Is the frosty weather making you long to wrap up in a cosy winter setting somewhere like you’re the main character in a Christmas movie? Let us introduce you to the Smithy Lodge in Heaton Park.
Nestled against a treeline in Manchester’s beloved Heaton Park, home of festive favourite Lightopia and, of course, the legendary Parklife festival, is the historic Smithy Lodge, a quaint little cottage perfect for living out your Cameron Diaz in The Holiday fantasy.
Seriously though, this beautiful Grade II listed building dates all the way back to 1806 – named after a local blacksmith’s workshop situated nearby on Middleton Road – is one of the most picturesque little hideaways that we’ve come across in Manchester.
Cut to today and the lodge is now a luxury two-floor space that makes for an ideal staycation for those who want to get out of the city but don’t want to travel too far.
Sleeping four people and having quickly become a popular site for couples getaways, the Smithy Lodge not only feels like a blast back through time but the pristine, traditional and fundamentally rural surround makes it feel like a high-end experience that few other Manchester hotel stays can offer.
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Complete with all the modern amenities you need as well as private parking, an electric car charging station and nearby access to the golf course combines English heritage with the expected hallmarks of modern city break culture.
Better still, if you’re travelling from out of town and still looking to head into the city centre or any of Greater Manchester‘s surrounding boroughs, the Heaton Park tram stop is just across the park.
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This former octagonal gatehouse might be a little bit more updated and mod-con than Hagrid’s Hut but it’s definitely giving us the same cosy winter vibes.
It goes without saying that one of the lodge’s main selling points is having Heaton Park, with its long stretches of open fields and serene lakes all on your doorstep. Say no more.
Prices currently start from £289 but this number obviously changes depending on popularity and the season, with rooms often selling out rather quickly.
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You can check availability at the Smithy Lodge HERE and two festive slots are still free if you’re looking for a last-minute winter getaway this holiday season.
Manchester’s ‘busiest’ road to close for annual safety checks this weekend
Emily Sergeant
Manchester’s ‘busiest’ road is set to close this weekend while annual safety checks are carried out, it has been confirmed.
As Manchester City Council looks to maintain and improve what is, by far, one of Manchester’s busiest and most-used roads, given the fact it is the main thoroughfare in and out of the city centre, it has been confirmed that Mancunian Way is set to close overnight this weekend for its annual inspection.
Carried out every year, the Council explains that these closures ensure that ‘vital’ safety inspections can be conducted to allow the major road to continue operating as normal.
The overnight closure will take place from 7-8 June.
From 5am on Saturday (7 June), Mancunian Way will be closed in both directions along its entire length, including all slip roads, between the Chester Road roundabout and Fairfield Street, and this will last until 7pm on Sunday (8 June), after which the road will be open to traffic again as normal.
In the meantime while the closures are underway, the Council assures that a signed diversion route will be in place via the north and eastern ring road sections – Trinity Way and Great Ancoats Street – and a local diversion route will be signed via Bridgewater Street, Whitworth Street West, Whitworth Street, and Fairfield Street.
Manchester’s ‘busiest’ road Mancunian Way is closing for annual safety checks this weekend / Credit: Pixabay
During this period there will also be a lane closure east/westbound at the Deansgate Interchange between 6:30-9:30am, and the inbound lane of Princess Road (heading towards Manchester) between 6:30am and 11:15am.
As is to be expected with these kinds of tasks, Councillors say they are preparing for a ‘level of disruption’ but are intending to keep it to a minimum.
“The annual inspection of the Mancunian Way is a vital job which ensures that the tens of thousands of daily users of this road can go about their journey in safety,” explained Councillor Tracey Rawlins, who is the Executive Member for Clean Air, Environment, and Transport.
“We do expect a level of disruption throughout this process so wherever possible we’d advise people to travel via public transport, or plan an alternate route ahead to avoid the work locations.
“Safety will always be our number one priority and I’d like to say thank you in advance for the patience of road users during this period of works.”
Find out more information on this weekend’s Mancunian Way closures here.
Featured Image – Geograph
Travel & Tourism
10 of the best green spaces around Greater Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Greater Manchester doesn’t have the leafiest of reputations, but if you know where to look there are a LOT of green spaces to be discovered in our region.
As the city expands upwards and outwards and glassy skyscrapers spike up into the skyline, most of us are just wandering the streets yearning to touch some grass.
Over the last couple of months, our team here at The Manc have been heading out of the office in search of the best green spaces around Greater Manchester.
And over that time, we’ve fallen back in love with some local favourites as well as discovering some really underrated spots to unwind and reconnect with nature.
The list below ranges from pockets of green in the city centre all the way out to rolling country parks, along with some super accessible beauty spots.
Here are our top picks.
