National nature reserve
Dog walks in The Flashes of Wigan and Leigh
The Flashes of Wigan and Leigh is a national nature reserve of 958 hectares in Wigan, 4 km from the middle of Ashton-in-Makerfield. 309 walks in the app lie mostly in it. 31% are under 3 km and 34% are loops.
See every dog walk near Ashton-in-Makerfield, or across Greater Manchester.
Three walks in The Flashes of Wigan and Leigh
From the 309 walks that lie mostly in The Flashes of Wigan and Leigh, those that start nearest its middle: a 6.3 km loop, an 11.3 km there and back and a 3.1 km one-way walk.
Where these go is in the app
Create an account- Near The Flashes of Wigan and Leigh (in between)6.3 km · 107 min · A loop
- Near The Flashes of Wigan and Leigh (longest)11.3 km · 193 min · There and back
- Near The Flashes of Wigan and Leigh (shortest)3.1 km · 53 min · One way
The land and what it asks of a dog
- Site of Special Scientific InterestBryn Marsh & Ince Moss SSSINatural England designations
- Local nature reserveThe Wigan Flashes
- Site of Special Scientific InterestAbram Flashes SSSI
- Dogs on a short lead from 1 March to 31 July, and near livestock at any timeThe 45 hectares that are open access landCountryside and Rights of Way Act 2000
- Open by permission, not by right85 hectares of the woodlandWoods For All (Forestry Commission)
- Open by right28 hectares of the woodland
Wigan council has a dog control order we cannot yet place on the map, so it may apply here. Signs on the ground may say more.
What the walks in The Flashes of Wigan and Leigh are like
Every share is of the 309 walks that lie mostly in The Flashes of Wigan and Leigh, with Ashton-in-Makerfield as a whole marked on each bar.
How far they go
5 to 8 km: 26% of the walks in The Flashes of Wigan and Leigh, against 22% near Ashton-in-Makerfield.
Where the walks fall by length. The five bars add up to the whole, give or take the rounding.
| Walks that | Share of walks measured | Ashton-in-Makerfield |
|---|---|---|
| Under 3 km | 31% | 32% |
| 3 to 5 km | 25% | 22% |
| 5 to 8 km | 26% | 22% |
| 8 to 12 km | 12% | 14% |
| Over 12 km | 3% | 7% |
What shape they are
A loop: 34% of the walks in The Flashes of Wigan and Leigh, against 37% near Ashton-in-Makerfield.
A loop brings you back without repeating a step. There and back retraces the way out.
| Walks that | Share of walks measured | Ashton-in-Makerfield |
|---|---|---|
| A loop | 34% | 37% |
| There and back the same way | 38% | 37% |
| One way, ending somewhere else | 27% | 25% |
What is beside the path
Through a park or green space for a third or more: 82% of the walks in The Flashes of Wigan and Leigh, against 35% near Ashton-in-Makerfield.
Shares of walks where the ground beside the path is a given kind for the stated part of the way.
| Walks that | Share of walks measured | Ashton-in-Makerfield |
|---|---|---|
| Under trees for a third or more of the way | 87% | 52% |
| Beside water for a tenth or more | 82% | 64% |
| On open access land for a third or more | 17% | 3% |
| Through a park or green space for a third or more | 82% | 35% |
| Off road for four fifths or more | 23% | 5% |
| On roads or lanes for half or more | 31% | 74% |
| Through built-up streets for half or more | <1% | 8% |
What might stop you
Never beside a busy road: 54% of the walks in The Flashes of Wigan and Leigh, against 31% near Ashton-in-Makerfield.
Shares of walks with none of each thing on the way. A road counts when it runs within about fifteen metres of the path.
| Walks that | Share of walks measured | Ashton-in-Makerfield |
|---|---|---|
| Never beside a fast road | 92% | 87% |
| Never beside a busy road | 54% | 31% |
| No busy road to cross | 55% | 34% |
| No stile, gate or cattle grid | 88% | 94% |
| No steps | 77% | 82% |
What is on the way
Pass a busy beauty spot: 60% of the walks in The Flashes of Wigan and Leigh, against 28% near Ashton-in-Makerfield.
Shares of walks that start by, or pass, each of these.
| Walks that | Share of walks measured | Ashton-in-Makerfield |
|---|---|---|
| Start where you can park, at a car park or on a minor road | 86% | 92% |
| Pass a pub | 23% | 44% |
| Pass a dog-waste bin | 69% | 67% |
| Pass a public toilet | 3% | 9% |
| Pass a drinking-water tap | <1% | <1% |
| Pass a busy beauty spot | 60% | 28% |
Measured on 20 October 2026 from the map. How these figures are made
Walks in The Flashes of Wigan and Leigh, for your dog
If you live in Greater Manchester, it is your home county, and every walk in it is free, for good. Tell the app what your dog finds hard and it shows you walks that suit, with anything that might stop you shown first.
Anywhere in Great Britain, even with no signal.
Further is the Trekosa subscription. 87% of the walks here run under trees for a third of the way or more. It brings the Further map, 1:25,000, with contours, field walls and every right of way, while you have signal. Press Offline on a walk in The Flashes of Wigan and Leigh before you set off and its map stays on your phone until you remove it, for when the signal drops among the trees. Part of The Flashes of Wigan and Leigh is open access land, where a path on the ground can be faint: drift off your line and the phone buzzes. It also opens walks beyond your home county, if Greater Manchester is not yours.
The first 250 households have it for good. After that, £4.99 a month or £34.99 a year.
Questions people ask
- Do dogs need a lead in The Flashes of Wigan and Leigh?
- On the open access land, the law asks for a short lead from 1 March to 31 July, and near livestock at any time. Wigan has a dog order we cannot yet place, so it may apply here, read on 1 October 2026.
- How many dog walks are there in The Flashes of Wigan and Leigh?
- 309 walks in the Trekosa app lie mostly in The Flashes of Wigan and Leigh.
Getting there
28 car parks and 31 dog bins within The Flashes of Wigan and Leigh or at its edge, from OpenStreetMap.