A Wildlife Trail - Sale to Reddish Vale

Join Andy and the OutdoorLads for a lengthy 18 mile leg stretcher from Sale Water Park to Reddish Vale Nature Reserve.

This is a long day walk. We will follow the Trans Pennine Trail (TPT) along Sale and Chorlton Water Parks and head to Reddish Vale Country Park after lunch. On the way, we will pass Fletcher Moss, Parrs Wood, and Mersey Vale Nature Park, before visiting Stockport, (on the TPT), and Harrison's Weir; then on to Reddish Vale Nature Reserve where we will have the chance to stop for a while and have a look around.

This walk is approximately 18 miles long and very flat. We will be out for most of the day. There will be plenty of time to take photo's, admire the local wildlife, and look for a variety of birds including the Mandarin (Reddish Vale), Coal Tit, Ring Necked Parakeet, (Didsbury), Dunnock, Dipper, Redwing, Kingfisher and Long Tailed Tit.  

For our return journey, we will get the bus from Reddish Vale into Manchester City Centre, (203 bus service along Hyde Road, 20 mins), (where we can stop in the city centre for refreshments), and then get the tram back to Sale Water Park, (airport service from exchange square via Cornbrook and Chorlton, also approx. 20 mins).

The route is made up of very good quality path with some grass patches underfoot. A good pair of comfortable walking shoes should suffice for this walk.

There will be many opportunities to make this easier on your legs by stopping at any of the signifcant points along the route. These options include:

• Completing a circular walk around sale water park/river mersey
• Finishing at Chorlton Water Park
• Getting off the TPT at Didsbury, (10 miles approx, with 1 mile walk to Didsbury Village), or
• Stopping at Stockport centre, (14 miles approx)

At each of these locations there are plenty of cafe's, bars and restaurants and good train/tram, bus and taxi links to Manchester City Centre and surrounding areas.

There is the Tree Tops Cafe at the start point where you can purchase breakfast, sandwiches and drinks etc. There may also be a portable snack van in operation at Mersey Vale, (see photo's), and we will be going into Stockport centre briefly shortly before we get to Reddish Vale. Other than this, there will will not be much opportunity to purchase food or drinks so please try to bring a flask/juice/snacks etc.

Free Parking. Sale Water Park Metrolink, (and Park and Ride) is only a short walking distance from the starting point. 

Well-behaved, socialised and under-control dogs are welcome on this event.

Dogs must be kept on a lead whenever this is signposted and whenever we are in the vicinity of livestock, and at the event leader's request. It's a good idea to check what the route may be like with the event leader before booking to find out more about the potential suitability of the walk for dogs.

All photos taken by the event leader

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. 

Your First OutdoorLads Walk Event?

We know that new members in particular like to know in advance more about what an OutdoorLads event will be like. 

If this is your first OutdoorLads event, you should check out the information designed specifically for you on the My First Event page on the OutdoorLads website.