Best foot forward for festival’s fourth year

Walking Festival - great reasons to lace up your walking boots

Whether its bees, birdsong, bats or berries – there’s something for everyone at the fourth annual Greater Manchester Walking Festival.

Walks cater for all abilities and interests, whether it’s an easy-on-the-legs family ramble or a more challenging evening trek around Blackstone Edge to watch the sun set.

There are walks round the canals, railway lines and beautiful countryside of Littleborough, or take in views of Alkrington Hall and experience the wildlife inhabiting the lodges that surround the many walk-ways through the woods, or a walk that utilises Castleton countryside, canals and even golf courses to make for some very eye-pleasing exercise.

Cycling and Walking Commissioner for Greater Manchester, Chris Boardman MBE, said: “Since it first ran in 2015, more and more people annually have been using the Greater Manchester Walking Festival as the inspiration to start leading a more active life; to get their kids spending more time outdoors; to meet up with old friends and, in many cases, to make new ones.

“So why not get involved this year by trying out some of the vast and varied range of led walks or by walking more of your shorter journeys and experience your area from a new perspective?

“We sometimes forget just how pleasurable getting around on foot can be – now is the time to truly embrace it and form new habits.”

Funded by the Department for Transport, the Greater Manchester Walking Festival is part of TfGM’s Walking Works project, encouraging people to make a walk part of their daily routine.

Running from Tuesday 1 to Thursday 31 May, the festival has increased in size yet again, and is now offering 369 free guided walks exploring local towns, cities, countryside, canals, riversides and parks across Greater Manchester.

The festival is being coordinated by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), with support from many local walking groups and charities, and aims to showcase all that the region has to offer.

Greater Manchester Walking Festival:

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