Put a spring in your step

It’s the perfect time to blow off the cobwebs and enjoy a little fresh air and exercise by your local canal.

Canal walk from Castlefield

Explore Manchester’s industrial roots on this one-and-a-half-mile trek along the Rochdale Canal. Beginning at Castlefield Basin, the towpath heads east under ornate cast-iron viaducts, past listed buildings, and trendy cafes and bars. The route continues through the city’s world-famous gay village, before disappearing into Piccadilly Tunnel, with its distinctive columns and vibrant artwork. You’ll emerge at Piccadilly Basin, once the beating heart of the nation’s cotton trade, fringed with bright modern buildings and restored red-brick mills, now a much-regenerated area, including the earliest surviving, Grade II* listed Carvers Warehouse.

Llangollen Wharf to Pontcysyllte Aqueduct

Experience the beauty and awe on this part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site through Welsh countryside. This tranquil four-mile walk starts at Llangollen Wharf, taking you on a serene journey along the Llangollen Canal, high above the Dee Valley, past sheep-filled fields, stone bridges and ancient ruins. As the towpath hugs the hillside, it affords some breath-taking views of the valley below, with the final stretch leading all the way to the magnificent Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, one of the Wonders of the Waterways soaring 127 feet above the River Dee.

Circular walk in Oxford

Get back to nature and enjoy a little heritage with a scenic walk along the Oxford Canal. Starting at Isis Lock, the leafy towpath takes you north, past colourful murals, stone bridges and beautiful canalside gardens. As the path loops back to meet the River Thames, keep your eyes peeled for herons, kingfishers and water voles. Lush trees, bushes and wildflowers line the path, as you make your way back to Isis Lock, past Medieval buildings, grazing horses and quiet moorings.

City and nature walk in Nottingham

Enjoy a leafy waterside walk through the heart of Nottingham, starting in the shadow of the city’s famous castle. The towpath takes you along the Green Flag Award-winning green corridor on the Nottingham & Beeston Canal, past ornate cast-iron bridges and vibrant waterfront bars, before turning south to meet the River Trent. Here, you’ll follow the grassy, tree-lined bank, accompanied by a chorus of ducks, geese and moorhens, as the route comes full circle, past lush gardens, historic buildings and the city’s iconic old sports grounds, including Meadow Lane, the City Ground and Trent Bridge.

Canal walk from Mile End to Old Ford Lock

We finish in our country’s capital, with a gentle three-quarter mile stroll along London’s Regent’s Canal. You’ll begin at Mile End Road Bridge, where grassy banks slope towards the canal and narrowboats idle on their moorings, often two abreast. You’ll pass steel sculptures, picnic benches and listed buildings, before ducking into a tunnel at Roman Road Bridge. As you emerge for the final stint on the southern edge of Victoria Park, the canal opens up like a lake and dangling willow trees hug the bank.

These are just a few of the invigorating walks to be found along our canals and rivers. With 2,000 miles of largely flat, traffic-free walking routes across our network, there’s plenty more to choose from. So why not blaze your own trail this month and put a spring back in your step?