Greater Manchester will pilot England’s first National River Walk: the 21‑kilometre Mersey Valley Way running from Stockport through Manchester to Trafford, confirmed by Defra and Access Minister Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 27 December 2025. It is the first of nine regional routes promised this parliament.

This is access‑to‑nature policy with a clear radius. More than three million residents live within an hour of the route, which is served by Greater Manchester’s Bee Network of buses and trams. Over 50 local schools and youth groups are invited to design the official logo, with a winner due in February 2026. Stockport alone has around 30,000 low‑income households, a reminder that access must work for those least likely to get outdoors.

Most of the trail follows existing riverside paths, with stretches to be upgraded for wheelchairs, mobility scooters, prams, cyclists and horse‑riders. The work sits alongside wider inclusion funding in 2025–26, with at least £17 million allocated nationally to make access more inclusive across Forestry England sites, National Trails and protected landscapes.

Health is the dividend. Natural England’s latest People and Nature Survey reports that 91% of recent visitors say time outdoors benefits physical health and 90% say it helps mental wellbeing. Yet the Office for National Statistics estimates 1.1 million fewer people gained those benefits in 2022 than in 2020, a £390 million equivalent loss-an avoidable gap projects like this aim to close.

Blue‑green access matters beyond recreation. WHO Europe summarises robust evidence that urban green and blue spaces support mental health, physical activity and resilience to heat, air pollution and noise-co‑benefits that river corridors can deliver at neighbourhood scale when routes are safe, connected and well‑maintained.

The designation brings more than signs. Partners led by Mersey Rivers Trust will run guided walks and hands‑on nature recovery along the corridor-pond restoration, invasive species control, tree planting and bird, bat and insect boxes-so residents can see and shape improvements on their doorstep.

Demand is there. In 2024–25, rivers, lakes and canals were the second most‑visited natural settings in England, used by 31% of adults. A clearly marked, step‑free river walk aligns with how people already choose to spend time outside, turning casual visits into a weekly habit.

The local economy stands to gain. Sustrans’ research links better walking and wheeling infrastructure with stronger high streets-estimating £6.5 billion of benefits across surveyed UK areas in 2021, with wider national benefits modelled at around £36.5 billion. A signed, accessible route can help independent traders in Stockport, south Manchester and Trafford capture that spend.

Policy alignment is clear. Two new National Forests have been confirmed this year-the Western Forest in March and a second in the Oxford‑Cambridge corridor in November-with a competition for a third to follow in early 2026. The Environmental Improvement Plan 2025 sets the next phase of nature recovery and public access goals that projects like the Mersey Valley Way are designed to support.

Delivery will be shaped locally through consultation with community groups and businesses, with sections upgraded to modern accessibility standards. New wayfinding will follow the logo competition in February, and Defra will invite bids for the next eight National River Walks later in 2026-opening the door for every English region to adopt this model.

For everyday use, the test is practical: more people outdoors, more often, without needing a car. Greater Manchester’s Bee Network provides integrated, step‑free buses and trams to reach the route. Pair that with clear signs, safe surfaces and regular volunteer days, and this half‑marathon‑length river walk can set a replicable standard for inclusive, local nature access.