Route Information
| Distance: | 9.2 Miles |
| Walking Time: | 4 Hours |
| Route Difficulty: | ⭐️⭐️ |
A scenic route between the main towns of the two Greater Manchester boroughs of Tameside and Stockport that initially follows the Peak Forest Canal before switching off onto the Trans Pennine Trail.
Things to Note About the Route
It's a fairly long walk, but has a fairly simple gradient, providing lots of picturesque views and lots of alternative paths to follow and a few other areas to wander off the beaten track and explore. One important thing to note is that Stockport Council aren't great at maintaining their part of the Trans Pennine Trail which can sometimes lead to various parts being closed off with poor signage of the alternative route, if you do come across such a section I'd recommend using your mapping app of choice to skip that section via road routes.
Points of Interest
Along the way I'd recommend keeping an eye out for the following points of interest:
Portland Basin Museum
This particular routes starting point and well worth a quick visit while you're there as it's free entry. It details a lot of the areas textile history, along with information about the local canals that transect through the basin. The cafe is quite nice there too.
Tame Valley
As you continue past Hyde you'll come across the Tame Valley a series of walks around the greenbelt that separates the various towns of Tameside, some of which is original farmland, others reclaimed from when it used to be the recycling centre. Most parts are very hilly and take you off the main trail, but they're worth an explore if you have the extra time and energy.
The Woodley Tunnel
Not actually on this route, but useful to know about, if you reach this you've missed your turning for the Trans Pennine Trail. Is a pretty long single track tunnel though, is kinda spooky.
The M60
Sounds a weird one to point out right? But as you get further down the walk you get to experience walking under the large bridge that hosts the M60 and it's quite an experience.
Reddish Vale Country Park
Continuing on you'll end up walking through Reddish Vale Country Park which has some nice sights including Strawberry Fields, Stockport Beach and the duck pond. Also if you want to stray from the route a bit and like petting zoos, there's one right near the main entrance.
Howard Street Bridge
There's some information here about Stockport's industrial heritage here.
Stockport Old Town
Sometimes referred to as "New Berlin", Stockport's old town has some interesting sights and a heritage trail that's worth an explore. If you're tired from your walk though the Produce Hall does some good eats.