Starting at Boggart Hole Clough, Rochdale Road

Finishing at Heaton Park, Off Middleton Road and Sheepfoot Lane

[1] Enter Boggart Hole Clough from Rochdale Road using the main entrance with a large metal gate. Walk down into the park along a wide tarmac path called Rochdale Drive. Turn left at the bottom of the hill and crossover a small stream. This area is called Five Ways, for obvious reasons! Take care to choose the track veering to the right after you have crossed the stream. The track, Olivers Clough, is signposted to the car park and visitors centre. Turn left near the top, opposite the athletics track, towards a green building that houses the visitors centre (there are toilets here Mon-Fri 9-5pm). Exit the park by the entrance to the car park and cross the busy Charlestown Road where safe, then turn right.

[2] Very soon you reach Grange Park Road where you turn left, then left again where a footpath sign directs you to a narrow tarmac path with fencing on both sides leading to Baileys Wood.  Before you reach the houses turn left onto a rough path that can be muddy in parts. Follow this path around the top of a steep wooded gorge, always keeping the gorge on your left. After about five minutes walk you will reach a green metal fence on your left in the area of Tenham Walk. At this area, join the pavement of a tarmac road and soon you reach a gap in the metal fence on your left. Take this tarmac path across a grass area called Dam Head Park to reach Rochdale Road.

[3] Turn right and walk up to the pedestrian controlled lights before the fire station. Cross then turn right and walk up to Kerr Street. Turn left and walk up this short hill. Turn right at Hill Lane then very soon cross with care and turn left into Laurel Park Gardens. In a short distance turn right to enter the green space of Planthill Park.

[4] Follow the path downhill past the community orchard on your right and towards some well-looked-after allotments. Follow the path along the outside of a metal fence by the side of the allotments and you emerge at French Barn Lane. Turn right  and walk uphill to join Plant Hill Road cross and turn left to go along Plant Hill Road you soon reach a point in approximately 200 metres, just before the police station, where you must choose between two alternative routes.

[5] The north west route requires you to turn right before the buildings and walk a short distance across some grass between some trees on a rough path, onto Tweedle Common. Path diversions have taken place in the area due to the construction of the new Coop Academy, replacing Plant Hill school. The path is easy to follow  but keep to the path by the trees on the left as you cross the common, to pick up the concrete path. Where the concrete path divides take the right fork and then straight on at the next junction. You reach and cross Tweedle Hill Road and then enter Tweedle Hill Road Park. This small park has recently been improved and a single tarmac path takes you across to Poulton Road where you turn right. In a few metres you join Crab Lane by the Zion church, turning right.

The south west route requires you to turn left, crossing the road, to follow a single narrow concrete path into Blackley Common. The path leads uphill then branches to the right just as you reach the highest point. Follow the path downhill and you join Chapel Lane. Turn right and walk uphill a short distance to a footpath sign. Cross Chapel Lane and find a second footpath sign to the left as you cross Chapel Hill Drive. Keep straight on as you enter Ashenhurst Common. The first few metres are downhill and wooded but as you reach a green wooden fence with metal spikes on, turn right following the concrete path across open grassland. You emerge at Sandhill Road (no street sign) where you very soon turn right to join Riverdale Road. Keep right and follow the road around and uphill until you join Chapel Lane at the entrance to Blackley Cemetery and Crematorium. Turn right and walk a short distance before turning left onto Crab Lane and Zion church.

[6] Both routes continue up Crab Lane. Notice the old cottages of Crab Village. At the end of Crab Lane, turn second left and walk along Weardale Road (no street name), past the Duke of Wellington pub. Keep left and continue along Northdale Road before turning right to join Victoria Avenue via Broomhall Road.

[7] At Victoria Avenue turn left and walk downhill past the shops. Soon on the left is a wildflower meadow with recently planted fruit trees. You can walk through this area or continue along the footpath of Victoria Avenue. Returning to continue down Victoria Avenue, you pass an entrance to Blackley Cemetery, an entrance to Blackley Forest and a bridge to cross over the River Irk. Very soon you join the wide busy Middleton Road and you cross over using the pedestrian lights.

[8] Turn left and walk approximately 50 metres to reach the main entrance to Heaton Park,  entrance number 4.