Tuesday 23 December 2025 - GM Ringway Trail Stage 20 - Stretford to St Peter's Square, Manchester

Seven of us assembled at 'SWIG', on the ramp that leads to Stretford Metrolink station, for coffee and cake/croissants, before setting off along the towpath to Manchester on this last leg of our 200 mile journey around the perimeter of Greater Manchester.

Given that we normally arrive by public transport, numerous of the 20 stages come armed with a good café at the start. 

There is an assortment of canal boats in Stretford, some needing rather radical attention.

"Feed Me!"

The catkins in Streford are flourishing.

Beyond Stretford Marina, approaching the 'Waters Meet' junction, the route encounters a series of bridges before turning over a bridge to the right. This is the link with the Rochdale Canal in Manchester, the passage to the left being the Bridgewater Canal towards the Trafford Centre and onwards to Worsley and beyond.

Soon the local football stadium is passed. This provides a landmark for some time.

We left the canal for the last time via some concrete steps, emerging in Trafford Park next to  the 'broken chain' sculpture.

Then it's a stroll beside the Manchester Ship Canal, with the new Metrolink line to the Trafford Centre on our left, and MediaCity across the water to our right.

Another sculpture honours the lives of individuals involved in the industry surrounding this area in days past. It is certainly a completely different place to the one I visited in 1968 to be shown around a merchant navy ship by my cousin, Philip Green, who worked on the ship.

 

Beyond the MediaCity complex, the Ship Canal stretches ahead past new buildings - a reminder of another trip that took us all the way to Liverpool.

Soon we passed the Blue Peter garden and a busy bee.

The Ringway trail turns back along the northern side of the canal, passing several sculptures on the way towards central Manchester.

A side canal, the Mariners Canal, is crossed, then detailed route notes lead to the entrance of Ordsall Park.

After walking around the park, we emerged beside Ordsall Hall. Once I'd found the entrance I was able to enjoy a takeaway coffee whilst others enjoyed their drinks and snacks on the picnic benches outside.

It was agreed that a guided visit to this interesting place should be placed on our agenda. Jeanette sent me a page that provides a bit of background.

Back beside the area where the River Irwell morphs into the Ship Canal, some rather poor graffiti lines the walkway as it passes by an old winch.

The path narrowed as we passed by the inlet of Wilburn Basin on our left.

As the Aviva Studio complex is reached, the path has noticeably been restored, with new railings and a compacted gravel surface.

After taking in lots of new skyscrapers in this area, we passed Liverpool Road Station, the Manchester terminus of the world's first inter-city passenger railway. We then walked in a loop around Castlefield's Roman Quarter before returning to Liverpool Street and heading to St John's Gardens, a former churchyard.

A 'memorial'? plaque was passed.

Jenny disappeared for a while and was found hugging a bear.

There are several bridges on the route that cross and re-cross the River Irwell, two of which are currently closed. It was easy to find alternatives as we made our way to St Anne's Square. 

A series of ginnels with which I'm very familiar then took us through to Albert Square, via the 'Little Gem' Catholic church. We ventured inside.

Next to the church, the Brazennose House in which Paul and I (on separate floors - we never met) worked for many years seems to have been replaced by another structure. "No longer can you roar up and down the street and around Albert Square in your Ford Capri, Martin!"

Here are the four 'compleaters', plus Jeanette who missed some stages due to injury and will aim to compleat next year, outside the library in St Peter's Square, where we started last February.

Rufus has also done most of the stages.

Back to the Slug & Lettuce to celebrate, or in Rufus's case, snooze.

This final stage of the GM Ringway walk turned out to be about 14.5 km, with up to 200 metres ascent. It took us three and a half hours.

That's it for now. I'll provide an index in due course.

What a brilliant walk.