One of the reasons that I love Manchester is that it is a bustling city surrounded by the most breathtaking parts of the English countryside.
As a student living in an urban area teeming with nearly 100,000 students, it’s amazing that I’m able to escape to the Peak District in less than an hour or to a park within the city itself. Over the past two years that I’ve lived here, I have found that both my physical and mental health have improved immensely from walking, as it can feel stifling in such a densely populated city.
Luckily, Manchester has many green spaces as well as being situated right by some of England’s most beautiful natural areas. So, I am going to guide you through, from nearest to furthest away, some of my personal favourite and most frequented places to walk!
Platt Fields Park, Fallowfield
Any student who survived Owens Park campus in first year will be familiar with this park. I lived in Oak House during my first year in Manchester, and I got incredibly lucky with my flatmates. Even then, I would often have to flee to Platt Fields from my claustrophobic, prison cell of a flat for some much-needed fresh air.
The park has a lovely pond and a big, green open space by the entrance at the bottom of the Curry Mile. It can also be a great spot for socialising during the spring, as the entire student population of Fallowfield descends on it the minute the sun comes out – leaving a trail of cigarette butts and tinnies behind them. Try not to be that person, but make use of the park, as it is a really convenient green space to have just minutes from student accommodation. First year can be a shock to the system, so the crawl over to Platt Fields Park can count as a form of exercise to offset the nightly drinking.
Fletcher Moss Botanical Gardens, Didsbury
Fletcher Moss is a park situated in Didsbury, which is a 30-minute bus ride from the city centre. From the park, you can see both the Manchester skyline and the edge of the Peak District, as well as the River Mersey, which cuts through the park on its way to Liverpool. Fletcher Moss has a variety of different botanical gardens, meadows and woodland areas so there is a lot to wander around and see. I think it is the perfect city break within the city and it is probably my most frequented park in Manchester as I often go on runs there or on ‘hot girl walks’ with my friends.
Glossop, Peak District
The closest part of the Peak District to Manchester that I have been to is Glossop. It is only 30 minutes away by train from Manchester Piccadilly and usually costs around £8 for the round trip. It’s a bit more than just going to a park in Manchester, but it’s worth it for a day out in the Peak District.
I went with my friends last February and we went on a short walk around the surrounding fields and woods. Then we hastily walked back to Glossop to gobble up a Sunday roast. We went to a pub called The Wheatsheaf, where we ate some delicious Yorkshire pudding wraps!
Mam Tor, Peak District
Mam Tor is a great peak to climb as it has fantastic views from the summit and is easy to get to from Manchester. You can take the train from Manchester Piccadilly to either Edale or Castleton and walk from there up to Mam Tor. Edale is much closer to Manchester so I went from there, but opt for Castleton if you would prefer a longer and more scenic walk.
You can climb both Mam Tor and Back Tor (which is slightly taller) in one round trip, but I obviously chose to do the easier walk and only climbed up Mam Tor. I regretted not going up Back Tor too so I would recommend just adding the half-hour walk to your trip.
Thor’s Cave, Peak District
I went to Thor’s Cave one weekend when the weather was unexpectedly warm, and it was my favourite place in the Peak District so far! I love caves, and this one was surprisingly big, and the view from it was stunning. It does get quite touristy so I would recommend going quite early in the morning or in the evening before it gets dark.
It is far easier to get to by car than by train from Manchester which can be quite inconvenient. You can either drive to Wetton and then walk 20 minutes from there, or take the train from Manchester to Buxton and get a bus to Warslow. Then, the walk from Warslow to Thor’s Cave is an hour and a half. Alternatively, you could find a boyfriend who can drive you in his car like I did.
Dovedale, Peak District
My friends and I have competed in a race called the Dovedale Dash for the past two years as one of my housemates is from Derbyshire and he does it every year. It takes place in the beautiful Dovedale Valley and it includes going through the River Dove, one of the coldest rivers in Britain! You can either run or walk it but it is quite intense; this year, one of my friends fell into the river and I face-planted into mud more times than I can count. However, it is really fun and you can treat yourself to a pint at one of the local pubs afterwards.
Even if you decide not to partake in the race, go and take a more leisurely walk through Dovedale and the River Dove anyway, just to see the scenery.
Rydal Cave, Lake District
This walk is the furthest away from Manchester, all the way in the Lake District. However, it was my favourite on the list! It is two hours away from Manchester by car or two and a half by public transport, but you could stay overnight in the Lake District like I did.
I walked to the cave from Grasmere, where you can visit Wordsworth’s cottage, which was probably a 50-minute walk. The scenery is spectacular on the walk there, as you see mountains on the way and two of the lakes. The cave itself was beautiful and eerie because of the wintry mist that had settled there when I went in early March.
There’s still so much more to see and explore both within and around Manchester, but I hope this encourages you to get out there yourself!
