Salford, Greater Manchester
Blackleach sits just off the A575 Bolton Road between Walkden and Farnworth, declared a local nature reserve in 2004 and holding a Green Flag since. The site is a former reservoir with a lake at its heart, wetland and grassland round the edges and a viewing platform for the birds, managed by Salford's ranger team with an active friends group behind them.
Salford City Council lists car parking, fishing, the lake, orienteering, toilets and a visitor centre. That is the complete list. No play area, no cafe. It is why an hour here is right and an afternoon is not. The permanent orienteering course is what saves it: give the children the map and the walk stops being a walk.
Pedestrian access runs 24 hours but the car parks close at dusk, and visitor centre hours vary, so ring 0161 790 7746 if you need it open. Walkden station is about a mile away and several buses stop within 200 metres at Hill Top Road.
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