[1] Leave the centre and turn left onto Albert Street. Walk up to Grey Mare Lane and turn right.
(A) On Grey Mare Lane, you will see the East Manchester Academy, a new high school opened in 2010.
[2] Continue along and cross this road at the pedestrian controlled lights, before the market. When you reach Alan Turing Way, again cross using the pedestrian lights, to then head opposite into Wilson Street.
(B) Alan Turing was a mathematical genius and the father of modern computer science. Turing’s code breaking work greatly contributed to the Allied victory in the Second World War. He was convicted of homosexuality in 1952 and unfortunately committed suicide in 1954. He lived and worked in Manchester in the latter years of his life.
[3] At the end, turn left onto Clayton Lane and walk along past the large, now derelict, chemical factory on your left.
(C) This site was Clayton Aniline, the largest manufacturing location in Manchester, covering 57 acres and employing 2,500 people as recently as the 1970s.
[4] Follow the road until you reach Clayton Bridge, over the Ashton Canal. On your right, there are ten steep steps down the canal towpath. Walkers will need to be careful here as, even with a handrail, the steps are quite difficult .The towpath is also slippery under the bridge itself.
For an alternative route down to the towpath, carefully cross Clayton Lane and take the tarmac path to your right. Follow this path, keeping to the left, and head over the green area to cross Bob Massey Close. Then, turn right to enter Ornasy Walk and after a short distance, turn left towards the Ashton Canal.
(D) The Ashton Canal was built in 1796 to supply coal to and distribute manufactured goods from Manchester - 50,000 tons in 1933, eventually dwindled to 7 tons by1955. The canal re-opened to navigation in 1974 and is an important part of the popular Cheshire Ring navigation.
[5] Turn left and walk along the towpath towards Manchester, heading past a series of numbered locks (10, 9 and 8). When you reach Lock 7, take the next bridge across the canal and continue along the right-hand side until you reach Joe Mercer Way. Turn left and follow this road back over the canal and walk along towards the City of Manchester Stadium. Taking the path that bears to your left, walk halfway around the stadium and at Gate 8a, head onto Ashton New Road.
You can shorten this section of the walk by turning left, before Lock 7, into the shopping centre car park by the sign for Next. Walk across the car park, past the ASDA store on your left, to exit at the junction between Alan Turing Way and Aston New Road. Carefully cross Alan Turing Way and head into Aston New Road, to pick up the final section of the walk at Way-point 6.
[6] Cross the road at the pedestrian controlled traffic lights in front of you, to then turn down the tarmac path ahead, past the 'School of the Resurrection', to return to the centre.