As we welcome in October in all it’s fiery vibrant glory, scattered across the city are swathes of trees in golden ambers and ruby reds...
As dropped leaves swirl on the roads in gusts of wind whilst pedalling by, local pumpkin farms in the surrounding Greater Manchester area become hives of activity with groups of families and friends...
Like glowing orange autumnal suns, these striking squashes sit in contrast to the colour of the earth beneath, encapsulating that cosy, rustic colour palette so synonymous with this stunning time of year…
Waiting to be picked and taken back to their new home for the festivities of Halloween, seeing them displayed in this way gives you chance to really grasp the incredible wonder of our Mother Nature, as you think about how these giant fruits have grown from a seed no bigger than a centimetre in size since only May time...
So as we enter the new season, the change in the outdoors gives us so much to get excited about across our city! And through a cycle pretty life on the run up to the celebrations of Halloween, here’s a few places to explore, and things to do, to make the most of the joys October's magic brings...
Go On A Pumpkin-Picking Bicycle Adventure Using Manchester's Bee Network Cycle Lanes…
Attach your baskets to your handle bars, your cargo crates to your rear carrier racks and plot on the map a group adventure to one of the local pumpkin farms!
Thanks to the wealth of cycle routes throughout the city centre and surrounding areas now, it's just as safe as it is easy to plan a very scenic journey which will take you past the great assortment of city centre architecture, to views of the rolling hills and fields which make up the landscape of the Great British countryside only a short distance away...
If you're in the central Manchester area, using the newly rolled out Bee Network Cycle Lanes will allow you to navigate your way to the Bridgewater Canal in the Castlefield district. From there, by heading south on the towpaths, eventually you will reach the River Irwell and be able to pick up the pathways which follow the river bank all the way to Warburton. From this point a few small B roads and country lanes can take you to Dunham Pumpkins, High Leigh Pumpkin Farm, Brookheys Farm, Red House Farm and Ash Farm...
It's such a simple activity but gives you so much quality time together, making the perfect opportunity to get away from the treadmill of life and come together for some proper catch up time... whilst also getting in your exercise quota for probably the next month by the time you pedal back with your baskets and boxes loaded up with pumpkins!
So rather than add extra weights to the dumbbells in the gym for added resistance, just throw another pumpkin in the basket instead! Either way, loaded up with pumpkins or not, you'll definitely sleep well from all the fresh air and pedal power :-)
Park Up Under A Fiery Tree In The South Manchester Parklands To Pass The Time Away Reading Some Of The Spooky Classics…
Pedalling around the connected parklands of South Manchester using the National Cycle Network's Route 62 while leaves fall from the trees all around you is one of those everyday moments that becomes a lasting memory...
Meandering between the different landscapes of the Chorlton Waterpark, to the ancient woodlands of Stenner Woods, you will pass under branches of trees that flex in the wind like crooked witches hands before pedalling through patches of mist next to the riverbank...
...along with so many other parks in between, these areas are so easy to access, again, with thanks to the BeeNetwork cycle routes which can allow you to navigate your way from any part of the city...
So why not hire out our Pashley bicycles, park up under a tree in the Parsonage Gardens, and throw down one of our wool blankets to pass the time away reading some of the spooky classics from our bookshelf collection of Canterbury Classics, which are available to hire with our bicycle experience packages...
For a full list of places within the area that we recommend exploring, you can find more information on our Places To Go page...
Go On A Bicycle Adventure
To Ordsall Hall In Salford For A Ghost Tour...
Upon entering this beautiful Tudor hall in Salford, the warm friendly atmosphere created by the wonderful group of local volunteers is immediately felt.
Helping to keep the history of this 700 year old house alive, members of the team will happily give you a guided tour of the building and share with you the many interesting stories which have become part of it's legacy...
Towards Halloween time this iconic site, which has feature in the Sky Witness television series Most Haunted, becomes the perfect place to cycle to for one of their ghost tours!
Being right next to one of the Bee Network's cycle routes, which runs right in front of the house, there are excellent bike locking facilities available, with sustainability being something of great importance to this team...
What's more, the gardens which are so diligently tended to, make this place just as beautiful on the outside as it is on the inside, with lots of different areas to wander around at your leisure...
And especially during the autumn time, when the apple orchard displays pops of rich red colour that compliments the mottled greens and rustic browns of the surrounding foliage so perfectly...
Wishing you all a magical welcome to Manchester and hope you all have a great Halloween during your time here...
Best wishes, Ashleigh xxx
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