Nothing quite beats heading out with your four-legged friend on a day off or weekend on a trail or footpath so you can go exploring. However sometimes it can hard work trying to find new places to head to where you live.
Thankfully the Greater Manchester Walking website features more than 200 walks and is proving a big hit with dog walkers. It offers ideas to inspire everyone to get out and explore towns, cities, the countryside, canals, riversides and parks across the region – and with each walk, it tells you whether it’s dog-friendly, buggy-friendly, or wheelchair-accessible. It also tells you whether there are toilet facilities and if there’s a pub or cafe nearby.
You simply input your postcode and can search for walks of varying levels of difficulty, within five miles, 10 miles, 15 miles, or 15 plus miles from your home. It also tells you the transport details, whether you can get there via Metrolink, train or bus and whether there’s a car park.
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All areas of Greater Manchester are included in the 203 dog-friendly walks, with green trails running between some of Manchester’s most popular parks, routes around reservoirs and nature reserves, town centre trips and heritage trails.
174 of them have a cafe or pub nearby, while 64 are buggy-friendly if you have a little one in tow too.
As well as being able to search for walks, a selection of challenges, activities and ideas have been collated into three daily calendars, (beginner, intermediate and experienced walker) to download from the website – for individuals or small groups to follow throughout the month.
Find out more on the website here.
The full list of 203 dog-friendly walks
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Alexandra Park, Oldham
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Amberswood Common (Silver route), Wigan
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Amberswood to Leyland Park (Diamond route), Wigan
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Amberswood, Bickershaw and Abram (Diamond route), Wigan
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Ashton and Bryn Circular (Diamond route), Wigan
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Ashton’s Field, Salford
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Astley Street Park, Gin Pit village and Dam House, Wigan
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Banky Meadows and Ashton upon Mersey, Trafford
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Blackleach Country Park, Salford
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Blackstone Edge and the Pennine Way without a car, Rochdale
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Blackstone Edge from Hollingworth Lake, Rochdale
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Bolton Rotary Way, Bolton
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Bolton’s Industrial Heritage Town Centre Walking Trail, Bolton
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Borsdane Wood from Aspull Civic Hall, Wigan
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Bramhall Park, Stockport
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Bramhall, Happy Valley and Poynton
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Bridgewater Canal and Bedford Moss (Gold route)
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Broadbottom Circular, Tameside
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Burrs Country Park, Bury
Burrs Country Park, Bury -Credit:Unknown copyright
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Carr Wood, Stockport
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Castle Clough Trail, Tameside
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Chadderton Let’s Go For a Walk (leaflet of park and countryside walks), OIdham
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Chadkirk Chapel and Estate, Stockport
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Chapel Street Heritage Trail, Salford
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Cheesden Brook from Pooley Bridge, Heywood, Rochdale
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Chesham Woods, Bury
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Chorlton Water Park Tree Trail, Manchester
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Clifton Country Park, Salford
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Crompton Circuit, Oldham
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Crompton Moor, Oldham
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Crossing point – a walk around Saddleworth in the South Pennines, Oldham
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Dainewell Park and Carrington Moss, Trafford
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Daisy Nook, Tameside/Oldham
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Delph Trail, Oldham
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Diggle Trail, Oldham
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Dobcross Trail, Oldham
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Dove Stone Reservoir, Oldham
Dove Stone Reservoir
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Dunham Massey ancient trees walk, Trafford
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Dunwood Park, Oldham
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Eatock Lodge Local Nature Reserve, Bolton
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Etherow Country Park – Woodlands and waterways, Stockport
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Etherow Country Park self-guided nature trails, Stockport
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Etherow Goyt Valley Way, Stockport, Tameside
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Fred Perry Way, Stockport
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Glodwick Lows, Oldham
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GM Ringway – Greater Manchester’s walking trail
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GM Ringway Stage 1 Manchester – Sale Water Park, Manchester, Trafford
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GM Ringway Stage 10 Newhey – Littleborough, Rochdale
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GM Ringway Stage 2 Sale Water Park – East Didsbury, Manchester, Trafford
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GM Ringway Stage 3 East Didsbury – Bramhall, Manchester, Stockport
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GM Ringway Stage 4 Bramhall – Middlewood, Stockport
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GM Ringway Stage 5 Middlewood – Strines, Stockport
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GM Ringway Stage 6 Strines – Marple, Stockport
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GM Ringway Stage 7 Marple – Broadbottom, Stockport, Tameside
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GM Ringway Stage 8 Broadbottom – Greenfield, Tameside
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GM Ringway Stage 9 Greenfield – Newhey, Oldham, Rochdale
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Gracie Fields Purple Plaque Trail, Rochdale
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Haigh from Haigh Woodland Park (Silver route), Wigan
