Woodland walks near Manchester
If you’re anything like us, at certain times of the year, you’ll wake up with the notion that you’d quite like to spend some time in the woods. The feeling rises like sap in the spring and descends on us like leaves in autumn. Long before we lived in apartments we lived in trees and that link between humans and the shady, quiet calm of the forest has never really gone away. Who didn’t dream of having their own treehouse as a child?
While your hopes of living in a log cabin deep in the woods may be a way off yet, you can still reconnect with the tree-dwelling side of you with a few hours spent exploring a forest or even ten minutes admiring the changing canopies in your local park. Here we’ve gathered our favourite places for woodland walks near Manchester, including parks within the city boundaries and beauty spots that are day-trip distance away.
For more ideas for country walks near Manchester, take a look at 10 walks by train from Manchester and Beautiful spots for a walk near Manchester.
-
Alderley Edge
Alderley Edge
There are two very different Alderley Edges. One is a chi-chi town of footballers and wealthy socialites, the other – this one – is a red sandstone escarpment with amazing views over Cheshire and a hippyish vibe.
-
Whalley Range
Alexandra Park
Alexandra Park, or Alex Park as it’s known, was once rather shabby but has now been restored to something approaching its former glory.
-
Hathersage
Chatsworth
The classic vista of the grand 17th century house overlooking the River Derwent is the most famous image of Chatsworth, but this Peak District visitor attraction offers much more than a stately home tour.
Its parkland, gardens, farm, adventure playground, shops, restaurants and places to stay bring more than 600,000 visitors a year to this beautiful corner of Derbyshire. It’s a testament to the size of the estate (35,000 acres) – and its careful management – that you can enjoy a day out at Chatsworth without feeling overwhelmed by crowds.
-
Chorlton
Chorlton Ees
Chorlton Ees is a bit of a wild gem in such a densely populated area. If you’re lucky you could spot a woodpecker, herons or a kingfisher. At dusk there are plenty of bats flying around, too.
-
Altrincham
Dunham Massey
Dunham Massey is one of the National Trust’s most visited properties, bringing in over half a million people in 2023. We reckon at least 80% of them were Mancunians escaping the city for their nearest bucolic country park.
-
Romiley
Etherow Country Park
If you want a woodland walk complete with den-making, wildlife, picnic spots, and beautiful views, Etherow Country Park on the edge of Stockport ticks the boxes.
-
Wigan
Haigh Woodland Park
Haigh Woodland Park is a good mix of cultivated prettiness and ancient woodland with plenty of things to do.
-
Prestwich
Heaton Park
If you’re craving greenery but don’t want to stray too far out of the city, Heaton Park, on the Manchester-Bury border, is one of your best options.
-
Stockport
Lyme Park
Lyme Park is a huge estate with a Medieval herd of red deer, stunning views and a handsome Regency house.
Now a National Trust property, Lyme Park has something for visitors of all ages. Jane Austen fans may know it best as Pemberley, the home of Mr Darcy, where he emerges dripping wet from the lake in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.
-
Styal
Quarry Bank Mill
Quarry Bank Mill makes a change from the stately homes in pretty gardens National Trust blueprint. It’s an industrial gem but you’ll still find picturesque riverside gardens, woodland and rolling countryside.
-
Glossop
Snake Woodlands
Not far after the road descends from the summit of the Snake Pass (the road between Glossop and Sheffield), you’ll find an area of Forestry England land known as Snake Woodlands.
-
Knutsford
Tatton Park
Tatton Park is a historic estate on the edge of Knutsford, home to an opulent neo-classical mansion, landscaped gardens, woodland, a farm, a huge deer park and a medieval Old Hall.
-
Worsley
Worsley Woods
You can spend a pleasant few hours wandering through Worsley Woods, a 30-hectare woodland with well-marked trails, ponds, a children’s playground, and paths into the pretty village of Worsley.
-
Wythenshawe
Wythenshawe Park
Wythenshawe Park is so much more than just a playground and a bit of green space. For a start, there’s a lot of green space – 109 hectares to be precise, and it’s a mix of woodland, open grassland and wildflower meadows. (Also the playground is one of the better ones.)