[1] Turn right from Centre along Birchvale Close. At the gate turn left along the footpath passing the football pitch on the left. Go through the park gate and cross Jackson Crescent. Then go up the slope across the footbridge over the A57 (M). At the top of the bridge look to the north and see the Hilton Hotel and G-MEX Centre. Turn left, keeping the motorway on your left. Continue right up Melbourne Street. Then cross over Great Jackson Street and turn right. Around the bend turn left into River Place and at the end of the cul-de-sac follow footpath around the back of the flats with the River Medlock on your left.
G-MEX Centre was the Central Station that took 5 years to build and opened on 1st July 1880. It is situated on the site of what was St. Peters Field, Manchester’s original 19th century meeting place. People from all over the North West of England would congregate in this open field to debate the issues of the time, from labour reform to democracy and equality.
[2] At City Road East turn left and left along Medlock Street. Cross Little Peter Street and at the viaduct turn left into Hewitt Street.
[3] At the bottom of Hewitt Street cross Deansgate (there are no street signs here) and go left in front of the large red brick building. At the end of the brick wall turn right through the tunnel and under the Bridgewater viaduct to Deansgate Quay where the River Medlock flows into the Bridgewater Canal. After a short distance there are some seats for a possible stop and on the far side of the canal there is Grocers’ Warehouse.
(A) Grocers’ Warehouse was partially rebuilt in 1987; this warehouse had been demolished in 1960. First built in the early 1770s, as a terminus to the Bridgewater Canal along which coal had been transported from Worsley, the warehouse overhung the canal so that narrow boats could moor in below and goods could be raised by winch the 20 feet up to the warehouse above. The reconstructed front shows two docks- one, the entrance to James Brindley's original tunnel by which coal was offloaded, and the other constructed much later in about 1807.
(B) The River Medlock is 35 km. in length and begins its course upstream of Strinesdale Reservoir near Bishop’s Park, north east of Oldham. It flows through the urban areas of Lees, Park Bridge, Droylsden, Failsworth, Clayton, Bradford, Ancoats and finally into Manchester city centre joining the Bridgewater canal.
[4] Continue along the towpath cross the wooden footbridge and turn right to the large basin known as Castlefield junction, where the Rochdale Canal joins the Bridgewater Canal and opposite there are the Castlefield viaducts. Follow the cobbled towpath round to the left. (Take care: some cobbles are uneven.) Go down a slope under the A57 road bridge. Over a small footbridge and just after the second footbridge keep to the left of the handrails and go along the concrete path up to Hulme Hall Road
(C) Castlefield was originally a Roman settlement near to where the rivers Medlock and Irwell met, and is arguably the birth-place of Manchester. In the mid-19th century, during the Industrial Revolution, it witnessed the largest growth in its history, with the building of the canals and railways.
Castlefield viaducts – the 1st viaduct in ornate red brick was built in 1849, the 2nd viaduct in cast iron with the castellated turrets was built by the Cheshire Lines Company 1873-77 and carried the lines to Central Station, now G-MEX.
The Bridgewater Canal was named after its owner, Francis Egerton, the third Duke of Bridgewater who built the canal to transport coal from his mines at Worsley to the industrial areas of Manchester. The Bridgewater Canal was the forerunner of canal networks. Opened on 17th July 1761, the Bridgewater Canal has a special place in history as the first canal in Britain to be built without following an existing watercourse; perhaps more importantly it was used as a model for those that followed it. Affectionately known as the “Duke’s Cut”, the Bridgewater Canal revolutionised transport in this country and marked the beginning of the golden canal era from 1760 to 1830.
[5] Cross over the road and go left along Hulme Hall Road crossing Ellesmere Street .Then just past the National Garage turn right up Chester Road and cross at the controlled lights. Continue past the shops and go left along Manson Avenue.Cross Tatton Street, go left and at the end of the first terrace turn right along the footpath into St Georges Park.
[6] Go right across the large pathed area, then left, following the right curved path past the children’s play area on your right. Go left to the small oval walled garden, then turn right along the footpath behind some flats. After a short distance bear left following the curved path and turn right though the gap in the railings into City Road.
[7] Go left to the end of City Road and left at Charlton Road to cross at the controlled lights, back for a short distance then left up Jackson Crescent. Cross over and go along Mary France Street.Then cross the street.Go through the small St Wilfred’s Park following the right hand path and exit at the far right corner. Cross Chevassut Street then along St Wilfred’s Street and back to the Centre at Birchvale Close.