1. Walking from Stretford to Didsbury. Steps down to the canal path are level and the handrail is good. An access ramp is also available. 0.5 km from start — 29 May 2024
2. Chicanes on the path are widely spaced, leaving well over 1m free for wheelchairs, buggies or bikes 0.5 km from start — 29 May 2024
3. On the right you'll see a little bar called the WHCC. There are some steps down through the car park. The bottom step is a big one - see next photo - so if you'd rather avoid them, carry on to the next right and loop back, like a hairpin bend, to rejoin the same path. 0.5 km from start — 29 May 2024
4. Carry on through the WHCC carpark and down more steps to join Hawthorn Lane. The final step is a big one, more of a jump off a low wall - see previous photo for an alternative route. km from start — 29 May 2024
5. Cut off a corner by following Hawthorn Road/Lane until it reaches the river. Walk past a cemetery on your left, and then a small carpark. Be aware of occasional, slow moving cars until you pass the carpark. If you follow the marked route, be aware that this section of riverbank can become extremely muddy in bad weather and that the path to access it can be narrow/overgrown. 1 km from start — 29 May 2024
6. Go up the steps on your right to join the riverside path, or stay on the path as it forks to the right if you prefer a step-free route. km from start — 29 May 2024
7. As far as Chorlton Water Park, the path is very clear and stays fairly dry even in wet weather. 3 km from start — 29 May 2024
8. Just before the water park is a very short (3-4 metre) section which is rocky and steep, without handrails 4.5 km from start — 29 May 2024
9. Beyond Chorlton Water Park the path becomes more rutted, and some sections are very sandy. This area is liable to flooding in very wet weather. 5 km from start — 29 May 2024
10. Much of the path follows the Trans Pennine Trail, so signage is clear and reasonably consistent. The path travels underneath the A5103/Princess Parkway. There's plenty of height and width on this underpass, but there is a small step or kerb to rejoin the rough path after the crossing. 5 km from start — 29 May 2024
11. For the last section of riverside path, between the A5103 and Darley Avenue, the path is much more rutted and the surface is very rough for sections of up to 100m or so at a time. It's possible to avoid this section by following the signs at the A5103, then turning along Mersey Crescent and Craigmore Avenue to rejoin the main route. 6 km from start — 29 May 2024
12. There's a steepish slope up to Darley Avenue as you leave the riverside path. If you prefer, go a little further and go up using a flight of 16 steps which are regular and have good handrails. At the top of the slope are two kissing gates. The main gate is locked. Better photos of the kissing gates come next. 7 km from start — 29 May 2024
13. The first kissing gate. Clearance is about 1m. For scale, the dog in the image is the size of a large cat. 7 km from start — 29 May 2024
14. The second kissing gate. There's a little less space to manoeuvre here, and clearance is around 90cm. 7 km from start — 29 May 2024
15. Once you're on Darley Avenue, it's road all the way. The pavement on the avenue is narrow and bumpy in places, especially where it goes around trees. However, the road itself is wide, smooth and has little traffic. It's less than 500m until you join Barlow Moor Road. From that point, there's more traffic but the pavement is wide and well lit, the area's attractive, and there are dropped kerbs and pedestrian crossings on major junctions all the way into Didsbury Village. Don't be drawn away by signs to West Didsbury, which is a different place. 7.5 km from start — 29 May 2024