With around two hundred thousand visitors every year Dunham Park might sound a bit crowded for a leisurely afternoon, but this walk gives you a different view. Here you will find quiet field paths, get a taste of the famous Trans Pennine Trail which beguiles cyclists and horse riders and on this section is remarkably easy walking. Then there's a bit of the Bridgewater Canal thrown in for good measure, while the surrounding villages are all delightful. And on one of those rare sunny days in February the crowds we expected in Dunham Park weren't crowds at all, but grandparents with one or more tiny children all of whom looked as happy as can be. Made us feel quite nostalgic!
LOCATION:
START: Off B5160, north of Dunham Woodhouses. Henshall Lane Trans Pennine Trail car park
Grid ref: SJ729886 Postcode: WA145SL
DISTANCE: 5 miles
GRADE: Easy
TIME: 2.5 hours
MAP: Explorer - Bolton & Wigan Landranger 109
REFRESHMENTS: Spoilt for choice
EN ROUTE: Little Bollington, Dunham Massey, Dunham Town, Bollin Valley Way, River Bollin
This walk was originally published by
The Manchester Evening News