Sale Water Park, Sale
Sale Water Park is one of the best green spaces in Greater Manchester
Peaceful walks, waterside views and a bit of sunshine (if we’re lucky) – there are plenty of hidden corners to explore at Sale Water Park.
After a long day at work, there’s nothing better than heading down here for a paddleboard, a walk by the water, or just a bit of calm away from the city chaos. You can dive into watersports, bring your own board, or keep it more low-key with a stroll and a coffee from the cafe.
Just a short hop on the tram or an easy drive down the M60, who knew views like this could be so close to Manchester?
Fletcher Moss is a firm favourite with Mancs in all seasons – in summer it’s an explosion of colour and flowers, in winter it’s transformed into a Narnia-esque landscape with eerie mist and twinkling frost.
Woodland walks, peaceful picnics, the river sliding past, flower gardens, coffee huts, boardwalks, and loads more.
Green spaces in Greater Manchester don’t get much better than Fletcher Moss, especially on a spectacularly sunny spring day.
Ancoats Marina gets a bit of stick these days as it’s swallowed up by luxury residential developments that are way out of reach for most of the residents who’ve called it home for generations.
But for those who live in the city centre, the greenery around the marina itself is a godsend and shows how good it is when neighbourhood preserve a bit of outdoor space.
As the years have gone on, the waterside neighbourhood has become home to top local indies like Pollen Bakery, Flawd wine bar, and Cask craft beer bar.
It’s a perfect escape from the concrete and high-rise everywhere else.
Where can you go on a walk where you get streams, lakes, woods, rivers, aqueducts, meadows, flower parks, playing fields, animals, mountain biking, great views of the city, and loads more?
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If you thought we were about to send you all the way into the Peak District, think again…
Drinkwater Park, which also links up with Prestwich Clough, Philips Park and Waterdale Meadow (and all the way to Clifton Country Park if you fancy a big walk) is a really varied spot to go for a big walk, and way underrated compared to Heaton Park across town.
Bramhall Park, Stockport
Bramhall Park, Stockport
There’s a massive Tudor manor that dates back to the Middle Ages just down the road in Stockport – and the park it’s in is a bit of a stunner too.
Bramhall Park is home to all sorts of gorgeous corners to discover, from a community garden with fresh herbs, The Stables Kitchen, open fields, streams and lakes.
As for Bramhall Hall itself, the stunning wattle and daub structure that stands tall on the top of the hill may currently be undergoing restorations, but that’s only so the rich history and culture can be kept intact, so keep an eye out for tours.
After a hectic week of hustle and bustle in the city, there’s nothing better than a nice stroll with views of a very impressive open water space.
Hollingworth Lake is one of Rochdale’s most impressive routes, and even has a cafe perfectly-positioned half way round too, on hand to whip you up an ice cream or two.
There’s plenty of green spaces throughout the region, but this spot is one of Rochdale’s most easily-accessible walking routes and the perfect idea for your next day out.
Heaton Park is no secret to anyone living within Greater Manchester, but sometimes it’s easy to overlook just how fantastic it is.
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This is the largest municipal park in Europe county’s biggest park, home to farm animals like Highland Cows, a boating lake, play areas, loads of fields, the historic tramway, and a magnificent 18th-century country house.
This really is one of the best green spaces in Greater Manchester – just maybe wait for Parklife to get out the way before you visit in June.
Mayfield Park, city centre
The opening of Mayfield Park was major news for Manchester city centre, as the city’s first new park in more than a century.
It’s hard to believe there was space for such a vast amount of greenery within the inner ring road, but here it is – a 6.5 acre public park, home to 142 trees, 120,000 shrubs and plants, a kids’ play yard with six slides, and beautiful meandering paths.
As the park was built, parts of the River Medlock were also uncovered, and the mighty river now slices through this pristine park.
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Castlefield Viaduct, city centre
Castlefield Viaduct
It’s not the greenest of green spaces, but there’s something magical about Castlefield Viaduct and how it marries together an industrial landscape with nature.
The Victorian-era steel viaduct, way above our heads in Castlefield, is slowly being transformed into a green ‘sky garden’ by the National Trust.
It’s free to visit, and from here you can wander along a section of the viaduct admiring plants and staggering views of the city centre, with plenty more still to come in the charity’s plans.
Don’t judge, don’t walk away, just hear us out here – Piccadilly Gardens, justifiably, has a rotten reputation in Manchester. It’s a hotspot for petty (and more serious) crime, plagued by flocks of pigeons, and gets completely flattened into a muddy pit by the Christmas Markets every year.
BUT the improvements that have happened here in the last few years are quite remarkable – pop down there on a sunny day right now and you’ll notice a chunk of the Piccadilly Wall has come down (yep, you can see the sky again), the grass is actually alive, and there are usually hundreds of people sprawled out on their lunch breaks.
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As city centre green spaces go… it’s not the worst.
Danny Jones -
14th December 2022 
