The Irwell Valley and Burrs Country Park, Bury

Key Information: 

Start: Bury Interchange, BL9 0BL

Distance: 4.6 miles / 7.4 km

Height gain: 203 feet / 62 metres

Grade: Leisurely/Step-free

Approximate time: 2 hours (excluding breaks)

Terrain: A largely level route on pavements, tarmac tracks (shared with bikes), and well-made earthen, grassy or gravel paths; some cobbles; puddles and damp sections after wet weather; no steps or stiles.

Accessibility: The whole route is step-free and with only gentle gradients though, in places, with surfaces of variable quality. While we believe that the route is suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs, be prepared to retrace your steps if you encounter any problems.

Facilities: Public toilets (payable) and accessible facilities at Bury Interchange. Many pubs, cafes and restaurants in Bury town centre including The Trackside Pub right on the platform of Bolton Street Station. You’ll also pass Jersey Girls Ice Cream Bar between town and the country park; and the Brown Cow Pub and Restaurant and the Lamppost Café in Burrs Country Park (but no public toilets).

Public transport: Regular trams from Manchester and other locations to Bury Interchange, also served by buses from Bolton, Rochdale and elsewhere. If travelling only by tram, buy a ticket for the relevant zones from the machine at the tram stop, or tap on – and off – with your bank card at the machines on the platform. When travelling by bus, simply tap on when boarding. To plan your journey, visit the TfGM Journey Planner.

Parking: There are 310 spaces (+ 25 disabled) at Bury Market car park, BL9 0RN (pay and display). From here, follow signs to Bury Interchange.

1. Exit Bury Interchange via the bus station, and bear left along Market Street keeping shops, cafes and Millgate Shopping Centre to your right.

2. At the Market Place roundabout, turn left along Bolton Street, passing the main East Lancashire Railway Station and then Castle Leisure Centre.

3. Take the next right, Castlecroft Road.

4. After passing under Peel Way, turn left on Dunster Road by the police headquarters, continuing past the roundabout.

5. At the end, bear right to follow the multi-user path with the River Irwell to its left for 500 m past a large weir. Watch out for bikes on this section!

6. When you see steps ahead, bear right on the tarmac track then go sharp left to cross the river.

7. Emerging onto Woodhill Road via a barrier, cross the road and turn right towards Burrs Country Park. 

8. In 400 m, pass the Jersey Girls Farm Ice Cream and café spot on the left, and a children’s playground on the right.

9. Keep ahead to enter Burrs Country Park, with its many sculptures forming part of the Irwell Sculpture Trail.

10. Continue along the now cobbled Woodhill Road, watching for traffic. Simply keep straight ahead using the best paths available until you recross the river with views left of the Manchester Canal Aqueduct.

11. Follow the track right past a car park to your left.

12. After passing the old chimney and another sculpture, turn left up a rise onto a tarmac road past an information board.

13. Soon pass the Brown Cow Pub and Restaurant to your right, with its pleasant beer garden.

14. At the end of the pub car park, turn left to pass a metal gate and join a wide but sometimes damp earthen track.

15. Immediately keep left at the fork, with a fence to your left and a grassy field to your right. Now follow the looping path all the way around the field – with good views of Holcombe Hill topped by Peel Tower – to return to and pass the metal gate.

16. Retracing your steps from earlier, turn right through the pub car park and down the access road.

17. At the T-junction, turn left across cobbles past the Lamppost Café.

18. At the end of the long stone building turn right and, just before a blue footbridge, turn left onto a tarmac path.

19. Follow the path between railings to cross a wooden bridge over the rushing River Irwell.

20. At the junction, turn left along the riverside path under two railway viaduct arches.

21. After the second viaduct arch, bear left at a junction, continuing over cobbles and a bridge.

22. Near the waterwheel sculpture, cross an access road to reach and cross Woodhill Road.

23. Now simply turn left on the pavement, in 600 m going left onto the multi-user path, to retrace your steps to Bury town centre.

Time permitting, when you pass Bolton Street Station, you could hop on one of the heritage trains of the East Lancashire Railway – or book your ticket for another day. You’ll pass over the viaduct you walked under earlier while enjoying fantastic views of the river and the West Pennine Hills, with opportunities to break your journey at Ramsbottom and Rawtenstall as well as various picnic spots.