Woodbank Memorial Park and Vernon Park
Flat and paved paths. Ample benches along the way.
Cafe and toilets available at Vernon Park Museum, during opening times.
How to get here
Buses
Bus routes 330, 364, 380, 381, 382, 383, 384, 386 run near to the park from Stockport.
Car park
Car parking is available off Newbridge Lane and at Woodbank car park, off Turncroft Lane next to the Community Centre.
6km walk
This route forms a circuit using the 2 park bridges to cross the River Goyt and loop back round via Dark Lane, a public bridleway which links the park to other areas of Stockport. For example; Romiley and Marple.
The walk follows the short walking route extension on our Vernon Park webpage and branches off from the main triangular loop of Woodbank Park down the Cow Lane paved path.
Where the paved path changes to gravel, turn right onto a rough path and then right again to follow a path sloping steeply upwards. Follow this path as it undulates past paths forking off to the right. Go past the old football goalposts behind Woodbank Stadium and past Woodlands Park on the right until you reach the small road leading down the hill to Offerton Cricket Club. Cross the road and take another unsurfaced path roughly opposite.
Follow this path as it slopes eventually downwards back down into the valley. Continue through where several paths meet, down the hill to the River Goyt and the Jim Fearnley Bridge. Cross the bridge and follow the path that leads from it to the even but unpaved public bridleway, Dark Lane.
Turn left onto Dark Lane and follow it for around 1.4km until it ends in a T-junction with another path. Turn left at the junction and follow the path until you see Arden Bridge on the left.
Cross Arden Bridge back into Woodbank Park. Then turn right onto a rough path which then forks left around the edge of the meadow. Follow the path as it enters the trees and slopes upwards out of the valley. At the top the path joins the unpaved path leading to the Turncroft Lane car park to the right and the Animal War Memorial to the left. Re-join the main paved triangular route of Woodbank Park.