Walk Start Point: Trinity Methodist Church Ancoats, Ridgeway Street, Ancoats. M40 7FZ.
Distance: 3 miles approx.
Time: 1 hour 40 mins approx.
Terrain: The terrain is easy but sensible footwear for walking along the towpath is recommended.
There are cobbles and uneven paths at some point along the Canals. There are also a couple of busy roads to cross.
Start point between Church front door and tree on green space. Turn right onto Butler Street and walk to the crossing on Old Mill Street/Bradford Road (opposite Tony’s Chip shop) and cross over. Just past the building on your right go down the steps onto the canal towpath and turn left walking with the canal on your right. Follow the towpath watching out for low bridges and uneven paths and cobbles.
Briefly stop before you get to the big double bridge. As you travel underneath take note of what you see and experience going through.
Then once out the other side STOP and do the reflection.
REFLECTION POINT 1 Underside of bridge
- What did you notice?
- Think about what was going on above your head.
- As you looked at the structure what do you notice?
- Think about how many rivets there are holding everything in place.
- Think about how important each rivet is especially the ones holding two pieces of metal together.
- What would happen if a number of those rivets were missing?
- Think about your life as one of those rivets playing an important part in society or the groups (or church) you might be part of and what you bring to them.
- Perhaps you might like to be thankful for what you contribute to those groups, to life and the community.
JOURNEY ONWARDS a short way up past the lock to the seated area on the left just before you get to the Co-op arena.
Reflection Point 2 Co-op Arena area
Take a look around what do you notice?
- Think about what goes on in the 2 stadiums you are standing between.
- Have you been inside the stadiums?
- If so, what was it like? If not, would you like to?
- What was the view like or what do you imagine it to be like?
- Inside the stadiums there is a lot of seating. Notice the seating area around you either the benches or the stone steps. What do you like most about sitting? How does it make you feel?
- Having a seat enables us to rest a while, watch and think, how important is this to you?
- Where is your favourite place you like to rest?
- Jesus once said, ‘come to me all you who are weary and I will give you rest’. What do you think about that?
- Perhaps you might like to be thankful for places where you are able to sit and rest and just be.
JOURNEY ON
Continue onwards along the canal going under the road and up the cobbled path bringing you out by the Lock keepers cottage.
Turn back on yourself by going right along Hulme Hall Lane for about 50 yards and then turn right into Phillips Park.
Go forward until you come to a monument by the park and go left down the path passing green storage containers on your left.
At the bottom go right and follow the path up a slight incline.
At the path meeting point by the red and yellow sign follow the path to the left and go down it. (In Autumn/ Winter this may be slippy.)
At the bottom go through the gateway and follow the path upwards (slight incline)
At the top by the green marker post take the left hand fork down through the gate and cross the bridge. Continue forwards and at the joining of the main path in the cemetery go Left following the War Memorial sign.
After a while there is a fork path go down left towards the Rainbow Garden sign in the distance.
Reflection Point 3 Rainbow Garden
- Take a look around what do you notice?
- What strikes you about this place?
- What is your favourite colour?
- Colour can sometimes describe our mood. What mood do you feel in as you look at the different colours?
- In a place that can be described as solemn at times, what do you think the rainbow brings to this place?
- When was the last time you saw a rainbow?
- How did it make you feel?
- For a rainbow to appear it needs sunshine and rain, think about how this equates to life.
- In the Bible, A rainbow appeared to Noah after the great flood giving a promise and hope. What gives you hope?
- Perhaps you might like to be thankful for the things that give you hope.
JOURNEY ONWARDS through the graveyard to the main gate by the building cross Briscoe Lane by the fire station and continue along Hulme Hall Lane and cross over Lord North Street and then join the canal as you go past Permanoid on your right.
Go down to the canal (Lock 77) turn left, go down the steps, under the bridge and follow the canal with it on your right.
REFLECTION POINT 4 Mill
- Be still for a few moments, take a look around- WHAT DO YOU NOTICE?
- Think about what you see in terms of the engineering of the lock or the architecture of the building.
- Think about the people who thought about and designed these things.
- Think about what these two things enabled to happen.
- Think about the difference these things made to this place when they were put here.
- Think about the positives and the negatives that these things had on the people in that day.
- After many years since being built they remain here as a reminder of Manchester’s industrial past, how does this make you feel?
- After such a long time they are still in use with a different purpose, what does this say about legacy?
- Think about your own life, what is your legacy?
- What memories will you leave in the lives of others?
- In years to come what will you be remembered for?
- Perhaps you might like to be thankful for those who have left something positive in your life.
JOURNEY ONWARDS
Continue along the canal to Bridge 86 and leave to the Left, crossing over Holland Street and turning right towards Butler Street and then cross over Butler Street carefully and go Left along Butler Street back to Trinity Ancoats Methodist Church.
