Heaton Park to Queens Park (4 of 14)

Time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Distance: 3.4 miles/ 5.5 km

Difficulty: Easy

An urban walk using several semi-rural valleys from Heaton Park to Queens Park, via Blackley Forest, Blackley Vale, Herristone Park, Crumpsall Park and Harpurhey Ponds.

[1] Exit Heaton Park by Gate 4 (at the bottom of the tramway) to Middleton Road. Turn right and cross the road at the pedestrian crossing. Turn left and walk down to Victoria Avenue, where you turn right. Cross the bridge over the River Irk and enter Blackley Forest by the gate on the right about 100 yards further on. (There is a very good entrance for wheelchairs and pushchairs but no other exit without going up steps). Follow the gravel path through the woods. Go straight on at both the first* and second junctions. Pass a footbridge over the Irk on your right and go up the steps. Turn right at next junction and follow the path to come out on Blackley New Road.

*Alternative route: Here you have the option of an easier route with fewer, shallower steps. Fork left at first junction, go up steps, then fork right at next junction and continue on this path to Blackley New Road.

(A) A bleach works was established here in 1771. See the information board and decorated fencing by the exit.

[2] Turn left into Blackley New Road and walk up the road by the attractive fishing lake on the left until you pass two bungalows on the right. Cross over and turn right into Blackley Vale by the sign. Walk down the path to the River Irk. (Turn left for the path through the Vale.) To continue on the Green Corridor Route, cross the river by the footbridge and climb the steps. At the top of the path, turn right up further steps and exit onto Dinorwic Close.

(There is no viable alternative route between Blackley New Road and Dinorwic Close for those with mobility difficulty or those using wheelchairs).

Walk up Dinorwic Close and turn right into Chudleigh Road. Turn left into Herristone Road, cross and enter park under the arch.

(B) Look at the notice board and note that the Park was opened in1968 by Sir Matt Busby.

[3] Cross the park (approx 100 yards) and exit onto Brynorme Road. Cross the road and walk up the path opposite. Cross Kearsley Road and walk up Willow Hill Road to Crumpsall Lane. Turn left and walk down the road. Cross Delauneys Road with care (very busy junction) and turn left down Westbury Road to the entrance to Crumpsall Park on the right. Enter the park and walk across the tarmac games pitch and follow the path past a cafe with toilets on the right to the front entrance to the park, where you will exit.

(C)There is a notice board with the history of the park on the right. The cow is one of the ones that used to be in Picadilly.

[4] Outside the park gates, turn left into Ash Tree Road and turn left at the end of the park into an alley. (It is not possible to cross the park and exit through the gate on the alley, as it is always locked.) Walk down to the end and down the steps onto the hospital service road, and up the steps on the other side. Follow the path to meet Crescent Drive. There is an alternative route from Crescent Drive to Queen’s Park, see directions at the end. Cross over Crescent Drive and turn down the path on the right. At the bottom of the path turn left. (This is at present a building site and there are no road names.) At the bottom of the road turn right and arrive at Waterloo Street. Cross over and enter Recreation Ground.

[5] Walk round the football pitch to the foot bridge. Cross the River Irk and turn right. Follow the path up to the left until reaching the first pond. Turn right and go up up the steps to Harpurhey Road and cross over. Now, you can either go through the gap at the side of the gate opposite and cross the tipping site, or alternatively turn left and walk about 100 yards up the road to a gap in the fence on the right. Turn right and go up steps and down the other side to join the path, where you turn left). Follow the path beside the ponds until you come to Factory Lane. Exit through gap in the fence. Cross the road and walk past the concrete block and up the path to rejoin the road. Walk up the road to Kingsbridge Road, where you turn right. Walk to the far end, cross the road and enter the cemetery. Turn left and left again then walk up to the entrance on Rochdale Road. Turn right and walk down the road to the gate of Queens Park.

[6] Enter the park and take the second left path at the sign post. Walk down to the plinth where the statue of Ben Brierley stood, notice the inscriptions. Turn right to the rose garden opposite the old museum building. Fork left, then go down the steps, across the next path and walk down the hill to the Queens Road exit [7] . (There are several other paths, which all eventually lead to this bottom gate).

Alternative Route from Crecent Drive to Queens Park via Abraham Moss fields and Hendham Vale.

Turn right and then turn right again into Crescent Drive. Walk down to the lights on Crescent Road and cross with care. Go through the gate opposite and turn right up the rough path. Go through the gate at the top and walk straight on past the back of the Abraham Moss School. (The path is not well defined and can be boggy in wet weather.) Go down the gravel path on the right and fork left onto a path which becomes concrete before the exit on Woodlands Road. Walk down this path to the exit on Hazlebottom Road by the entrance to the Crumpsall and Cheetham Model Allotments entrance.

Cross Hazlebottom Road and turn right then fork left to Smedley Lane where you turn left. At the bottom turn right into Hendham Vale and walk along the path until you reach the Queens Road entrance to the park. (Alternatively, turn left into Westmere Drive and walk up the path into the centre of Queens Park).

Filed under: Manchester Walking Routes, Walking Routes
Tagged: blackley forest, blackley vale, crumpsall park, green corridor, harpurhey ponds, harristone park, heaton park, Manchester, map, queens park, Ramblers, route, walk, Walking
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