Thanks to a group of dedicated volunteers, the waymarking of the GM Ringway, Greater Manchester’s walking trail, has reached a major milestone.
Ten out of the 20 stages of the route have now been signposted, stretching in an anticlockwise direction all the way from Marple in Stockport (Stage 7) through Tameside, Oldham, Rochdale, Bury and Bolton to Leigh in the borough of Wigan (Stage 16).
The volunteers have painstakingly covered 115 miles (or 57%) of the 200-mile trail, affixing small white wayfinding discs to posts, pillars, gates and stiles. Known as ‘roundels’, they point walkers in the direction of travel. They are also believed to be the first roundels installed on footpaths in England to include a QR code. When scanned with a mobile phone, the code guides users to the GM Ringway website.
Andrew Read, GM Ringway’s project lead said:“This is a fantastic achievement. To have waymarked more than half of the trail is amazing and will help walkers follow the route and avoid getting lost. It’s been a challenge doing this in the winter months, particularly with the amount of rain we’ve had, but it means we’re ahead of schedule and ready for more people to walk the GM Ringway as we approach spring and the longer days.”
Designed around existing footpaths, parks and open-access land, the walking trail is divided into 20 stages starting and ending in Manchester city centre.
Green in every way, the entire 200-mile (323-km) GM Ringway is designed to be accessed by public transport. Covering all ten boroughs of Greater Manchester, the trail explores an astonishing variety of landscapes, including parks, waterways and beautiful countryside. In addition to its natural beauty, the GM Ringway also allows residents and visitors to explore Greater Manchester’s rich cultural heritage.
In addition, Go Jauntly – a free walking and wellness app – guides users along on the 20 stages of the trail, using pictures and route maps. The app also includes ten shorter GM Ringway jaunts, including several step-free routes, enabling everyone to sample the trail.
Download the free-of-charge Go Jauntly app and own a pocket-sized encyclopaedia of urban walks here: https://www.gojauntly.com/download-1
