Swinton Greenway connects neighbourhoods in Swinton and Monton.
The Swinton Greenway has been significantly upgraded by an investment of £4.693m from the Mayor for Greater Manchester’s Cycling and Walking Challenge Fund with Salford City Council adding a further £1.075m from Section 106 funds to deliver the scheme.
Most of the route follows a former railway line, running between Monton Road in Monton and the A6 Manchester Road in Swinton and offers wide paths which are suitable for walking, cycling, pushchairs and wheelchair users. Improvements to Overdale, Dorchester Road, Folly Lane, Campbell Road, Chatsworth Road, Bradford Road and Pine Grove have also been carried out with new cycling facilities, pedestrian crossings and footpaths widened. See a map of Swinton Greenway on Google maps.
Monton Green Primary School, Eccles College, Oakwood and Chatsworth High Schools and Community College and Springwood Primary School, all have direct access to the route.
There are over 30 fully accessible entrances along the route, so it is easy to hop on and off wherever needed.
Main entrance points:
- Bradford Road
- Buttermere Avenue and Linksway
- Campbell Road
- Chatsworth Road
- Dorchester Road
- Folly Lane
- Overdale Road
- Pine Grove
The entire route is just over seven kilometres/four miles long, most of which is traffic-free. Motion-detected sensor lighting means the route can be used day or night, all year round. The new surface is also highly porous so water will pass through it, preventing puddles building up.
Artwork has been installed off Overdale to commemorate the historical significance of the route being on a disused railway line and further pieces are present off Monton Road and near Campbell Road field to create an attractive leisure space with strong ties to its heritage.
Clifton Tunnel Mural
Salford City Council commissioned artists Sally Gilford and Tasha Whittle to commemorate the heritage of the route as a disused railway line, with an eye-catching mural at Clifton Tunnel. The art aims to encourage people to enjoy, share and find wellbeing in green spaces, creating a feeling of connection to nature and to the rich historical past.
The painting runs the full length of both sides of the interior walls and across the outer sections above each entrance. The artists worked with local historian Mark Charnley to make sure the design was informed by significant features of heritage interest.
Image credit: Jody Hartley
The course of the water from Thirlmere Aqueduct through Swinton to Manchester can be seen throughout the mural.
Cogs mark the greenway’s current use as a cycling route, and the use of chevrons help create a sense of flow and movement, especially as the words run in both directions.
The arrow-like shapes are inspired by gromas (a Roman surveying tool) which were found when the route was excavated by archaeologists back in 2005.
The words ‘permanent way’ refer to the collective name given to those who worked on and maintained a stretch of the railway and the font, Gill Sans, was commonly used by British Rail from the late 1940s.
Image credit: Jody Hartley