[1] Come out of the Library and turn left and immediately left again into Ratcliffe Street. Walk to the end of the street and in front of the old Atlas Works with the large Mobil signs turn right and cross Chapel Street and go left into Gordon Avenue. Walk down Gordon Avenue to the end. You will notice the houses in the side roads gradually get bigger. At the end of Gordon Avenue you come out into Crayfield Road. This used to be called Station Road. Cross Crayfield Road and go onto the urban cycle track and walk away.
This has been constructed along the old loop railway line from Fairfield to Chorlton Junction and on into Manchester Central Station (formerly GMEX, now simply Manchester Central). This line provided a commuter service into Manchester and enabled trains from Sheffield and the east of England to run into Central Station and then go on to Liverpool.
[2] Look right to see the old Levenshulme South Station building over the old track, but turn left. Notice the nice sculptured sign post and walk along the old route under Broom Lane. A little further on you will see a footbridge over the track. The bridge used to span 4 tracks, as on the left was a railway siding, from which coal was delivered to local houses. Follow the path up to the footbridge.
[3] Turn right and you will see three paths leading into Highfield Country Park, take the middle one.
It is hard to think that for over 50 years this was an area where clay was extracted for the brickworks and for other 30 years the hole created was filled in with refuse from Manchester dust bins. It is even harder to realise that all the vegetation on the site has grown in the last 20 years.
[4] Follow the path through the overhanging trees, bearing left at the sign post until you come to the picnic area. The sign board shows other routes through the park. With your back to the picnic area and sign board, follow the path beside the stream until it comes out on Nelstrop Lane and turn left. This is an ancient highway and occasionally people try to drive a vehicle along it. So take care!
[5] Nelstrop Lane takes you back to the old railway line, which it crosses by a bridge. Just before the bridge a path goes down on your right to the old railway, heading towards large water pipes crossing the railway. Do not go under these pipes but turn back and go under Nelstrop Road. Follow the line to the next bridge. Just under this bridge is a set of steps on your left.
[6] Continue along the line until you see again the footbridge, go up to the footbridge and use it to cross over. The path then goes between houses by a stream to come out on Broom Lane. This is a very busy road, traffic come in spurts due to traffic lights at either end. So turn right along Broom Lane crossing Cranage Road, until you come to number 132. This is the point to cross the road, since it gives you the best view of the traffic in both directions. On the other side of the road is Bubble Heaven.
[7] Turn right and walk past three new houses until an alley way opens on your left. Go down the alley into Rawdon Close and then out of the Close into Chapel Street. Cross Chapel Street Park. Go past the old changing rooms, round the bowling green and out onto Barlow Road and then left back to the Library.