[1] Enter Alexandra Park by the traffic lights at the junction of Alexandra Road and Claremont Road. Turn right in front of the steps and follow the signpost to the lake. At the next fork in the path, take the left fork, which takes you further into the park away from Alexandra Road.
(A) Alexandra Park was designed in 1869 by Alexander Hennell and was opened to the public on August 6th 1870, having been purchased by the Manchester Corporation from Lord Egerton for £24,000 in 1864. Hennell's design was experimental in its use of oval shaped and curved pathways, which contrasted with the more rigid geometry seen previously in Victorian landscapes. At its opening, this Victorian park was ahead of its time in fusing both sports facilities and ornamental features within one site. Its most prominent feature was a Serpentine Lake, on which skating was allowed during the winter, an activity which attracted large numbers of people into the park. In addition to the lake, Alexandra Park originally contained separate male and female gymnasia, a cricket ground and a Lime Walk and Terrace designed for promenading. This was flanked by carpet bedding and contained three circular islands. In 1871, Manchester's first sunken bowling green was constructed in the park.
At the next fork take the right fork in front of the mosaic and carry on past the low building on the right. Keep straight on and pass the lake on your right and head towards the gate in front of you.
(B) The lake is home to many birds including Canada Geese, Coots, Moorhens and Mallards.
[2] As you come through the gates you will see the street names above you. Leave the park and cross Demesne Road, going into Spring Bridge Road straight ahead of you. Go straight down Spring Bridge Road. Ahead you will see a tower which belongs to William Hulme School (opened in 1887). Carry on to the end of Spring Bridge Road to Wilbraham Road.
[3] When you get to Wilbraham Road, cross the road at the lights by Whalley Range Girls School, being careful because it is quite busy. Turn right and keep going to the first turning on the left, Athol Road.
(C) Whalley Range 11-18 High School is a multi-cultural girls’ comprehensive school founded in 1891 by a committee of local professionals and business men who wanted a high quality school for their girls within walking distance. It started in Britannia House, Whalley Range, before moving move to its present site at Wilbraham Road. The school fees then were three and a half guineas (£3.55) a term, and two guineas (£2.20) for those under ten years old. In 1967 it became a comprehensive and has grown to nearly1,700 pupils.
Go down Athol Road and turn right down Kingsbrook Road.
[4] Before turning you have a choice. For an alternative route, you can continue on to the end of Athol Road and from there head onto the Fallowfield Loop. Turn right along the path and continue until you join the main route again after Withington Road Bridge in [6], where the main route takes to the Fallowfield Loop (towards the new Metro station). Continue from [7]. If you have mobility problems or a push chair, you may prefer to do this rather than negotiate the steep steps (and possibly some mud) on the main route.
For the main route, on reaching Alexandra Road South, turn left and continue straight along the road past the allotments on your left and over the Fallowfield Loop Line (It is hard to see it now, but there was a station here on the Fallowfield Loop Line, first called Alexandra in1891 and later in 1923 Wilbraham). When you reach Mauldeth Road West cross this dual carriageway carefully as cars travel at speed here.
[5] Ahead of you, you will see the entrance to Hough End Clough on the right, next to the gate to the Rugby Club. Go through the gate to enter Hough End Clough. There are steps here so it is not good for buggies or bikes.
(D) Hough End Clough, has a long history going back as far as the 15th Century. The park often attracts local bird-life, information of which can be found on the parks notice board.
Follow the path through the Clough, past the allotments along the brook and then turn right up the stairs to leave the Clough.
[6] When you come out on to Mauldeth Road West, turn left and walk to the lights at the end of Withington Road. Cross over to reach the left side of Withington Road, and continue along the road for a few yards. After the fence and an ivy covered wall, and just before you recross the old railway line, turn left off the road down some steps onto the Fallowfield Loop Line. Turn left along the Fallowfield Loop Line to the new Metro Station.
(E) The Fallowfield loop was previously part of the old 'Manchester Central Station Railway', built in the 1890s and closed in 1988 and used to carry express trains from Manchester Central Station to Sheffield, as well as local services. The line lay derelict until the late 1990s, when a group of cyclists started campaigning for its conversion to a traffic free 'greenway' across south Manchester. The route is now mostly owned by Sustrans, a charity which specialises in building off-road cycle routes and provides a good walk and cycle route to Fallowfield, Levenshulme, Reddish and Denton. Remember it is a dual use route, so beware of cyclists.
[7] Pass the new St Werbergs Tram Station.
(F) St Werbergs Tram Station was opened on 7 July 2011 on the previously named Cheshire Lines Committee line, which closed in 1967. It's now part of the Metrolink tram network which is part of an ongoing expansion project.
Go under the bridge, cross the track and climb up the path. Don't go up the station lift or ramp. When you come off the Loop Line, there is a path off to your right and one almost directly in front of you. Take the one in front of you and pass down the little alley with fences on each side, to enter a cul-de-sac - Sidbury Road. Go ahead and cross Corkland Road and continue along Dawlish Road until you come to Sandy Lane. Cross Sandy Lane heading slightly left to Brookfield Avenue.
[8] Go to the end of this street and take the path on the left to enter Chorlton Park, crossing Chorlton Brook.
(G) Awarded the Green Flag Award in 2012, Chorlton Park is a pretty local park that brims with flowers during Spring and Summer and wooden sculptures all year round.
Turn right and follow the path round to the exit on Barlow Moor Road. Leave the park here and turn right. Barlow Moor Road is very busy so cross at the pedestrian lights. Turn right when you have crossed the road heading towards Chorlton Bus Station. (The bus station is an interchange one, for buses in and out of Manchester and around Manchester from places like Stockport, Didsbury, Stretford and Eccles.)
[9] Before you get to the bus station, turn left down Beech Road. Continue straight down Beech Road passing Beech Road Park.
(H) Beech Road Park was once known as Chorlton Recreational Ground. The park was originally sited south of Beech Road until 1896, when Lord Egerton gave the present site to the Council in 1904. It was on Valentine's Day in 1968 that the park acquired its first beech trees. 50 were planted by the then Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress together with local school children.
Continue to the end of Beech Road.
[10] Turn left past the shop on the corner into Whitelow Road. You will see Chorlton Green on your right and ahead of you, at the end of the green is the Lichgate of the old church.
(I) The Victorians replaced this old church of St Clements with a new large one some distance away, causing much controversy. The old church fell into ruin and was pulled down.
Pass through the arch and go through the old church yard over the gravestones and come out by the Bowling Green Pub. Pass the pub and cross over to Ivy Green, where this route finishes.