Manchester Green Trail Day 5

Peel Hall Park to Cringle Park

Distance: 13 miles

Cold and windy, but occasional sunshine.

Primroses, blossom, celendine, wild garlic

We started the walk in Peel Hall Park, where the buildings have gone but the moat remains, and then into Ash Wood which was very pretty and tidy. Then we got a bit lost in a housing estate and Rose Hill Woods, visiting the memorial and bridge to some local chap, before having a bit of a look at the edge of a golf course. There was no exit here so we turned back the way we'd come and into Northenden through some nice houses and Riverside Park on to the banks of the River Mersey. 

We followed the river (where Ellie the dog had found something very interesting to eat) towards Kenworthy Woods and into Fletcher Moss Park, where we had a coffee at the pretty cafe.

Cringle Fields proved a bit difficult to get out of (the route leaflet does say to not go into the fields but to wak along the road instead) but we did make it into the park, where we stopped at a bench near to the stone circle and the end of our walk.

Manchester Green Trail Day 4

Moston Park to Cringle Park

Distance: 15 miles

Bunny, big rat, bullfinches, siskins

The day got off to a good start when we saw eight deer running in the fields on our way into Shaw, however an issue with the power lines affecting all the trams in the city centre was less lucky. It meant that we could only get as far as Moston, so we changed our plans and walked a different day's route in reverse.

From Moston Park we walked through Brookdale Park in Failsworth and Clayton Vale, along the Ashton Canal to Gorton Reservoir and into Debdale Park. We had tea and snacks at a bench by the side of the reservoir, while watching a seagull slowly rotating on a buoy.

We followed the Gorton Heritage Trail through a small woodland, seeing heritage pigeons, heritage mud and a heritage pelican crossing.

The designated 'finish' point of the entire walk is here outside the tiny Chapel Street Park in the middle of some terraced houses. We carried on into Levenshulme, which smells very nice thanks to the big McVities factory. From Highfield Country Park we went into Cringle Park where we stopped at the popular cafe for coffee, which were very good, before catching the train back to Manchester central and the tram home.

Manchester Green Trail Day 3

Chorlton to Big Wood at Peel Hall

Distance 13 miles

Sunny and warm

Wagtails, goosander, pony and trap, small fast bird of prey

Today was the first day of the year that felt like spring. There were a lot of people out and the trams were very busy. We got off the tram in Whithington and walked through the cemetery (passing the grave of John Rylands, he of the nice library) towards Chorlton Water Park and the River Mersey.

We went through Wythenshawe Park, with its Hall, playgrounds and facilities, and statue of Oliver Cromwell and Kenworthy Woods, alongside, under and around various motorways and dual carriageways, most of them spray-painted. The route goes through streets of housing, some nice, some less so, and various small parks (including the fabulously named Milky Button Park) and woods. We saw some feral shopping trolleys and a MILLION squirrels. We ended the day at the Peel Hall tram stop near Big Wood, which is actually quite small.

Manchester Green Trail Day 2

Queens Park to Chorlton

Distance: 15 miles

Overcast. Mild but windy.

Lots of cherry blossoms and the first chiffchaff of the year. 

We started in Queens Park, followed the River Irk to Cotton Fields and the New Islington marinas to the River Medlock. At the back of Ancoats, and a lot of road crossings, we visited the new Mayfield Park - where there are facilities but the soap to water to hot air ratio proved unfortunate.

We walked past Elizabeth Gaskell's house and the Toaster building into Platts Field Park, complete with Shakespearean sunken garden, boating lake and the Nico Ditch ancient earthwork.

Through Whitworth gallery gardens, through Moss Side Park and Alexandra Park before catching the tram in Chorlton.

Manchester Green Trail Day 1

Central Park to Queens Park

Distance 16 miles

Cloudy, drizzle turning to rain

After a hasty tram exit, we walked through Moston Vale (which is actually nicer than it looks from the tram window), Broadhurst Park and Boggart Hole Clough. 

Then Dam Head Park, Plant Hill Park, Tweedle Common and Heaton Park. Had a stop for coffee and cake at the lakeside cafe.  We then went through Blackley Forest, Herristone Park, Crumpsall Park to Harpurhey Ponds and finished in Queens Park.

Today's walk had pretty much all aspects that you might expect from a walk through a big city. Manchester has a surprising amount of green spaces, many former industrial areas, former landfills or  water treatment places, but some are country parks of old halls and gardens.