Local nature reserve
Dog walks in Alkrington Woods
Alkrington Woods is a local nature reserve of 76 hectares in Rochdale, 5 km from the middle of Prestwich. 23 walks in the app lie mostly in it. 6 of 23 are under 3 km and 3 are loops.
See every dog walk near Prestwich, or across Greater Manchester.
Two walks in Alkrington Woods
From the 23 walks that lie mostly in Alkrington Woods, those that start nearest its middle: a 2.3 km there and back and a 5.7 km one-way walk.
Where these go is in the app
Create an account- Near Alkrington Woods (shorter)2.3 km · 39 min · There and back
- Near Alkrington Woods (longer)5.7 km · 97 min · One way
The land and what it asks of a dog
- Open by permission, not by right5 hectares of the woodlandWoods For All (Forestry Commission)
- Open by right7 hectares of the woodland
None of Rochdale council's orders mentions dogs (read 1 October 2026). Manchester 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 Alkrington Woods are like
Every share is of the 23 walks that lie mostly in Alkrington Woods, with Prestwich as a whole marked on each bar.
How far they go
8 to 12 km: 8 of 23 walks in Alkrington Woods, against 10% near Prestwich.
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 | Prestwich |
|---|---|---|
| Under 3 km | 6 of 23 | 40% |
| 3 to 5 km | 1 of 23 | 22% |
| 5 to 8 km | 6 of 23 | 16% |
| 8 to 12 km | 8 of 23 | 10% |
| Over 12 km | 2 of 23 | 9% |
What shape they are
There and back the same way: 14 of 23 walks in Alkrington Woods, against 36% near Prestwich.
A loop brings you back without repeating a step. There and back retraces the way out.
| Walks that | Share of walks measured | Prestwich |
|---|---|---|
| A loop | 3 of 23 | 36% |
| There and back the same way | 14 of 23 | 36% |
| One way, ending somewhere else | 6 of 23 | 26% |
What is beside the path
Through a park or green space for a third or more: 2 of 23 walks in Alkrington Woods, against 62% near Prestwich.
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 | Prestwich |
|---|---|---|
| Under trees for a third or more of the way | 23 of 23 | 61% |
| Beside water for a tenth or more | 23 of 23 | 74% |
| On open access land for a third or more | 0 of 23 | <1% |
| Through a park or green space for a third or more | 2 of 23 | 62% |
| Off road for four fifths or more | 2 of 23 | 5% |
| On roads or lanes for half or more | 19 of 23 | 78% |
| Through built-up streets for half or more | 0 of 23 | 12% |
What might stop you
No busy road to cross: 3 of 23 walks in Alkrington Woods, against 42% near Prestwich.
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 | Prestwich |
|---|---|---|
| Never beside a fast road | 15 of 23 | 85% |
| Never beside a busy road | 3 of 23 | 40% |
| No busy road to cross | 3 of 23 | 42% |
| No stile, gate or cattle grid | 17 of 23 | 89% |
| No steps | 11 of 23 | 56% |
What is on the way
Pass a pub: 16 of 23 walks in Alkrington Woods, against 44% near Prestwich.
Shares of walks that start by, or pass, each of these.
| Walks that | Share of walks measured | Prestwich |
|---|---|---|
| Start where you can park, at a car park or on a minor road | 21 of 23 | 97% |
| Pass a pub | 16 of 23 | 44% |
| Pass a dog-waste bin | 1 of 23 | 28% |
| Pass a public toilet | 3 of 23 | 28% |
| Pass a drinking-water tap | 0 of 23 | <1% |
| Pass a busy beauty spot | 8 of 23 | 31% |
Measured on 20 October 2026 from the map. How these figures are made
Walks in Alkrington Woods, 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. 23 of its 23 walks 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 Alkrington Woods before you set off and its map stays on your phone until you remove it, for when the signal drops among the trees. Drift off the path 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 Alkrington Woods?
- Rochdale has no dog order that mentions dogs, read on 1 October 2026. Manchester 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 Alkrington Woods?
- 23 walks in the Trekosa app lie mostly in Alkrington Woods.
Getting there
9 car parks within Alkrington Woods or at its edge, from OpenStreetMap.