Local nature reserve
Dog walks in Blackley Forest
Blackley Forest is a local nature reserve of 35 hectares in Manchester, 2.8 km from the middle of Prestwich. 22 walks in the app lie mostly in it. 3 of 22 are under 3 km and 6 are loops.
See every dog walk near Prestwich, or across Greater Manchester.
Three walks in Blackley Forest
From the 22 walks that lie mostly in Blackley Forest, those that start nearest its middle: a 6.2 km loop, a 2.1 km there and back and a 9.6 km one-way walk.
Where these go is in the app
Create an account- Higher Blackley loop6.2 km · 106 min · A loop
- Near Blackley Forest (shorter)2.1 km · 36 min · There and back
- Near Blackley Forest (longer)9.6 km · 164 min · One way
The land and what it asks of a dog
- Open by permission, not by right12 hectares of the woodlandWoods For All (Forestry Commission)
- Open by right2 hectares of the woodland
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 Blackley Forest are like
Every share is of the 22 walks that lie mostly in Blackley Forest, with Prestwich as a whole marked on each bar.
How far they go
Under 3 km: 3 of 22 walks in Blackley Forest, against 40% 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 | 3 of 22 | 40% |
| 3 to 5 km | 7 of 22 | 22% |
| 5 to 8 km | 5 of 22 | 16% |
| 8 to 12 km | 5 of 22 | 10% |
| Over 12 km | 2 of 22 | 9% |
What shape they are
There and back the same way: 10 of 22 walks in Blackley Forest, 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 | 6 of 22 | 36% |
| There and back the same way | 10 of 22 | 36% |
| One way, ending somewhere else | 6 of 22 | 26% |
What is beside the path
Beside water for a tenth or more: 22 of 22 walks in Blackley Forest, against 74% 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 | 19 of 22 | 61% |
| Beside water for a tenth or more | 22 of 22 | 74% |
| On open access land for a third or more | 0 of 22 | <1% |
| Through a park or green space for a third or more | 14 of 22 | 62% |
| Off road for four fifths or more | 0 of 22 | 5% |
| On roads or lanes for half or more | 21 of 22 | 78% |
| Through built-up streets for half or more | 0 of 22 | 12% |
What might stop you
No steps: 0 of 22 walks in Blackley Forest, against 56% 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 | 18 of 22 | 85% |
| Never beside a busy road | 1 of 22 | 40% |
| No busy road to cross | 5 of 22 | 42% |
| No stile, gate or cattle grid | 21 of 22 | 89% |
| No steps | 0 of 22 | 56% |
What is on the way
Pass a busy beauty spot: 15 of 22 walks in Blackley Forest, against 31% 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 | 22 of 22 | 97% |
| Pass a pub | 11 of 22 | 44% |
| Pass a dog-waste bin | 7 of 22 | 28% |
| Pass a public toilet | 10 of 22 | 28% |
| Pass a drinking-water tap | 0 of 22 | <1% |
| Pass a busy beauty spot | 15 of 22 | 31% |
Measured on 20 October 2026 from the map. How these figures are made
Walks in Blackley Forest, 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. 19 of its 22 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 Blackley Forest 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 Blackley Forest?
- 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 Blackley Forest?
- 22 walks in the Trekosa app lie mostly in Blackley Forest.
Getting there
10 car parks within Blackley Forest or at its edge, from OpenStreetMap.