BEST WALKS NEAR STOCKPORT: HAPPY VALLEY LOOP

Stockport is full of hidden gems perfect for a Sunday walk, but this one in Bramhall is definitely up there with the best

Start: Bramall Hall Car Park, SK7 3NX

Distance: 4.38 miles

Duration: 1-2 hours

Elevation: 125 feet

Navigation: follow the route here

Bramall Hall and Park is a firm favourite day out among Stopfordians. It’s one of the borough’s well-kept treasures, one that forms a large part of Stockport’s history.

And thanks to the fact it houses a collection of 16th century paintings and original Elizabethan plaster ceiling, this Tudor manor house is of great national importance, too.

Its history is fascinating, that’s for sure, but it was the surrounding countryside that brought us to Stockport. Just outside of the park lies a great traffic-free route, the Happy Valley, which forms part of the Ladybrook Valley Interest Trail.

This is one of those walks that really makes you appreciate the hidden gems you have on your doorstep. We’re talking miles upon miles of untouched countryside — each linking up with other points of interest across Stockport.

Simply put, with trails like this, the possibilities for extending your route are endless.

Fancy heading to Cheadle? Then walk just a couple miles further north and you’ll arrive at Abney Hall, another of Stockport’s hidden gems. After a real stretch of the legs? Then you can follow the River Mersey all the way to Lyme Park, one of the UK’s most favoured parkland and stately homes.

Whichever route you decide to take, why not get inspired by following ours here?