GM Ringway: New 186 mile walking trail to cover entire Greater Manchester area

Mancunians will be able to explore the whole of Greater Manchester on foot, thanks to a new 186-mile, 20-stage walking trail that includes some of the region’s most famous landmarks.

The route, known as GM Ringway, has been devised by charities CPRE and Ramblers (Greater Manchester and High Peak Area) with the help of a £250,000 Heritage Fund grant.

GM Ringway will be rolled out over the coming months, but maps for all 20-stages are already available online via the Plotaroute app, which will also include full directions in the future.

In the meantime, walkers are being invited to test out the Trafford leg of the journey on July 15 and 16. Participants will get an exclusive look at the app and website for the first time and will also be invited to share their feedback ahead of the full unveiling.

In addition to the app, there will also be a “trail passport,” which will allow you to track your progress. Organisers also hope that the passport will reward walkers with discounts from visitor attractions, pubs, cafés and hotels along the way.

The GM Ringway website already has lots of information about each stage of the route, including toilet facilities, cafes and local attractions.

Where will the route go?

The trail starts in the heart of the city at St Peter’s Square, with the first stage ending at Sale Water Park. Each stage starts from where the previous one ended. All stages are accessible via public transport. The stages are as follows:

Manchester – Sale Water Park

Sale Water Park – Didsbury Village

Didsbury Village – Bramhall

Bramhall – Middlewood

Middlewood – Strines

Strines – Marple

Marple – Broadbottom

Broadbottom – Greenfield

Greenfield – Newhey

Newhey – Littleborough

Littleborough – Norden

Norden – Bury

Bury – Bromley Cross

Bromley Cross – Blackrod

Blackrod – Wigan

Wigan – Leigh

Leigh – Irlam

Irlam – Altrincham

Altrincham – Stretford

Stretford – Manchester

The 20 stages are also divided into four broader categories that consist of five stages that can be done in a day, starting with the Start-up South, which is an “almost traffic free” route from Manchester city centre to the edges of the Peak District.

Next is the Exhilarating East, which covers Stockport, Tameside and Oldham, followed by the Noble North, which goes through the valleys of the South and West Pennines within Rochdale, Bury and Bolton. The route ends with the Western Wind-down, which takes you through the wetlands, mosslands, farmland and canals of Wigan, Trafford, and Salford.

Some stages are tougher than others due to the terrain, so may not be suitable for all kinds of walkers. The website highlights the northern and eastern sections as particularly hard. Similarly, some part of the route may not be accessible and organisers plan to release information about alternative routes as the project is rolled out.

What can you see on the route?

The GM Ringway trail covers a whole variety of terrain, landscapes and green spaces, as well as some of the region’s most important heritage sights.In total, the route passes 40 Grade I and II-listed buildings, including Bramall Hall in Stockport and Haigh Hall in Wigan, as well as 13 different museums, 14 ancient monuments, including the Blackstone Edge Roman Road in Rochdale.

If nature is more your thing, the GM Ringway also covers 57 conservation areas, nine sites of special scientific interest, 18 local nature reserves and parts of the Peak District National Park.

More information about the GM Ringway, including detailed guides to each stages of the walk and how to get involved with the Trafford guided walks in July, head to the project’s website.