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Hall Lee Bank Local Nature Reserve, Bolton
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Happy Valley Local Nature Reserve, Stockport
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Harridge Round, Tameside
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Haughton Green Ciricular, Tameside
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Hawkshaw and Affetside, Bury
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Heart of the Tame Valley, Tameside
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Heaton Mersey Common, Stockport
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Heaton Mersey Village Heritage Walk, Stockport
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Heywood Co-operative Society Heritage Trail, Rochdale
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Historic Houses, Highest Hill
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History and Heritage, Tameside
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Hollingworth Lake Circuit, Rochdale
Hollingworth Lake
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Hollins Vale Local Nature Reserve, Bury
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Horwich Heritage Town Centre Trail, Bolton
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Hurst Clough Nature Walk, Tameside
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John Leigh Park Tree Trail, Trafford
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Kingfisher Trail, Bury/Bolton/Salford
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Kirklees Valley Trail, Bury
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Ladybrook Valley Interest Trail, Stockport
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Leesbrook (leaflet of park and countryside walks), Oldham
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Leverhulme Park, Bolton
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Lilford Lanes from Lilford Park (Silver route), Wigan
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Littleborough Co-operative Society Heritage Trail, Rochdale
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Longford Park to Sale Water Park, Trafford
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Longsight Park, Bolton
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Lovers’ Alley Trail, Tameside
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Lower Brushes Valley Trail, Tameside
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Lymefield and Broad Mills Heritage Trail, Tameside
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Manchester by the sea – a walk around Salford Quays, Salford/Trafford
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Manchester Green Trail 1 – Chapel Street Park to Clayton Park, Manchester
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Manchester Green Trail 10 – Barlow Moor Road to Martinscroft Metrolink, Manchester
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Manchester Green Trail 11 – Alderman Rodgers Park to Peel Hall Metrolink, Manchester
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Manchester Green Trail 12 – Peel Hall Metrolink to Riverside Park, Manchester
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Manchester Green Trail 13 – Riverside Park to Fletcher Moss Park, Manchester
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Manchester Green Trail 14 – Fletcher Moss Park to Chapel Street Park, Manchester
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Manchester Green Trail 2 – Clayton Park to Boggart Hole Clough, Manchester
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Manchester Green Trail 3 – Boggart Hole Clough to Heaton Park, Manchester
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Manchester Green Trail 4 – Heaton Park to Queens Park, Manchester
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Manchester Green Trail 5 – Queens Park to Ardwick Green, Manchester
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Manchester Green Trail 6 – Ardwick Green to Whitworth Park, Manchester
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Manchester Green Trail 7 – Whitworth Park to Alexandra Park, Manchester
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Manchester Green Trail 8 – Alexandra Park to Chorlton Bus Station, Manchester
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Manchester Green Trail 9 – Chorlton Bus Station to Southern Cemetery, Manchester
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Manchester Green Trail – overview, Manchester
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Mersey Vale Nature Park, Stockport
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Mid Cheshire Rail Walks – Altrincham Circular, Trafford
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Mid Cheshire Rail Walks – Altrincham to Sale, Trafford
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Mid Cheshire Rail Walks – Ashley to Hale, Trafford
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Mid Cheshire Rail Walks – Cornbrook to Manchester Piccadilly
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Mid Cheshire Rail Walks – Hale to Ashley, Trafford
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Mid Cheshire Rail Walks – overview, Manchester, Trafford
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Mid Cheshire Rail Walks – Sale to Cornbrook, Manchester, Trafford
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Middlebrook Valley Trail, Bolton
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Middleton and Tonge Co-operative Society Heritage Trail, Rochdale
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Middlewood Way, Stockport
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Middlewood Way and Macclesfield Canal, Stockport
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Milnrow, Newhey and Ogden Co-operative Heritage Trail, Rochdale
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Monton and Roe Green Loopline Heritage Trail, Salford
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Moses Gate Country Park, Bolton
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Mossley Highs and Lows, Tameside, Oldham
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Mottram Hill Trail, Tameside
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Park Bridge and Daisy Nook Trail, Tameside, Oldham
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Park Bridge Heritage Trail, Tameside, Oldham
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Partington walk 1: Nature Reserve Trail, Trafford
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Partington walk 2: Redbrook Trail, Trafford
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Partington walk 3: Bollin Valley Way to Warburton, Trafford
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Peel Tower, Holcombe Moor and Ramsbottom, Bury
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Pennington Flash Wetlands Area (Silver route), Wigan
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Philips Park, Bury
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Queen’s Park, Bolton
Queens Park, Bolton -Credit:Manchester Evening News
