Thursday 18 December 2025 - GM Ringway Trail Stage 19 - Altrincham to Stretford

With heavy rain forecast, we were pleased to set off in dry weather along the streets of Altrincham, passing the market building and SO Marrakech café, outside which fine establishment we took a group photo, the rest of today's team being Rufus, Paul, Andy, Jeanette, Sue and Rick.

The statue of a market trader is in front of the Town Hall, which was briefly visited to admire the stained glass windows and the re-purposed building.

Here's the market building from outside the Town Hall.

We made our way through housing that has been built on the site of a bowling green and other amenities, and other quiet roads that run near to the main roads.

St George's parish church was passed - the dark red brickwork looking very dark on the overcast day.

Next to the church, an annex where Paul and Jeanette attend their cycling club meetings.

We soon entered John Leigh Park, which has an assortment of ornamental gardens.

Our route soon arrived at an ancient Roman roadway that passes under hanging foliage between playing fields before emerging onto Oldfield Road.

The Bridgewater Canal provides an easy towpath that is more or less followed all the way to Sale, over three kilometres away. We joined that at Seamons Bridge, where a flotilla of Canada geese followed us until they realised we had no food for them.

Very soon, we passed the small Oldfield Quays marina.

Further on, we reached the site of the Linotype Works that has been developed into housing. Unseen to our left are the numerous businesses that operate from a large Industrial and Trading Estate, through which runs Atlantic Street.

Just beyond the Linotype Works is what used to be the Budenberg Gauge Company. That closed in 2002, with the original three storey building being converted into 33 apartments. By 2005, Urban Splash were busy building two new apartment blocks, designed by Norman Foster to mimic the shape of a ship, that now house another 215 apartments. Apparently the aluminium cladding rattles in the wind.

In between the Linotype and the Budenberg works lies the remains of further industrial premises on the south side of the canal. I wonder what the plans are for this?

After passing under Manchester Road, and ignoring a canal side café (we were soon to have our own refreshment point) we took a left turn beyond some playing fields beside Timperley Brook, which empties eventually into the Manchester Ship Canal. The playing fields here are a flood basin for the River Mersey area. There are various structures that should help this flood protection system work if it's ever needed.

Our route followed two sides of a triangle, the third side being the familiar towpath, and after turning right at a bridge, then right again, we passed through a small nature reserve where we see Little Egrets and nesting owls. It's an interesting place to explore, as it contains a small pond and associated wildlife.

Back on the towpath, there are barges moored at Sale Cruising Club before we reach the bridge over the canal in Timperley. We've seen a family of Kingfishers fly past here, and Grey Wagtails can also be found near this and other bridges over the canal.

We left the canal at the bridge and adjourned for a while at our house, on a road parallel to the canal, for bacon butties and coffee, which together with cake provided by Andy made for a very civilised pause in the walk.

Paul and Jeanette had to leave us after this, just as the rain started, due to another appointment. They finished Stage 19 the following day. In bright sunshine.

Sadly, there are no bacon butty pictures - we were so engrossed in the refreshments that we forgot to take any photos. 

Anyway, after an hour at our house we were on our way through the ginnel at the end of our road, and after a dogleg to Walton Road and back we returned to the towpath.

The 'Walton Perk' refreshment barge wasn't needed today, but we left the towpath there for a short walk through Walton Park, the site of an aircraft crash on 3 August 1943. Read all about it by clicking on the next picture for a readable version.

 

Steady rain fell as we proceeded to Sale, passing the rather full Walton Road Cemetery en route.

Between Timperley and Sale, the canal runs next to the light railway.

Leaving the canal in Sale, we headed down Northenden Road as far as a left turn at Cheltenham Drive, at the end of which is the entrance to a delightful little park - Worthington Park, named after Mary Worthington (1830 to 1904).

Inside the park, we passed a memorial to James Prescott Joule (1818 to 1889), whose work led to his name being used for the unit now used across the world for measuring energy. He lived in Sale from the 1870s.

There's a well maintained bandstand in the park, though on a day like today it could benefit from a roof.

We passed some most impressive trees.

We admired a tree that according to a plaque was planted on 30 June 1900, when the park was opened.

Leaving the park, we walked around the sports ground where I've played in many a game of cricket. Crossing Dane Road into Sale Ees, we soon came to an elegant footbridge over eleven lanes of the M60 motorway. We've been here recently when we repeated Stage 1 for Sue's benefit. It was sunny then!

After descending steps to walk beside Sale Water Park - a recreational lake formed from a gravel pit used for construction of the motorway, we came across a sign advertising The GM Ringway walking trail that we have now almost completed.

Our path was the one that skirts the edge of the Water Park, so navigation from here should have been simple. That didn't stop the others from going slightly wrong when I got behind due to trying to get photos of the Goosanders and the Cormorants on the lake.

 

There's a hide here, but not much obvious activity today.

On leaving the Water Park, a pleasant lane led beside the railway to a bridge under both the railway and the canal, after which steps took us up to the buildings of the Watch House Cruising Club.

After admiring the fancy new signs of the Cruising Club, we ambled along to the next bridge, by a familiar sculpture, which is beside Stretford Metrolink station, where today's stage ended.

The new apartments at Edgewater View look as if they are just about complete.

I spotted a café, 'SWIG'. We were in no particular hurry (it was only just after 2:30) so Andy was dragged back from the station platform and Rick kindly provided a round of refreshments. We hope this walk provided a little respite for him, as he suffered the bereavement of his other band member a few days ago. Rick and Les and Richard were a folk band, Nelson Peach. They recently practised together. Rick now suddenly finds himself, sadly, the sole surviving member. It's hard to imagine...

Anyway 'SWIG' cheered everyone, the drinks were great and we were suddenly presented with some delicious cinnamon buns that would have to be thrown away had we not been there.

It goes without saying that next Tuesday's final Stage 20 will start from this café.

The tram ride home was one of the simplest we have had on all the stages so far.

Here's our Stage 19 route - 15km, with 100 metres ascent, taking 3½ hours plus an hour's bacon butty break.

We will walk the final stage next Tuesday - 23 December - here's the flier:

GM Ringway Trail - Stage 20 - Stretford to Manchester. Meet at Stretford Metrolink Station (after visiting the 'SWIG' café) at 10:00 for this final 13km stage of the 20 stage circuit of Greater Manchester.

Finally, this brief history of the GM Ringway walking trail may be of interest. Thanks to Jeanette for passing this on.