion flowers, and graffiti. We left the canal near Old Trafford football stadium and walked (via Tesco) to Old Trafford cricket ground, and through the streets to Longford Park where we stopped to meet the goats and chickens in Pets Corner. From here the walk is distinctly less urban - going through woodland and parkland of Moss Fields, Ivy Green and Chorlton Ees.

At Sale Water Park we decided against having icecreams (due to icecream disappointment when we were last here nine years ago...) and didnt make use of the plentiful benches,  but walked on to join the path alongside the River Mersey. The path follows the riverbank except for a short stretch thoough a golf course (where the right of way is a narrow fenced in path next to an overgrown hedge and stinging nettles) and then we were back on the river until we reached the Fletcher Moss botantical gardens (the cafe looks very fancy here) and into Didsbury.