Ungood

Mostly, if a place can not meet the site criteria, it is not listed. However, there are a few sites that we can/will not ignore. Sometimes we add ‘warning’ and ‘avoid’ flags.

See also Ungood Outer

Visits

Manchester Town Hall

• More ground than Chartres Cathedral, higher than York Minster

• (2022) in renovation. Not visible for two years, probably not visible for two years more

• surrounding Albert Square is blocked also

Piccadilly Gardens

• Main tram/bus exchange in the city. Likely you’ll be there sometime

• Many convenience shops and places to eat

• Some notable buildings

• A recent and amusing fountain

• there is a strong management and Police presence in Piccadilly Gardens but, despite this, it is not a place to be in the evening with vulnerable people

• in rush hours can be busy as a train platform

Chinatown

• Chinatown exists—guys sit on steps, smoking; medicine dealers; foreign travel shops

• Packed with Chinese food culture outlets and supermarkets

• Five minutes from notable visit destinations, not to mention numerous office blocks and hotels

• The “Arch of Chinatown” on the crossroad of Faulkner and Nicolas Streets. See the arch lit up in the evening, you’re in another world

• the arch will occupy your time for five minutes

• no visit attractions. What’s the plan? Visit the nearby Polish and/or Romanian consulates, then shop for noodles?

Castlefield

• International attractions, The Museum of Science and Industry and Aviva Studios, and an intriguing project, the Castlefield Viaduct park

• Castlefield basin joins the the Bridgewater canal to two other canals, with overhead railway viaducts crossed by other bridges. If you like industrial architecture, it’s epic

• Roman ruins

• much of the basin area is still derelict

• despite a preservation order and the recent presence of the National Trust, modern developers have paved and boxed areas

• attractions are disjoint with no flow

• the basin has nothing for a casual visit, not even a walk round (best seen from the viaduct)

• kudos for preserving a Roman wall, but it’s not Hadrian’s

• people go for the attractions then maybe coffee or food, yes? Nobody would suggest hanging out on Liverpool Road

Walks

Transpennine, Altrincham‐Stretford

• A path between these places is welcome, because the main road could be the Dickens of Manchester

• 2 miles of field paths, all wide, pleasant

• If following wider trails or routes, passable for bicycles, which is why the path has a review

• Start and end points are 3/4 of mile from centre of locations. Difficult to think of a purpose

• Poorly placed or absent waymarks—you’ll need a map

• As a walk, the route starts with a 1/4 mile of hedged road where even cars need to make passing room. Then 2 miles of road with no walking facility—no footpath, no verge. Current safety standards would fence this route off

Inner Manchester Ship Canal

• Beyond Salford Quays the Ship Canal is a maintained and empty experience

• Wide bankside paths make excellent walk connection routes

• the inner stretch of the ship canal runs through urban wasteland. Not dangerous, but only for people who want to move between places, or fans of post‐apocalyptic experience

Inner Bridgewater Canal

• Not dangerous, passes important places, maintained tarmac towpath

• Useful connection routes

• Walking/cycling this stretch, which stabs into the city, is essential for understanding the achievement of the Bridgewater

• a mile and a half of graffiti‐worked industrial fence, major roads overhead, high retaining walls, concrete underpasses and elevations, industrial unit views

• despite many amusing features, a view of the underside of a city is not most people’s idea of nice or pleasant

Inner Medlock Valley Way

• The Medlock Valley Way was intended as a feature. Signposts still exist, the route is marked on Ordnance Survey maps, and there is/was an action group

• The river has history, relics, industry and scenery

• The outer section is a passable walk (note: ‘passable’)

• Runs through a few parks

• the Medlock frequently stinks

• quote ‘lovely, fairly easy waterside walk that takes you through some attractive parkland and woodland.’ It’s often ugly, for strong walkers only, is only by the water half the route, and an acre of trees is not woodland. Only the parks are not miserable

• many broken and blocked paths, ancient or no signposting

• many road crossings, much road walking

• unmaintained, and in bad weather some parts no better underfoot than a trench (even in the city)

Ancoats‐Failsworth, Rochdale Canal

• Beyond Rochdale the Rochdale Canal becomes a delight, sometimes featured on TV

• this inner section runs through areas with historical and current difficulties. Canal users are offered escorts, boats have been vandalised

• towpath sometimes difficult and/or blocked (my manner is politic)