An excursion out this week sees us along the Salford arm of the canal, beginning at Little Lever heading to the locks at Nob End around the basin and along the canal heading towards Ringley.
This is a well used route and hence in some places there are some rather deep holes and puddles. Following the canal which is in water until it ends at Ringley locks where it has been filled in, we climb up and cross Kearsley Road. Down Fold Road passing the Horse Shoe pub and St Saviour church on our left and Ringley Stocks on our right, we continued along passing the water treatment works.
Leaving the road we follow the path down to the bridge across the river Irwell we the descend into Clifton |Marina going to the left we crossed the old Fletcher canal that ran parallel to the river. Along the edge of the river we went along the dirt path that follows the south side of river bank we eventually joined the gravel path but after only a few yards we rejoined the dirt path along the river bank. We followed this for approximately 600yds and then passed underneath the M60 motorway bridge. This lead us to the back of Pilkington tiles along the narrow path where the canal used to run.
Soon we come to Clifton Aqueduct which took the canal over the river Irwell, crossing the Aqueduct we turn right down the dip towards 13 arches Viaduct that took the railway over the river Irwell as well as the Manchester Bolton & Bury canal. We followed the cycle path heading back towards the 13 arches Aqueduct and followed the old railway line and crossed the footbridge over the M60, we continued along the railway for a few 100 yards and the descended down to Philips Park road which brought us out onto Red Rock lane and onto Giants Seat garden centre and back past the water treatment works, we crossed the old stone bridge at Ringley and rode along Ringley road and the past the site of the old Fletcher’s paper mill which is now a housing estate.
Up along Market St we turned right across the Irwell river again down Bridge St and then along Seddon lane eventually picking up the canal at Ringley Aqueduct and arriving at our starting point at the basin at the bottom of the locks.
