[1] From the entrance to Old Parsonage Gardens (the gateway with the eagle sculpture on top), walk to the junction and turn left along Wilmslow Road. Cross Wilmslow Road using the pedestrian crossing opposite the Barlow Medical Centre, turn left then right onto Sandhurst Road (signed Trans Pennine Trail and East Didsbury). At end of brick wall on the left, cross the road to reach Didsbury Park.

[2] Enter the park via the gate. Take the path on the immediate right, pass the bowling greens on your left, and at a junction of paths, by an information board, turn right to exit the park.

(A) Didsbury Park was one of the first municipal planned parks in the city, redesigned in the 1920s to include recreational features, some of which still exist. The site mainly consists of amenity grassland, woodland and flora. The park is thought to have an old air-raid shelter underneath the football pitchIt has a children’s’ play area, bowls, football pitches and a bird garden.

From the park gate, turn left and enter a narrow lane ahead, marked with a footpath sign. At the end of the lane, emerge onto School Lane opposite St. Catherines Church.  Cross School Lane with care, turn left and walk along School Lane to reach Catterick Road, which is second on the right.

[3] Turn right into Catterick Road,  crossing the road to walk along the left hand footpath and just after passing some bungalows on the left, reach a narow tree-lined road called The Drive, (note that there is no road sign at this end).

Turn left into The Drive and follow it to its end to reach Fog Lane, then turn right.   Walk along Fog Lane to the traffic lights at the junction with Parrs Wood Road.  Turn left to cross Fog Lane at the lights and continue along Parrs Wood Road for a short way to reach Fog Lane Park, on the left.

(B) Purchased in 1926 by Manchester’s town planning committee, Fog Lane Park was one of the city’s first public parks. It is said that Fog Lane Park earned its name from a grass commonly known as Yorkshire Fog, which still grows throughout the park.

[4] Enter Fog Lane Park, follow path ahead and at junction of paths near pond bear right towards the Children’s Play Area.  Pass the play area and just before an exit gate take the path on the right to leave the park on Parrs Wood Road at the junction with Parkville Road.

Cross Parrs Wood Road (with care – there is no pedestrian crossing).  Continue ahead along Westcroft Road crossing over and continuing in the same direction until, just before the railway bridge, turn left to reach a narrow path on the left, signed Public Footpath.

[5] Turn left to walk along the path. Ignore the path that forks to the left and stay close to the railway. Cross Southlea Road and continue along the path which soon emerges into one end of Westbank Road, a cul-de-sac.

[6] Turn right and walk to the opposite end of Westbank Road to re-join the path at the top right corner.  (Note:  the path is not signed at this point). The path ends at Briarfield Road, opposite Ladybarn Primary School grounds.  Cross the road, turn left and walk past the school.  Turn right into Whimberry Way and follow it round to reach Parrs Wood Road.  Turn right to shortly reach Ladybarn Park.

(C) Ladybarn Park is situated in a student and residential community in Withington. One of the dramatic sights of Ladybarn Park is the row of Lombardi Poplars looming over the park

[7] Enter Ladybarn  Park via the gate, adjacent to the bus stop.    Follow the path straight ahead, which eventually turns to the left. Ignore the path to the right under the railway, and continue to the exit, ahead. Leave Ladybarn Park via the gate onto Mauldeth Road and turn right.  Walk to the junction with Kingsway and cross using the pedestrian crossing.

Once across Kingsway, continue down Mauldeth Road, passing the sports field of Burnage Cricket and Social Club on the left and continue to reach the junction with Burnage Lane. Cross Burnage Lane using the pedestrian crossing, turn left then immediately right into Avon Road to reach the junction with Errwood Road.   Cross Errwood Road and turn left to reach Cringle Fields.

(D) Cringle Fields is mostly laid out with football pitches and is entirely grassed.

[8] Do NOT enter Cringle Fields but turn left along Errwood Road using the footpath/cycle path running between the road and Cringle Fields  to reach Crossley Road. Cross Crossley Road using the pedestrian crossing to enter CringlePark via the gate.

[9] Enter Cringle Park and take the path on the right.  Unless you have a buggy or pushchair, etc, follow the path as it bears right to exit onto Crossley Road and turn left.  Those with pushchairs, etc, should follow the main path as it bears left, then just before reaching a wall, turn sharp right at a marker post onto a path leading to an exit onto Crossley Road.

(E) Situated in Levenshulme and closely bordering Burnage, Cringle Park covers 14 hectares. Its facilities are: a multi-sports court; a children’s playground; a Beehive play centre; a bowling green and bowls pavilion; a large area of grassland; a large wooded area woodland with mature trees in grass. It was purchased by the City Council in 1913.

Turn left along Crossley road, pass under the railway bridge to reach the junction with Stockport Road/ Wellington Road North (A6).  Cross the A6 with care, at the lights. Turn left then almost immediately rightinto Lloyd Road. Continue along the road and turn right onto Cringle Road.   Cross Cringle Road to walk beside metal railings to reach the entrance steps to  Highfield Country Park on the left.

[10]  Enter Highfield Country Park via the steps and at the top of the steps, take the path ahead and slightly to the left (note marker post with yellow spot).  The path is earth and stones and can be muddy in places.  Keep going ahead, ignoring any minor paths on either side.  

[11] Just before an exit gate’ turn right to follow a gravel path.  Pass a second exit gate on the left.  Do not go through the gate but continue ahead along a grassy/earth path, which curves between trees. Ignore the wider paths to the left and right at a paths junction. You then reach the corner of a Primary School’s playing fields. Cross the field ahead, following the path to reach a much wider track.  Cross the track,(watching for bicycles, as this is a stretch of the Manchester Cycleway), to the bridge opposite.

(F) Highfield Country Park is a 70-acre area of open land, which is now a Local Nature Reserve.  Originally, Highfield Farm, the land was later used to extract clay for the manufacture of bricks for the building industry. The clay pit and brick works existed at the turn of the 20th Century, and by the 1950s was being operated by the Jackson Brick Company. The area was known as the Brickie and in the 1970s The Brickie was used as a landfill.

Cross the bridge and follow the path, which curves left, to reach Broom Lane and turn right. Continue along Broom Lane until you reach Highfeld Road,  then turn left to cross Broom Lane, to enter Chapel Street (Note: Maps may show this as a continuation of Highfield Road, but it is Chapel Street and denoted by the street sign on the wall).  Follow Chapel Street to the left to reach Chapel Street Park on the right. If you wish,

(G) Chapel Street Park is a very small, formal park, adjacent to Chapel Street Primary School.

Enter the park via the gate and follow the path ahead, which exits onto Barlow Road [12], with Green Bank Fields diagonally opposite, to the right.

[12] You have reached the end of this walk.

[1] The start of this route can be reached by train:  East Disbury Train Station is 0.4 miles along Didsbury Road.  Local buses are numbers 23; 42; 142; 157; 171 and 196

[3] Buses at junction of Fog Lane and Parrs Wood Road are: 44; 145; 179.  Burnage Rail Station is nearby.

[5] Mauldeth Road railway station is nearby.  Buses numbers 22; 178; 194 and 297

[6] Buses numbers 171; 178 and 297