[1] With your back to EAT, go diagonally to the right across the open space and up the short escalator next to the Early Learning Centre. Go ahead to Market Street and turn left. Cross Fountain Street and continue ahead, then keep right of the tram lines and turn right into Piccadilly Gardens. Go along the right hand side of the Gardens until you reach the Santander offices then use the crossing to cross Mosley Street into Parker Street. Turn left along this, with the bus stops on your left and a parade of shops on your right, until you reach Portland Street. Use the crossing on your left to cross Parker Street then immediately use another crossing on your right to go across Portland Street. Turn right.
[2] Take the first left, just before Bar Rouge, into Minshull Street. Cross this anywhere (no crossing, but not much traffic) and continue along this until you come to the canal and turn right into the pedestrianised area of Canal Street. (A.)You are now in the heart of Manchester’s gay village, and in the evening things are likely to be lively.) Cross Chorlton Street and Sackville Street and continue to Princess Street. Here you have to turn left over a pedestrian bridge and go down a ramp to reach the towpath. Continue in the same direction as before, now with the canal on your right. (Suddenly the atmosphere changes; you have left the gay village and are surrounded by tall buildings of various ages.)
[3] Pass Lock 88, and go under Bridge 98. You can continue straight along the canal to Deansgate Locks in instruction 5, but to do the interesting diversion by the Bridgewater Hall turn back on yourself shortly after Bridge 98 and go up a flight of shallow steps to reach Oxford Street. Go left at the top of the steps to take the road bridge over the canal, and shortly left again into Great Bridgewater Street. Stay on the left pavement and go past the (B )Peveril of the Peak pub with its ornate tiling. This was built about 1820 and is one of the oldest pubs in Manchester. It is Grade II listed status saved it when the area round it was redeveloped – and it has a good reputation as a pub too. You will reach a bridge decorated with musical symbols over a branch of the canal.
[4] You are now going to visit the area round the (C) Bridgewater Hall, with two possible routes;
(Option 1 (shown on map): Cross the bridge and go down the steps, and double back under the bridge. This way is not a right of way and can be gated off, but is normally open. Continue until you reach the Bridgewater Hall, go up the steps at the end of the canal by the fountain, and turn left with the GMEX centre, formerly Manchester Central Station, on your right to return to Great Bridgewater Street at the Briton’s Protection pub. Cross Great Bridgewater Street here, then turn left and go back to the 'musical symbols' bridge over the canal arm, and back down the steps, except here you do not go under the bridge and you follow the sign for Tib Lock. Continue from (5).
(Option 2: To keep things legal, continue over the bridge and follow Great Bridgewater Street, then Lower Mosley Street on your right, round to the front of the Hall, then retrace your steps to the 'musical symbols' bridge and go down the steps. Follow the Tib Lock sign and continue from (5).)
[5] From the steps, follow the footpath sign to Tib Lock, and then turn right beside the canal for a few yards to reach a footbridge. Cross this and turn right to continue with the canal on your right, following signs to Deansgate Locks and Castlefield. The Beetham Tower, Manchester’s highest building and incorporating the Hilton Hotel, is on your right beyond a whole series of restaurants, known as Deansgate Locks, under railway arches. The canal swings under the Deansgate tunnel (bridge 100) and a railway bridge.
(Suddenly you are in a different world. The canal is descending to the level of the (D)older Bridgewater Canal, which it will meet at Castlefield, and here it runs through a shallow cutting; the walls are of red sandstone, and the ground floors of the canal-side buildings are level with your head. Derelict Victorian buildings on the opposite bank sprout trees )
[6] When you reach the bridge by the Dukes 92 pub, where the Rochdale Canal joins the Bridgewater, go up a ramp and then cross to the right, over the bridge. Turn left and go forward into Catalan Square.
(This is roughly the halfway point of the walk, and a good place for a rest. There is plenty in the canal basin for the more energetic to see, and a good view of three huge railway viaducts crossing the canal basin. All of Manchester’s early railways were built at high levels to avoid disruption to roads and canals. The middle viaduct now carries trams and the one closest to you is still used by trains.)
[7] Restarting the walk in Catalan Square, ignore the white modern footbridge on your left and cross a much older and smaller humpbacked bridge on the right. Manchester YHA is in sight almost directly ahead, with a canal branch in front of it. Turn right along this branch, pass through the Events Arena - the area with terraced steps with a tented roof - and go up the steps to the road.
[8] You will emerge into Liverpool Road, opposite the (E) Museum of Science and Industry. Across the road to the left you can see Liverpool Road station; (now incorporated into the Museum, it is regarded as the oldest station in the world, but it operated for only a few years before the railway was extended further into the city centre, and it was replaced by the present Victoria Station.) Turn right, and take the second right into Duke Street. (The strange brick building was a purpose-built Sunday school, but is now used as offices.)
[9] At the crossroads ahead, look right and you will see a reconstruction of part of the (F)Roman Fort, with its information boards. When you have seen the fort, proceed towards the lift to the tram station. Just past the lift turn left through the Fort gateway, and pass through the Roman Granary (more information boards here). Return to Liverpool Road beside the White Lion pub, and turn right following the signs for Great Northern. At the T junction by the Beetham Tower use the lights to cross Deansgate, and turn left. Pass the Great Northern complex - the long three storey brick building - and at the end turn right into Peter Street.
[10] Pass the First Church of Christ Scientist, continue along Peter Street, and at the traffic lights, turn left to cross it. Go ahead into Mount Street, with Starbucks on your left, and when you reach Albert Square turn left. Swing right to continue along the side of the Square with the memorial on your right and the Town Hall beyond. Cross John Dalton Street and continue ahead into Cross Street, to reach the restricted access area past the bollards at the end. Cross here and continue to Market Street, where you turn right to pass under the Food Court and return to the Arndale Centre. Take the Arndale entrance just past Urban Outfitters, and go down the small escalator to return to EAT.