The legacy of the city’s industrial past has left East Manchester with a great network of waterways, now restored as active leisure attractions.
The Ashton and Rochdale canals, two of the waterways that were once the lifeblood of Manchester’s industrial revolution, have been brought back to life, making them once more open to boat traffic. On their banks, canal towpaths have become great places to walk, run and cycle, and ongoing cleaning and greening has established new habitats for wildlife. A new marina will soon join the two canals at New Islington, creating 50 new mooring spaces right on the edge of the city centre.
Elsewhere, Manchester is also rediscovering its rivers, with improvements to the River Medlock that flows through Philips Park and Clayton Vale bringing wildlife back into the city’s eastern neighbourhoods.
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