The Greater Manchester lakeside trail where kids can look ‘for monsters’ this summer

Kids can have the chance to turn into detectives this summer at Hollingworth Lake with a free interactive walking trail. Young adventurers are invited to see if there’s a monster lurking at the lake in Littleborough, or to find out if it's just a myth.

The Sleuth & Stride trail invites kids to follow a 3.7km route along the lake where they will examine evidence and watch short video case files accessed via QR codes. At the end of it they must decide whether a creature does lurk beneath the water at Hollingworth Lake.

It’s the product of the Sunnywood Project, which promotes a love of the great outdoors through arts and nature activities, and the GM Ringway, Greater Manchester’s newest walking trail which covers 200 miles across all three boroughs. Hollingworth Lake forms part of the GM Ringway.

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The Sleuth & Stride is designed to get little ones out into the countryside and takes around an hour and 15 minutes to complete. There are eight QR codes to discover, each one holding an intriguing clue from Detective Investigator Sleuth and his trusty dragon partner, Stride. The trial is aimed at children from 5 years upwards and grown-ups can join in too.

Andrew Read, GM Ringway’s Project Lead said: “This is a fun way to introduce young people to the GM Ringway and the joy of walking. Hollingworth Lake is a beautiful part of our 200-mile route. We’re really pleased to have joined forces with the Sunnywood Project to create this innovative and engaging family-focused initiative, and we hope it will bring hours of enjoyment and lots of lasting memories for hundreds of families this summer.”

For more information about the Sleuth &