The 2026 GM Walking Festival walks invite residents to explore Stockport, from the Cheshire plains to the foothills of the Peak District.
Co-ordinated by Greater Manchester Moving, the Active Partnership for the city region, the festival sees groups, charities, individuals, and many others put on free, group-led walks throughout National Walking Month.
Louise Robbins, Strategic Lead GM Walking, said:
“This May we’re encouraging everyone to get walking and wheeling and explore their local area, discovering new places to walk, socialise, and have fun. There’s something for everyone this year – come and join us.”
With hundreds of different group-walks to choose from, you can search on the GM Walking Festival website for walks based on distance, difficulty level, proximity to public transport, accessibility by wheelchair, buggy-friendly walks, and routes close to cafes and pubs.
Stockport’s festival walks take in everything from the historic town centre and its famous viaduct to the sweeping countryside of Marple and Mellor. This year’s festival theme, ‘Celebrating Connected Communities’, encourages participants to discover neighbourhoods new and old. Featured Stockport walks in this year’s festival include:
- Social Stroll: Life Leisure – Tuesday 5 May: 11:45
- Weekend Wellness Walk: Life Leisure and Age UK Stockport – Saturday 9 May: 9:45
- Walk Together for Wellbeing: Heaton Mersey Village Conservation Group CIC – Sunday 24 May: 11:00
All walks across Greater Manchester are free and open to everyone; to find Stockport walks, visit the GM Walking website.
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