Greater Manchester is surrounded by incredible countryside, from the Peak District to the east to the Cheshire Plains to the south. Yet sometimes it’s nice to stay closer to home, which is when an urban walk comes in handy.
The Fallowfield Loop is a traffic-free route which curves its way through the suburbs of south Manchester, connecting Chorlton with Fairfield in Tameside. The walking and cycling track passes through Fallowfield and Levenshulme along the way, stretching on for around eight miles.
Creating a link between green spaces and parks, including Highfield Country Park and Debdale Park, the route provides a leisurely stroll away from the hum of traffic, but without the need to venture outside of the M60. It’s green and leafy, but with the occasional graffiti-strewn wall providing some urban edge.
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The track begins (or ends, depending on how you look at it) at St Werburgh’s Metrolink Stop in Chorlton-cum Hardy and ends at Fairfield station, near the northern end of Debdale Park. It follows the route of a former railway line.
Opening in 1892, the Fallowfield Loop railway line provided a route to Manchester Central railway station (now the Manchester Central Convention Complex). It stopped serving passengers in 1969 becoming a freight-only route, and then closed completely in 1988.
The route was abandoned until a group of cyclists in the 1990s campaigned to convert it into a traffic-free green corridor through south Manchester, forming Friends of Fallowfield Loop in 2001. Today it's mostly owned by the charity Sustrans and the loop is part of the National Cycle Network Route 60.
If you’re feeling ambitious you can do the whole route in one go, or choose a more manageable smaller section. Along the way there are detours you can take, depending on whether you want to explore the high streets in Chorlton or Levenshulme, or have a wander around one of the parks.
On the eastern side of the loop is Highfield Country Park, a 70-acre designated Local Nature Reserve which is home to a variety of wildlife. While at the Fairfield end of the loop is Debdale Park, a 45-acre park surrounding two large reservoirs.
Time your walk just right and you can plan to arrive in Levenshulme in for brunch. The bustling neighbourhood has several places to grab a bit to eat. There’s Nordie, with a compact but Instagram-worthy selection of dishes. Or head to Trove for seasonal brunch options, served with their own freshly baked sourdough.
Meanwhile Station South is cycle-friendly and even has its own bike workshop. Go there on a Sunday to discover its excellent roasts.
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