Ramblers Trafford Group - “Vegetation Walk 1”
Notes: (a) the map above is limited to the route itself; the published map will hopefully show a somewhat
larger area (still to be decided, but see second map below) (b) the double pink line format for the route is
evidently the standardfor the website; the green line on the second map appears during the editing stage
only (c) it seems the waypoints can be numbered but I haven’t yet figured out how to do it
Getting There:
By car: north along A56 from Dane Road traffic lights, turn left into Bradley Lane 100 metres north of the
bridge over the River Mersey. Use Kiwi Nurseries car park immediately on right in Bradley Lane (see below).
If driving south on A56, move into the outside lane and continue 100 metres beyond the Mersey bridge to
find a turning lane across to the northbound carriageway
By bus: (a) northbound: bus stop outside TGI Friday’s just south of the Mersey bridge (b) southbound: bus
stop x00 metres south of the Mersey bridge. For bus passengers, or walkers from the south, start the walk
just over the bridge at the footpath sign (see Section 2 below)
Distance: 2.0 miles.
Terrain: mostly grass or gravel paths, but one field may be muddy and wet. Sections 4, 7 and 8 are liable to
benefit from being walked on regularly, to keep down seasonal vegetation; this is a major reason for this
route being put forward as a Ramblers Route by the Ramblers Trafford Group Footpath Inspection Team.
Route Description:
Note: the numbers below refer to the successive waypoints (black squares) on the map.
1. Start at Kiwi Nurseries in Bradley Lane (nursery sign boards on A56 100m after the Mersey bridge). Bradley
Lane is a narrow private road, so parking is not advisable. You are welcome to use the nurseries car park but,
if possible, go in and let them know before starting your walk.
Turn left out of the car park, then right along the A56.
2. There is a Walking Man sign here. Make your way along the Mersey bank path, a good level path which
runs 10 feet below the (“bank”). (Tidy this up !!)
After 500m, as the river bends left you will see a white sports pavilion ahead (in the distance, across the
river). The broad track branches here, the branch to the right rising to a point where a shorter walk option
turns off.
This shorter option (1.5 miles) should be clear from the map; from the waypoint, the route follows a Mersey
Valley Authority path northwards to Bradley Lane; after 30 metres to the left along the lane, another MVA
path takes you on to another waypoint (no. 6 below). (Tidy this up!!)
3. To stay on the main route, keep to the lower level and continue.
4. After a further 400 m (floodlights across the river, sewage works fence on the right), the track continues
along the river bank, but the definitive path branches right and rejoins the river bank further on.
5. Signs and gates indicate the point where the route turns right along the Trans Pennine Trail, a broad track.
6. After 700m a track joins in from the right and another one soon goes off left (to a new bridge over the
M60 not shown on the map). Our route continues forward. As the motorway bridge gets closer (60 metres?)
look for a right turn between saplings to a footpath sign and a stile.
7. Cross the stile and turn left along the field boundary. Keep to the left if you can, but aim to minimise
damage to growing crops. The field edge turns to the right alongside the bank of a ditch, past a tree to a bush
at the end of the ditch.
8. From here, looking straight ahead, the aim is to reach a gap in the hedge just to the left of the raised tip
area. From the bush, the official right of way curves off to the right following the line of an old and filled-in
stream. Nowadays this is usually part of cultivated land, so the realistic way is to follow a line straight ahead,
following the usual good walking practice of avoiding crop damage where at all possible. In recent years this
line has formed the boundary between two crops, where each crop grows thinly.
Reaching the tip area, follow the field edge round to a gap in the hedge (just before a street lamp). There is a
footpath sign.
9. Turn left in Bradley Lane to return to the start (narrow lane - watch for traffic). However, a 100m diversion
to the right will reveal some working yards; interesting “pod” houses are manufactured in the yard on the
left, and there are usually one or two to be seen under construction.
RME 12s12
Shorter option - revised text (15th September):
After 500m, as the river bends left you will see a white sports pavilion ahead (in the distance, across the
river). At this point there is a branch of the broad track leading up to the right.
The main track continues, but the branch to the right leads to a shorter walk option (1.5 miles). This shorter
option should be clear from the map; from the waypoint, the route follows a Mersey Valley Authority path
northwards to Bradley Lane; after 30 metres to the left along the lane, another MVA path continues to
another waypoint (no. 6 below).