An enormous 300km walking trail around Greater Manchester has got the go-ahead and is set to be fully operational within two years.
The GM Ringway has been awarded a £250,000 National Lottery grant, which will allow a new long-distance trail to be established right on our doorsteps.
The route will make use of existing footpaths and parks, and will connect the beautiful countryside in the north west with tourist attractions and heritage landmarks.
It all splits down into 20 stages, and every section is designed to be accessed by public transport.
Spanning all 10 Greater Manchester boroughs, the GM Ringway will pass more than 40 Grade I and Grade II*-listed buildings, 13 museums, 57 conservation areas, 18 local nature reserves, 14 ancient monuments and parts of the Peak District.
ADVERTISEMENT
Attractions along the route include Bramall Hall in Stockport, Haigh Hall in Wigan; the Imperial War Museum in Trafford and Blackstone Edge Roman Road in Rochdale.
Peel Monument in Bury. Credit: Supplied
The GM Ringway will split into four broad sections, each one made up of five one-day stages.
ADVERTISEMENT
They’ll be the Southern Start-up (almost totally traffic-free route from the city centre to the Peak District, along waterways and green spaces), the Exhilarating East (the hills above Stockport, Tameside and Oldham), the Noble North (challenging stages connecting the peaks and valleys of the Pennines with Rochdale, Bury and Bolton) and the Western Wind-Down (the wetlands, mosslands and canals of Wigan, Trafford and Salford).
The Heritage Fund grant will pay for signposting and an improved app and website so that everyone can enjoy the trail.
There are plans to launch a trail passport, which could offer discounts to visitor attractions, pubs and cafes along the route.
ADVERTISEMENT
It’s estimated that 30,000 people will walk part of the route every year.
The groups working on the GM Ringway are countryside charity CPRE and walking charity The Ramblers.
A network of 200 volunteer ‘footpath guardians’ will also be recruited and trained to look after the trail and get involved in community events.
Debbie McConnell, chair of CPRE Lancashire, Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester said: “The GM Ringway project is truly innovative and could act as a blueprint for other city-regions. Here in the north west, we’re fortunate to have a wealth of heritage and natural beauty on our doorstep and we want more people to get out and discover it.”
Margaret Manning, chair of Greater Manchester and High Peak Area Ramblers said: “The grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund is just fantastic as it will enable us to make the GM Ringway project a reality, which is so exciting. The GM Ringway will open up opportunities to collaborate with local community groups, charities and partners in the health, heritage and environmental sectors on trail-related events and activities.
ADVERTISEMENT
The map of the GM Ringway
“We also hope heritage sites and hospitality businesses will benefit as visitors discover them on foot. The grant will allow us to establish this wonderful trail as a long-term asset for the region.”
Andrew Read, GM Ringway Project Lead, said: “Our core aim is to connect even more people with our local nature and heritage. We know there are proven health benefits that come from moving more and from spending time in nature.
“We’re particularly keen to enable those currently under-represented in the walking community to enjoy Greater Manchester’s incredible landscapes and heritage sites, especially those living in deprived areas, young people, those with disabilities or long-term health conditions, and different ethnic and faith groups.
“We believe that, as people explore Greater Manchester’s rich landscapes and history, it will increase their appreciation of and pride in their local area.”
For more information and news on the GM Ringway, including route maps, visit GMRingway.org.
Featured image: Supplied
Things To Do
A free snooker fan zone has popped up in Manchester for the 2026 Tour Championship
Danny Jones
We’re sure plenty of you are well aware that this year’s WST Sportsbet.io Tour Championship is happening in Manchester right now, but what many of you may not know is that a completely free snooker fan zone has opened up as part of it.
You don’t need a ticket for any of the actual matches to watch them on the big screen or even play one of your own.
However, it isn’t just the buzz inside the match room itself that the World Snooker Tour has brought on its return to the city centre – even the supporter hub outside is well worth a visit.
Based over at Manchester Central on the Exchange side of the building, while the games themselves are taking place in the main rooms, the foyer and surrounding areas have been turned into a fan park.
Perfect for anyone looking for a fun way to spend an afternoon or, indeed, a full day this week – not to mention an ideal activity for kids this coming Easter bank holiday weekend – if you’re a fan of the sport, you’d be a fool not to at least pop your head in.
Running until this Sunday, 5 April, when the tournament itself finishes, snooker lovers have access not only to a bar area with multiple big screens and food and drink, but also numerous free tables for them to play on.
In fact, you quickly turn a few frames into some proper practice if you’re so inclined, as there’s even on-site coaching to be made the most of.
As you can see, people of all ages have already turned up in their droves to soak up the atmosphere.
Once again, the competition is being broadcast live and free-to-air on Channel 5 if you’re happy to watch the games at home, but we don’t need to tell you what makes sitting in a room with a bunch of fellow fans and getting excited together so enjoyable.
If you visit the Manchester Central convention centre before the end of the week, you can even have a go at playing on a proper king-sized snooker table for the full pro-feel experience.
For anyone who wants to grab actual tickets for the matches as well, you can find them HERE.
Manchester Day set to bring sunny Catalan celebrations to the city centre this summer
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Day is making a grand return for 2026 this summer, and you can expect a day filled with loads of Catalan-themed fun.
Oh, and it’s free fun at that… doesn’t get much better.
The date and theme for Manchester‘s biggest day of the year has now been confirmed – with the city going all in to make this summer’s event one of the very-best yet.
Switching for the first time to a Sunday this year instead of its usual Saturday, Manchester City Council is promising a ‘distinctly Catalan flavour’ to this year’s Manchester Day, as performers from Barcelona head to Manchester to join in the festivities in what is a first for the event.
This year’s Catalan theme has been chosen following Manchester’s guest city role during Barcelona’s iconic La Mercè festival in September last year, where our local artists were invited to take part.
Manchester Day is set to bring sunny Catalan celebrations to the city centre this summer / Credit: Manchester City Council
As always, outdoor arts organisation Walk the Plank will be working with groups across the city in the run-up to Manchester Day this year to create what is set to be the main event of the day – a spectacular parade filled with music, dance, colour, community, and, of course, Catalan vibes.
The parade will also have a bit of a ‘bookish’ theme to it this year too, taking inspiration from the current year-long national celebration of books and reading.
With music, dance, and a whole host of performances and walkabout shows from some of the UK and Spain’s leading outdoor arts companies, Manchester Day 2026 will see the city’s streets and squares filled with Catalan spirit, along with some surprising links to books and reading along the way.
The date and theme for Manchester’s biggest day of the year has now been confirmed / Credit: Manchester City Council
“We could literally write a book on how fantastic our brilliant city is and how utterly awesome and amazing Mancunians are, and we invite everyone to join us in July as we celebrate Manchester’s favourite day of the year,” commented Councillor Pat Karney, who is the Chair of Manchester Day, as the theme was announced this week.
“Everyone knows we never do things by halves in Manchester, and with our friends from Barcelona also joining us for this year’s festivities, it’s going to be Manchester Barcelona Day all the way.
“We can’t wait to welcome everyone down as we go all in to make sure 2026 is THE best Manchester Day ever.”
Manchester Day is taking over the city centre on Sunday 26 July, and more details on timings and activities during the day will be announced in the coming weeks.
Daisy Jackson -
3rd November 2022 
