Rochdale Canal towpath at Ancoats

The Rochdale Canal towpath at Ancoats, reached from the Ancoats area of Manchester, England, near postcode M4 6BF, is a quiet walking route through one of the most important industrial heritage districts in the world. Ancoats grew in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries as the first industrial suburb, and its cotton mills, built along the Rochdale and Ashton canals, are among the oldest steam-powered textile mills in existence. Walking the towpath gives close views of the restored brick mills, such as Murrays' Mills, Royal Mill and Victoria Mill, whose tall windows and chimneys show the scale of the early factory system. Many have been converted into apartments, offices and cafes, so the walk passes between the history of the cotton trade and a thriving modern neighbourhood. The towpath is flat and runs beside still water with locks, narrowboats, bridges and wildlife such as ducks and herons. It is free and open at all times, though early morning offers the most peace and the best light on the brickwork before cyclists and commuters fill the route. A walk along the Ancoats stretch takes about an hour with stops, and it links readily with the Northern Quarter, which lies a short way to the west, and with the independent restaurants and bakeries of Cutting Room Square and Blossom Street. Visitors should take care on narrow sections shared with cyclists and keep away from the water's edge, especially after rain. Photographers favour the reflections of the mills in the canal at sunrise or in soft overcast light, and the towpath makes a gentle contrast to the busy streets of the city centre.