Trans Pennine Trail: Green Pastures to East Didsbury

This is part of the Trans Pennine Trail leading out of Green Pastures, Heaton Mersey towards a tunnel under Parrs Wood Lane. The route is along a former railway line running from New Mills through Heaton Mersey and Chorlton-cum-Hardy to Manchester.

This is looking back under the tunnel. It looks better in monochrome.

  © Copyright Chris Wimbush and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Chris Wimbush's photograph taken in January 2011 shows where the footpath used to continue along the line of the dismantled railway towards the bridge carrying Kingsway. The route has been diverted as the East Didsbury tram station at the end of the South Manchester Line is being built on the site.

Here is how it looks now with construction work ongoing. The station is due to open in Summer 2013 and according to the trammstop plan the line of the trail will be re-instated.

Plans were originally drawn up for a Metrolink tramway via East Didsbury to Stockport but the extended route was withdrawn in 2004 due to lack of funding. If they are ever revived then the path under the tunnel is unlikely to look anything like it does now.

A contribution to Sunday Bridges at San Francisco Bay Daily Photo.