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 Bridge
- What did you notice?
- Look at the water and think about how many gallons of water are just in this stretch right now.
- Think about how this canal was originally dug out.
- Think about the tools and methods used to be able to make it deep enough
- Think about how many people and horses it would have taken to accomplish this?
- Think about the engineers who had to build bridges and locks
- Think about how many people might have lost their lives during the construction of the canal and everything concerned with it.
- Perhaps you might like to be thankful for people who we remember who have helped us to build our lives.
JOURNEY ONWARDS up past the Co-op arena.
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.
Reflection Point 2 War Memorial
- Take a look around. What do you notice?
- As you stand in this place how does it make you feel?
- What is it that resonates deep within you?
- Through our eyes we see reminders of lives lost and given in sacrifice how does this make you feel?
- In the Bible Jesus says this, Greater love has no one than this, that they lay down their life for their friends. Hearing this in this context how does that make you feel?
- Can you think of someone I you know, you have read about or seen in a film where sacrifices have been given.
- How does this make you feel?
- Have you ever witnessed someone making some kind of sacrifice for you?
- How did that make you feel?
- Think about the sacrifice of millions of people made in wars and conflicts so that we can enjoy the freedom we do today. How does this make you feel?
- God gave Jesus as a sacrifice in order that we can be loved, accepted and forgiven by him. How does this make you feel?
- Perhaps you might be thankful for those who have made sacrifices in various ways that have helped you to be who you are today.
- Lets just stand in silence for a few moments as we think about this.
- As you continue on your way perhaps you might like to think about what you have just experienced.
JOURNEY ONWARDS through the main gate by the building. Carefully cross over 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.
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.