APR25: Trekking Into The Village
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0 places left
16 people waitlisted
#GetOutMore this April!
This event is one of loads of events taking place over the same weekend! Check out all the events over the weekend of 4-6 April 2025: OutdoorLads.events/APR25. Great for new and regular members!
Join OutdoorLads for a journey along the Mersey Valley and Bridgewater Way, as make our way into the heart of LGBT Manchester, Canal Street.
Points of interest on the route:
Fletcher Moss Botanical Gardens: Opened to the public in 1915, these beautiful gardens were awarded a gold medal by the Royal Horticultural Society in recognition of their outstanding collection. There is a cafe here too, so we can have refreshments as we relax in the gardens.
Chorlton Water Park: Originally a quarry for gravel. This local nature reserve is noe an oasis for many species of water birds, including grebes, swans, herons and kingfishers. There's often an ice cream van on site, if anyone wants an ice cream as we walk around the park's lake.
Sale Water Park: Our second water park of the day is also a great place to see many water birds, and is also water sports centre, with people often water skiing, kayaking or swimming there. Jackon's Boat, an old inn, is also here, so we can pop in for a beer, wine or soft drink as we enter the park
The Mersey Valley: Connecting all of these parks is the Mersey Valley. As we walk along the river we'll see plenty of wildlife and plants. The river is mostly hidden from roads and buildings, so you'll often forget you're in the South Manchester suburbs.
The Bridgewater Canal: As we leave the wildlife of the Mersey behind, we'll join the Bridgewater Canal, with it's rich industrial history. This includes lots of Victorian architecture, old mills, newer buildings and Old Trafford stadium (for any football fans)
Canal Street & The Village: As we finish our walk, we'll come into the iconic Canal Street, where we can have a look in Sackville Gardens before relaxing with a well deserved drink in one of the many bars in the Village.
Other Information:
Dog Suitability:
Dogs are always welcome on my walks, though their behaviour and safety is their owners responsibility.
New Members
Please feel free to sign up as your first OutdoorLads event. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to message me, or go to the "My First Event" section under "About Us".
IMPORTANT! - Participation Statement
You MUST complete a Participation Statement, in addition to booking your event space before attending an OutdoorLads event. You only need to complete this Participation Statement once, not for each event you attend.
Image/photo credits: Pictures of Canal Street and The Bridgewater Canal from Creative Commons OpenVerse. All other leader's own images - with permission for OutdoorLads to use and reuse.
What to bring
Water: bring plenty of water (~2 Litres)
Medicines: if you have hay fever, diabetes, minor ailments etc.
Day rucksack: typically 20-30 litres, they are comfortable to wear and allow you to use your arms freely
Footware: ideally designed for hiking, sturdy trail runners are OK too.
Socks: proper walking socks will keep your feet dry and help prevent blisters
Layered clothing: lets you quickly adapt to changes in the weather and body temperature. Go for a base layer (vest or t-shirt) and a mid layer (a micro fleece or shirt) and in cooler weather add an outer layer (a windproof jacket or thick fleece)
Trousers: ideally no jeans as they become heavy and cold in the rain, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry and on warm days shorts are OK
Waterproofs: essential when hiking in all but the calmest of weather, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry
Gloves: Windproof, or better still, waterproof gloves are the best choice, bring a spare pair if expecting rain
Hat or cap: stay warm in winter and shaded in summer
Sunglasses: for any sunny day, even in winter
Sun cream: can be useful even on cloudy and winter days
Snacks: bring biscuits, energy bars, gels, bananas, chocolate or dried fruit for example and put them somewhere easy to get hold of
Lunch: bring a packed lunch
Food & drink
Please bring lunch, snacks and plenty of water. There will be several opportunities to buy refreshments while on the walk, plus we'll be finishing the walk on Canal Street where more refreshments can be bought.