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Ramsbottom, Summerseat and Holcombe, Bury
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Reddish Vale Country Park, Stockport
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Reddisher Lane to Simon’s House Farm, Bury
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Redisher Wiids Local Nature Reserve, Bury
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Reservoir Trails 1 – reservoirs (Blackstone Edge, White Holme, Light Hazzles and Warland), Rochdale
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Reservoir Trails 2 – Blackstone Edge, Rochdale
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Reservoir Trails 3 – Chelburn Reservoirs, Rochdale
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Reservoir Trails 4 – Hollingworth Lake, Rochdale
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Reservoir Trails 5 – Rakewood, Rochdale
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Reservoir Trails 6 – Piethorne Valley Reservoirs, Rochdale
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Reservoir Trails 7 – Denshaw Valley Reservoirs, Oldham
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Reservoir Trails 8 – Castleshaw Valley Reservoirs, Oldham
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River Mersey and Kickety Brook, Trafford
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Roaches Trail, Tameside
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Rochdale Town Centre, Blue Plaque Trail, Rochdale
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Rochdale Town Centre, Parks and Gardens walks, Rochdale
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Rochdale Way, Rochdale
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Saddleworth Circuit, Oldham
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Saddleworth cycle and horse-riding trail, Oldham
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Sale Water Park and Priory Gardens, Trafford
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Salford Trail – overview, Salford
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Salford Trail 1 – Salford Quays to Peel Park, Salford
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Salford Trail 10 – Irlam to Cadishead, Salford
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Salford Trail 2 – Peel Park to Kersal, Salford
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Salford Trail 3 – Kersal to Clifton, Salford
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Salford Trail 4 – Clifton to Roe Green, Salford
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Salford Trail 5 – Roe Green to Walkden
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Salford Trail 6 – Walkden to Worsley, Salford
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Salford Trail 7 – Worsley to Barton or Brookhouse, Salford
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Salford Trail 8 – Barton Bridge to Salford Quays, Salford
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Salford Trail 9 – Brookhouse to Irlam, Salford
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Sam Bamford Trail – Middleton town centre, Rochdale
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Scout Around The Edge, Tameside
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Seven Acres Local Nature Reserve, Bolton
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Sinderland Brook, Trafford
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Slums, squalor and salvation – a walk around Victorian Manchester, Manchester
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Smallbridge, Hurstead and Greengate Co-operatives Heritage Trail, Rochdale
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South Pennine Water Trail, Rochdale
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Standish Park from Ashfield Park (Gold Route), Wigan
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Stoneleigh Park, Oldham
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Strinesdale, Oldham
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Tameside Trail, Tameside
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Tandle Hill, Oldham
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The Parks of Sale, Trafford
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Three Canals and a River, Tameside
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Tonge Trail, Bolton
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Torkington Park, Stockport
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Towers and Turrets, Bolton
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Towpaths, Tracks and Tunnels, Tameside
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Trans Pennine Trail Trek, Trafford
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Turf Moor and Black Hill from Ashworth Reservoir, Rochdale
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Two Brooks Valley, Bury
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Two faces of Rivington, Bolton
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Upper Bradshaw Valley Local Nature Reserve, Bolton
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Uppermill Trail, Oldham
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Urmston Meadows and Old Ees Brook, Trafford
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Valley and Views, Tameside
Vernon Park -Credit:Stockport Express
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Vernon Park, Stockport
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Village Link – overview, Bury
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Village Link Walks 11 & 12 – Walshaw to Ainsworth (or reverse), Bury
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Village Link Walks 13 & 14 – Ainsworth to Affetside to Hawkshaw (or reverse), Bury
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Village Link Walks 3 & 4 – Holcombe to Ramsbottom to Park Farm (or reverse), Bury
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Village Link Walks 5 & 6 – Park Farm to Nangreaves to Rowlands Road (or reverse), Bury
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Village Link Walks 7 & 8 – Rowlands Road to Greenmount (or reverse), Bury
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Village Link Walks 9 & 10 – Greenmount to Walshaw (or reverse), Bury
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Viridor Wood (Gold route), Wigan
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Waterhead, Oldham
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Wellacre Country Park and Jack Lane Nature Reserve, Trafford
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Werneth Low and Gee Cross Circular, Tameside
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Werneth Low Hilltop Trail, Stockport, Tameside
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Wigan Pier to Appley Bridge, Wigan
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Wigan Pier to Arley Hall, Wigan
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Wigan Pier to Leigh Bridge, Wigan
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Woodbank Memorial Park Nature and Heritage Trail, Stockport
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Worsley Village