Oxbow Wood

Walk two: Torbay Road car park, Urmston, to Banky Meadows and return. Optional diversion to Parish Church of Saint Martin.

Following 3 miles of well-marked paths through a pastoral farming landscape in the Mersey Valley south of Urmston.

Conditions: Mainly flat route, with some steps and paths prone to being muddy in wet weather.

Torbay Road car park to Cob Kiln Lane
Enjoy a spot of bird watching from the bird hide by the car park. It overlooks a wetland meadow and pond that attracts heron and waterfowl and is fringed with Norfolk reed and other wildflowers.

Follow the path at the far end of the car park flanked by wild roses and gorse bushes down some steps and across a wood bridge. Pass through a squeeze stile onto a gravel path in a new plantation of alder and willow trees and walk by a wildlife pond. In summer dragonflies and damselflies hover around the pond. Turn right after going through a second squeeze stile and follow the path until it curves to the left. Now pass through a squeeze stile on your right. Walk across the field, between the new mixed forest plantations on either side. At the field end, pass through a squeeze stile onto Cob Kiln Lane.

Cob Kiln Lane to Banky Meadows
Cross over Cob Kiln Lane and climb steps opposite. Turn right and then immediately left to follow a tree-lined track to the Millennium-bridge. As you cross the bridge note that the banks upstream have been canalised to prevent flooding. Downstream the full force of the river Mersey is unleashed. You are now on the Trans Pennine trail. Cross the bridge and choose which way you wish to go.

Optional excursion to Parish Church of Saint Martin, Ashton
A picturesque excursion is available by turning left down Church Lane. This path takes you under the Carrington spur and comes out by the Ashton on Mersey golf club. Follow the cobbled road to the Saint Martins church. Then re-trace your steps back past the golf club. Turn left after you pass under Carrington spur and rejoin the main route.

Follow the road running parallel to the motorway (on your left) until you reach a metal gate. Turn right off the road and follow a dirt track for one mile. As this opens up follow is a narrow path to the left and pass over a stile. The path veers to the left. The first of a number of benches is located here. As a path joins from the right and there is a car park on the left, go straight on, passing to the left of a sign for the Sale model-flying club. Follow the single file grass path in a wide circle to Banky Meadows.

Round Banky Meadows
In summer this area has a purple hue from the flower heads of a grass named Yorkshire fog. A common wildflower in this area is Birds foot trefoil, which has red and yellow flowers that give it the common name of ‘bacon and eggs’. The flowers attract colourful butterflies. Turn left onto a gravel path and follow to reach a stile you passed over in the opposite direction.

Return to car park
Retrace your steps along the dirt track, turning left when you reach the metal gate on your right hand side and rejoin the tarmac road leading back to the millennium-bridge. Cross over and turn left, retrace your steps along the tree-lined dirt track until you emerge at a pylon. Descend the steps onto Cob Kiln Lane. Pass through a squeeze stile opposite. Follow the grass path across the field and pass through a squeeze stile at the far end. Turn left and follow the path back past the wildlife pond, across the wooden bridge and back into the car park by the right hand fork in the blue gravel path.