Monday 17 March 2025 - GM Ringway Trail Stage 2

Eight of us plus Rufus turned up on a cool morning at Sale Water Park Metrolink station for this second stage of the GM Ringway walk. I reported on Stage 1 here. Sadly Rick had to miss out today due to an important appointment, but I think he walked it earlier so he can rejoin the group for Stage 3 on 16 April.

Sue and I had disembarked from the tram at Dane Road, and walked 2km through Sale Ees, over the 12 lane motorway, and past Sale Water Park and the Visitor Centre (ignoring the cafe!) to reach the start. Probably as quick as going by tram via Cornbrook or Trafford Bar.

A familiar sign pointed us back to Jackson's Bridge on the same path as we took on the finish to Stage 1, though I'm not sure how many of us recognised that!

We noted some diversions due to recent storms. Something to bear in mind...

A couple of group photos were taken after we'd strolled along the banks of the Mersey and headed around Chorlton Water Park to a convenient point for the pictures above and below.

Both Sale and Chorlton Water Parks were created from gravel pits used in the construction of the nearby motorway. Here the banks of the Mersey are lined with Butterbur at this time of year, giving way to orchids and summer flowers before swathes of Autumn Crocuses are a sign of the shorter days to come.

There's lots of wildlife to be seen on and near the Water Park. The ducks, including the Coot and a young Mute Swan pictured below, are clearly used to being fed by humans.

The cafe at the eastern end of Chorlton Water Park was sadly closed (Monday's aren't good for cafes), and here we were reminded of a bridge closure.

A fairly dramatic 'closure'! The Bailey Bridge that has been here for generations is not just 'closed', it is completely gone. None of us felt inclined to attempt to follow the GM Ringway route through Kenworthy Wood.

Instead, we stuck to the banks of the Mersey as it headed on to pass under Princess Parkway and rejoin the 'official' route as it emerged from the Kenworthy Wood section.

An unusual sight on the River Mersey was a pair of Mandarin Ducks, perhaps washed down from the River Goyt at Brabyns Park.

 

Goosanders and Mallards were also busy on the river just here, but there was no sign of the Mink that we have seen whilst playing with Isabella on a nearby beach.

Continuing along the riverside path, we came across a sign of the destruction caused by the January storms. Part of the southern embankment has been washed away and has been replaced by sandbags.

Further on, a longer section of destruction.

We arrived at the second of the path closures referred to at the start of this stage. My companions continued over the 'closed' section, so I followed. A serious breach had occurred here, and more sandbags have been used to temporarily shore up the embankment. I don't think our crossing this section did any damage, and it was clear the the 'closed' signs were being ignored. It wasn't as if we had to wade across the river!

We left the riverside to take what amounts to a shortcut, eliminating a big loop in the river, negotiating our way through a woodland ginnel, crossing Palatine Road, and entering the realm of Withington Golf Club. Here, Viv and Steve, noted that there has been much reparation from the floods, which apparently washed the contents of allotments onto the golf course.

A narrow path leads beside the course, and the river (just visible on the right of the picture above) soon renews its acquaintance with us shortly before Simon's Bridge, which dates back to 1901. Here it is in 2021, just avoiding being inundated.

The 2021 storm didn't cause as much destruction as this January's storm, as the banks of the Mersey held firm in 2021, albeit my son 's family were evacuated from East Didsbury at the time, whereas this year they were safe at home,

The rugby club is still a scene of destruction. I'm not sure what the 'parkrun' sign is doing here.

From near the same spot on Stenner Lane, the view across to the black plastic sandbag containers indicates that there's still a fair amount of clearing up from the January storms to be done.

The poplar trees on the path that is used to start Fletcher Moss parkrun seem to have been oblivious to the storm. Perhaps because they have massive, shallow, root systems.

Our route led back to briefly rejoin the river at the end of another closed section, before leaving it for good and heading through the meadows of Fletcher Moss, over a boardwalk, and past Fletcher Moss Park to a cafe for lunch. Excellent soup for £6.

Then a short walk featuring Didsbury Park, familiar to Sue and me as it's the closest park to our granddaughter's house, to the end of Stage 2 at Didsbury Village tram stop and an easy journey home.

Here's the route, shown in blue - about 10km (plus 2km for me and Sue) with no appreciable ascent, taking us around 3 hours. (Click on the image for a better version/slideshow.)

Well, that counts as another success. Stage 3 is planned for Wednesday 16 April, starting at 11:00am from Didsbury Village Metrolink Station and finishing in Bramhall, from where it should be easy enough to get public transport back home.