GM Ringway Stage 1 – Manchester City Centre to Sale Water Park
Distance: 7.4 miles; Walking Time: 2 hours 30 minutes; Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
Getting Started
I picked a great day to start my GM Ringway adventure; the sun was shining, no rain in sight and the city centre was well and truly buzzing. I’d inadvertently picked the day of the Manchester Great Run to set off on the first leg, with my walk starting just metres from the meeting point for the run.
Although it made for a busy start – and made me feel a little bit lazy for not joining in – having the run taking place alongside my walk was great! For the first 2 and a half miles I had a soundtrack to walk to. The route of the walk followed quite closely to the route the runners were taking, so I could hear the crowd cheering, the DJs playing and at times even an amazing steel drum band. It really put an extra spring in my step.
Canals and City Views
The walk itself is a lovely introduction to the 200 miles that I’ll be covering over the next few months. At 7.4 miles long, and fairly flat, the trail was easygoing. It took me around 2 hours 45 minutes from start to finish, and that included 15 minutes of breaks for a few snacks and rehydration. Given I’m known as a slow walker, I was pleased with my pace — and even more pleased I did it solo, so I wasn’t trailing behind a group like a little snail.
You start the walk in Manchester town centre, at St Peter’s Square. I’ve been there countless times, but still love to look around at the old buildings and the brilliant architecture that surround the square. This time there was the added sight of hundreds of sweaty half-marathon runners with their medals proudly draped around their necks.
“If I can walk 7.4 miles solo, so can you — just maybe avoid the geese.”
From the square you head down to the Rochdale Canal, making your way past Deansgate Locks, a spot I’d spent many a night as a student, before meeting the Bridgewater Canal. The path for this first mile or so has some slight rises and slopes but nothing too difficult. From this point on though I’d say it’s an extremely flat terrain, save a few portions where there are steps. These could cause an issue if you decide to do the walk with a pram, but otherwise won’t cause any problems.
Parks, Geese, and Pints
Once on the Bridgewater Canal you’ll pass by one of my least favourite places in Manchester – Old Trafford. Just a heads-up: that section can get really busy on match days when Londoners make their fortnightly trip down to watch their not-so-local team. It was around here that I saw some geese with their goslings. I snapped a quick pic but didn’t dare linger too long for fear of getting attacked by the overprotective parents, as has happened to me on a few occasions over the years.
After a little bit of road walking, the trail heads into Longford Park. As I was wanting to test my pace, I stuck to the trail, but there is plenty to do in Longford Park if you have the time and inclination. There’s a nice little ‘pets corner’ where you can go and see a few animals, as well as a lovely little cafe for that much needed caffeine boost.
After leaving Longford Park, the route takes you into Turn Moss Playing Fields before joining the River Mersey for a short while until you take the turn off to walk part of the Transpennine Trail. This section of the trail was probably my favourite, which could be because there was quite a bit of shade and by this time the sun had definitely heated up.
After leaving the Transpennine Trail you once again join the path alongside the river, where within a few minutes you’ll come across the Jackson’s Boat pub — a great sunny-day stop for a (nearly) end-of-walk cider. At this point, all that’s left is to head to the end of the trail and catch the Metrolink home.
Final Thoughts
As I was walking to the tram I did consider continuing with Stage 2 of the walk, after all it’s only another 6.5 miles 😏. If I’d set off a little earlier in the day I probably would have done, but ultimately decided to call it a day and head home. But if you have the time, it’s definitely realistic to do both stages in 1 day.
I enjoyed the start to my challenge, finding it easier than I thought to walk just over 7 miles and am looking forward to tackling Stages 2 and 3 next weekend. If you’re thinking of starting walking for fitness or enjoyment, I’d recommend Stage 1 as a good starting point.
Be sure to subscribe if you enjoyed reading about Stage 1 and want to hear more about the Ringway. Or let me know if you’ve walked this route or have other favourite Ringway spots — I’d love to hear from you in the comments.
https://www.gmringway.org/routes/stage-1-manchester-sale-water-park/
