[1] Start by walking past the toilets and in front of Debdale House. Follow the path round, and turn right into the car park, and go straight across the car park in front of the Education Outdoor Pursuits Centre.
[2] Take the narrow path between the railings and the road. It immediately opens out to reveal the lower reservoir, and seats and picnic tables.
(A) There are some large lumps of stones, removed from the old canal, and you can just see edging stone for the old canal. The canal was built in 1793 to link Stockport to the Ashton canal in Gorton, particularly to transport coal. If you walk to the over flow, and look away from the reservoir, you can see what a deep vale existed, and the canal must have had an impressive embankment to cross the valley. The embankment was used in 1823 by a Manchester water company to construct the reservoir. They then piped the water along Hyde road into Manchester. You can walk out onto the outlet control.
(This clean water was very important in fighting the spread of cholera and dysentery, in the rapidly growing city.)
[3] Follow the path over the overflow, and towards a tunnel, which goes under the old railway. Immediately through the tunnel, turn right and go up to the old railway, now an urban cycle and walk way. Listen and watch out for bikes.
[4] Turn back along the old railway, going over the tunnel you just came through. Very soon there is a gap in the embankment on your right and you can look down on Tan Yard Brow.
(B) It is alleged the tanning yard, here coloured the water red, and that is why the river in the bottom was called Gore Brook (another explanation is that a civil war battle was fought here, and the river ran with blood). This was the centre of Old Gorton.
[5] Continuing along the railway, you soon come to a bridge over Hyde Road.
(C) Just before the bridge is where Hyde Road railway station and the goods yard stood. It was advertised as Hyde Road for Belle Vue (actually a mile away). It opened in 1898 and closed in 1958. It is hard to imagine it now but the station was used in the 1980’s for trials for Manchester’s new trams, since it was a rare bit of disused railway with over head electric wires.
[6] Continue to the next bridge, cross the bridge, and immediately take the path on the left down to the road you have just crossed. Don’t continue along the old railway now, but in the future you may want a longer walk, and it goes on for another 5 miles to Levenshulme and Fallowfield.
[7] When you get down to the road turn right away from the bridge, and after a few yard turn right again. This road leads to Gorton Cemetery Gates. Go into the cemetery and then turn left and walk along the front of the cemetery.
(D) Where the main drive crosses your walkway, is a nice information board erected By Friends of Gorton Cemetery.
After reading this with details of Dico Ditch continue along the front of the cemetery.
[8] At the end go left through the gate, and immediately right, round a metal barrier, and left onto the old canal. I am afraid it doesn’t look like a canal, but 50 or so paces on you go under a water pipe, and reach the Reddish road bridges over the Canal.
[9] Go under the old bridge, under the large metal water pipe, and under the new bridge, and about another 50 paces on you come out facing Debdale Park. Cross Wall Way (the road) with care.
[10] Then walk back through the park the way you came.