River Valleys

Manchester is home to many urban countryside sites, which are more informal in character than parks. These sites are vital environmental and educational resources for Manchester and act as green corridors linking areas of greenspace across the city through walking or cycling routes. Many of them have visitor centres.

In a city, natural greenspaces offer essential opportunities for children, young people and adults to escape their urban surroundings and go to a place where they can experience the informal outdoor world, and learn about and appreciate the environment and local biodiversity.

Manchester has 3 river valleys each containing a number of urban countryside sites. These river valleys are: Irk River Valley, Medlock River Valley and Mersey River Valley.

Across all these urban countryside sites, Manchester Leisure and the River Valley Partnerships are working to:

• increase environmental education activities
• promote urban ecology in natural green spaces, such as designation of local nature reserves and sites of biological importance, woodland management, biodiversity enhancements
• continue to improve management of natural greenspaces through the river valley-based warden / ranger services
• reclaim underused and neglected areas within these corridors and transform into relevant, positive and used green spaces
• develop basic infrastructures within natural greenspaces to ensure they are safe and accessible, welcoming, enhance biodiversity and involve communities.