"Market Place Park" aka Churchill Park has had nearly all its trees felled and is now a mucky mess. Planning permission has been granted by Salford Council to build hundreds of houses on this site. It and surrounding areas over as far as Fitzwarren Street will soon be impassable due to building work....

Seamus

Heading off from the University, across the lovely Peel Park before crossing the River Irwell twice then a really pleasant stretch following the river east before turning back south into the outskirts of Manchester towards the cathedral and past a statue of Ghandi. There are some great buildings to look at, even as you pass the big department stores through the town centre and the routes cuts through narrow passages between buildings before heading through the Civic Quarter, around the the beautiful library building on to the finish at the station in St Peters Square. A great route that I really enjoyed....

Gismay

Exiting the park, the route then heads through quiet residential streets, before crossing Market Place park and into the centre of Salford. This walk was ok, apart from the stretch through Market Place park, which had seen better days, and appeared to be a good place to fly tip!...

Gismay

You go from the quiet green of Peel Park, over the River Irwell on nice footbridges, along the river, then up into the lively exciting bustle of Manchester, and some of its best landmarks. Excellent route!...

Mary Oz

(We had planned to have lunch at Hadfield’s Café on the A6 here, but there was an hour’s wait for food! We decided to push on and use the lovely café at Salford Museum and Art gallery at the end of the route, instead.)! (I think it’s at the south end, which we didn’t pass, and is part-time. If I were to plot this again, I’d take a path to the south west of the line we used.) At the “ey” of Seedley on the OS Map, the alleyway to reach (and then cross) the main road, is hidden behind a wooden fence!...

Mary Oz

I passed Salford University, the former Fire Station, the former hospital, Salford Cathedral (shrouded in scaffolding) and several other grand old buildings. I walked under the viaduct at Salford Central station, then crossed the River Irwell on a footbridge. A pedestrianised section and a quiet back street brought me to Peter Street, and I passed Great Northern Square, the former Free Trade Hall (on the site of the Peterloo Massacre), and the Midland Hotel, to arrive at St Peter’s Square....

Mary Oz

The main road from Salford Crescent station to Salford Central Station was fairly busy with noise and fumes from traffic, but at least it was well controlled with several crossings and it was spacious. I passed Salford University, the former Fire Station, the former hospital, Salford Cathedral (shrouded in scaffolding) and several other grand old buildings. There is slight inaccuracy in the plotting just south of Salford Crescent Station, and after crossing the river....

Mary Oz

Staying on the east side of the River Irwell, the path was generally a good cycle track, with some interesting information about the lowered section of the embankment regarding flood management....

Mary Oz

This route is an easy and quick way into town from Salford. The route is accessible to all and would be safe to do alone. I would recommend this route however I would opt for a more scenic path. There are shops and a nice little coffee shop on the way which is a bonus....

Scott

Loved this walk, it was easy to follow and nice along the water. A nicer route into town than the generic walk along the big roads. I would for sure recommend this route especially for a nice commute...

Scott

It includes a pleasant section following the River Irwell where a variety of wildlife can normally be seen (keep an eye out for herons and cormorants). It also features the delightful Peel Park in Salford....

RGW

This walk was not my favourite, lots of rubbish and horrible smells due to the bin waste. The route was dirty and a bit confusing at times. I definitely wouldn’t recommend it....

Scott

awesome...

DARREN D

The pavements have ramps, and, whilst there is no formal crossing of the sometimes busy Langworthy Road, again there are ramps and, opposite, a break in the pavement for wheelchairs to access Lower Seedley Road. At the end, we use the crossing over the A6, before heading to the end at Salford Crescent station....

Hiking Historian

A long flight of steps brings us into Peel Park, and, once past its monuments, up more steps and onto the first bridge over the river Irwell (there are ramps nearby, but we'll later see this route is not wheel-friendly). A road crossing brings us to some steps (no ramps), and, once we hit Manchester, more steps up into an area full of new towers and lots of development....

Hiking Historian

Once at the roundabouts, the pavements do not follow the route precisely, and once we finally get to the A6, the route makes no sense; there's a simple road crossing that seems to be ignored!...

Hiking Historian

I combined this route with the Eccles-Salford route to reach the centre of Manchester to catch a train. Look for the plaque in the centre of Peel Park, which tells us about the history of this "people's park", a place fought for by the working classes who raised money to give ordinary people fresh air and freedom in the early industrial revolution....

dancarter

The first part, as far as Buile Hill Park, is a bit dismal on the main roads and it may be possible to cut through the hospital and residential streets to avoid this....

dancarter

Once we’d diverted slightly around some building works near the Salford end, the route completely changed and became a scenic riverside and woodland trek. Some of the tracks through the wood (I think it’s referred to as “Preswich Clough” on the map) I suspect wouldn’t be as straightforward after heavy rain so good footwear is recommended. Emerged out of the woods into Prestwich with an uphill into the town centre and onwards to the station....

Gismay

This is a beautiful walk along the river Irwell and then into the woods of Drinkwater Park. There are some access issues at the Salford end as there is a lot of building works. We had to make a diversion around Cromwell Road but when that work is finished access should be restored....

Slow Ways Darren

The route through Manchester passes by historic and modern Manchester, taking in St Anne’s Square, Manchester town hall and Exchange Square....

DaveHilton

This is my second review if this route, as in the sunshine and in the reverse direction one year later it took on a new dimension. Without the rain the main roads were less of a nuisance as there was no spray from the cars and buses. Also, thanks to the local knowledge of the group I walked with I realised it went past the site of the Haçienda night club....

Slow Ways Darren

Continual building works in Manchester City Centre often impede progress, but once you're in the city you can make your own route to your destination....

acorntea

I walked this route from Salford Crescent Train Station to Prestwich Tram Station, then came back a similar route. There are obvious places where the route could be shortened, especially near Salford, but if you aren't in a rush then the route heads across and over some interesting vehicle- and foot-bridges....

acorntea

It's even worse in the rain, although it's not muddy, there's a real risk of getting sprayed from puddles by speeding cars. It's a real challenge of how we can make our cities less hostile for humans....

Slow Ways Darren

Gathered in Manchester for a ‘Slow Ways staff summit’, the Three Manc-keteers of Dan, Darren and Rob were duty-bound to check out a local route. It’s Manchester. It’s safe, accurately mapped and has no access issues, but its lack of directness at the Manchester end compromises the methodology just a bit too much (point 4)....

RobBushby