We’re back for the autumn with our new circular route – CL5 to the Etihad Stadium and Co-op Live Arena from the City Centre and back again.

We’ll meet at Station Sanctuary (the small garden to the left of the main entrance to Piccadilly Station) at 10.15am for the 6km walk which will take approx 2 hours.

Jonathan Schofield will lead the walk and you can expect to learn about industrial archaeology and walk along Manchester’s hidden wildlife corridors.

We’ll head along the Ashton Canal, passing mills that are ruined, mills being refurbished and mills that have found new life as theatres and art galleries.

Along the way we’ll encounter two fine aqueducts. The first is a skewed aqueduct dating from 1797, the first of its kind in the UK. Further on, we’ll see remarkable Victorian engineering where the River Medlock flows beneath the Ashton Canal, which passes under a railway line and a road.

We then reach the Etihad Campus and skirt Co-op Live, with its extensive landscaping, before looping back along the ‘CityLink’ trail. See if you can spot a range of artworks, including a ‘Love Letter to Manchester’ by artists Stanley Chow and Akse along the way. Lime Kiln Lane, alongside the River Medlock, provides an unexpected rural feeling before leading us to the flourishing Mayfield Park and ending the walk at Piccadilly Station.

Key Details:

Date and time: Sunday 11 October, 10:15am. The walk will start at 10:30am and finish at 12.30pm approximately.

Where to meet: Station Sanctuary (small garden to the left of the main entrance), Piccadilly Station Approach, Manchester, M1 2GH

What to wear: Be prepared to walk – the route is nearly 6km (nearly 4 miles). Please wear sensible shoes and check the weather before leaving home!

Book your FREE ticket here