GM Ringway – Greater Manchester’s walking trail

Please also note that maps (but not full directions) for all 20 stages are now available on Plotaroute. You can access these via the link shown in the blue box. You can follow these Plotaroute maps on your phone browser and/or print off the maps from the  Plotaroute website. We will gradually be adding directions and alternative maps soon.

Overview

The GM Ringway is the new walking trail for Greater Manchester. Green in every way, each of the 20 stages of the varied and beautiful 300-km route is designed to be accessed by public transport.

From its start in Manchester city centre, the GM Ringway explores the green spaces, waterways and countryside of all ten boroughs. By connecting the communities of the entire city-region, the trail will provide residents and visitors with a low-impact means of accessing and appreciating their environment. It will also enhance public health and reduce GM’s carbon footprint by encouraging the use of public transport and active travel.

The project is supported by the Ramblers (Greater Manchester & High Peak Area), Greater Manchester Combined Authority and CPRE, the countryside charity. The project team is currently bidding for funding to establish the trail both on the ground (with signposting) and online (with a standalone website and app). A trail ‘passport’ scheme (similar to this one) will also promote the trail to users and support hospitality businesses and heritage attractions along the way. Finally, a team of volunteers will be recruited to help manage the trail long-term.

Pages describing each of the 20 stages of the entire route, including maps and directions, are being gradually added to the website (see below).

The route of the GM Ringway

The anti-clockwise route naturally falls into four broad sections, each made up of five one-day stages. These can be described as:

• The SOUTHERN START-UP, which uses waterways and green spaces to trace an almost traffic-free route from Manchester city centre to the edge of the Peak District.
• The EXHILARATING EAST, which explores the lovely line of hills that rise above Stockport, Tameside and Oldham.
• The NOBLE NORTH, in which five fairly challenging stages connect the dramatic peaks and valleys of the South and West Pennines within Rochdale, Bury and Bolton.
• The WESTERN WIND-DOWN, which brings the GM Ringway to a gentle finish via the wetlands, mosslands, farmland and canals of Wigan, Trafford, and Salford.
  

There are also plans to add western, northern and eastern link routes from the city centre to the circular route, providing even more Greater Manchester residents with direct access to the walking trail network.

Accessibility and facilities

The five stages of the “Southern Start-Up” provide a relatively easy introduction to trail walking, as they are largely level and not too long. Things get tougher during the “Exhilarating East” and “Noble North” sections because of the hilly terrain involved. All five stages of the final “Western Wind-Down” are level, though longer than the early stages of the trail.

Although the full route will not be suitable for all users because of the varied nature of the terrain, we plan to identify and publicise sections or alternative routes that are accessible to a wider user group.

How to get there

All of the trail is designed to be reachable by residents in every part of Greater Manchester as every stage starts and finishes at a public transport stop – usually a train or Metrolink station. In addition, many of the stages can be broken down into even shorter walks using transport options along the way.

The individual pages for each stage list the start and end points and include details of how to access these by public transport.