The best: Picturesque walking routes around Greater Manchester

Consisting of the Brushes Valley and Carrbrook, this delightful Tameside sanctuary lies just a mile north-east of the town centre, with footpaths marbling into dozens of unique routes across open moors, cloaked woodlands and riverside trails in loops around four reservoirs and a 12th century stronghold.

Spanning 600 acres, the North West’s biggest park needs little elaboration as Manchester’s most popular green space. Offering walks of surprising rural solitude alongside the suburban comfort of cafes, tennis courts, an animal centre, a boating lake and Heaton Hall itself, the park hosts 80,000 visitors a year yet maintains an air of tranquil seclusion due to its sheer size.

Beginning in the centre of the idyllic Lancashire village at Ramsbottom Station, this lightly challenging circular ramble takes walkers along riverbanks and over flatlands to the famous Bury monument, Peel Tower, from which visitors can enjoy unrivalled views of Greater Manchester and, on a clear day, North Wales.

Seemingly scraped from a John Constable painting and rearranged inside the folds of the M60, Salford’s ludicrously scenic time-locked enclave is the perfect village stroll, just twenty minutes from Manchester City Centre. A popular route is a 3-mile loop of the area, stopping by the Packet House, Worsley Wood and the Bridgewater Canal’s original starting point.

Combining four distinct parks – Waterdale, Prestwich Clough, Drinkwater Park and the beloved Philip’s Park – the air of lush solitude amidst the endless selection of unfrequented routes around ponds, lakes, meadows and along the River Irwell almost jars with the sparklingly clear views of Manchester’s skyline just five miles south.

Arguably the North West’s most well-regarded spot among hikers and cavers, Castleton’s boundless rambling options send walkers across the Peak District in every direction, with routes ranging from 2 to 8 miles. Featuring trails up Mam Tor, walks passing the UK’s largest natural cave entrance, gentle village-to-village strolls, jaw-dropping views over Edale and Hope Valley and much, much more, Castleton is the perfect base camp from which to discover Britain’s most beautiful landscapes.

The undisputed pick of the classic Peak District circuits, the Mam Tor Circular combines dramatic ridge-top panoramas with cascading views into sweeping, verdant valleys. The approximately 3-mile loop begins with a steady climb up Mam Tor’s “Shivering Mountain” before tracing the Great Ridge towards Hollins Cross, returning via Blue John Cavern. On a clear day, the views stretch from Kinder Scout to the distant hills of Staffordshire.

For a dose of bucolic natural delight within breathtaking grounds, Dunham Massey’s accessible Mini Loop meanders through ancient deer herds, centuries-old oak trees, historic buildings and the tranquil Smithy Pond over 1.8 miles, which a family with a troupe of distracted stragglers can complete in under an hour.

A few miles north-west of Bolton, Rivington’s diverse topography offers spectacular strolls for seasoned ramblers and languid strollers alike, whether it’s an invigorating five-mile loop with a stop by the iconic Rivington Pike tower or a pleasant potter around Lever Park and the Great Barn. At the summit, walkers can bask in glorious vistas across Lancashire, Manchester and even the Welsh Mountains.

Punctuated by the jaw-dropping Marple aqueduct, this sublime 7-mile walk south of Stockport traverses the River Goyt, forges through a flight of sixteen locks along the Peak Forest Canal and features staggering views of the nearby Peak District.