Day Trips from Manchester

 In Brief. Just to the south of the Lake District, and close to Silverdale, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)  Leighton Moss  reserve provides access to a distinctive natural habitat in the form of a substantial reed bed, with assorted viewing areas and a visitor center. I saw a variety of mostly rather familiar birds, but a significant number of more committed ornithologists were well equipped with impressive cameras, so likely there are more exotic species to be seen if you know where to look. If you prefer your nature more tamed, the nearby National Trust property at Sizergh  provides civilised gardens adjacent to a hall that has evolved over almost 800 years of occupancy by the same family. Sizergh House from the Mirror Lake. What's Here? A visit to the RSPB Web Site reveals that they have over 180 nature reserves. The only one I had previously visited featured nesting seabirds at Bempton Cliffs , and was clearly a popular tourist destination....

  In Brief. The  Gladstone Pottery Museum  occupies a site that was used for pottery production from the late 18th century until the early 1960s. It was saved from demolition as a good example of a pottery factory with its distinctive coal-fired bottle ovens. The museum itself preserves and provides access to this distinctive infrastructure, while also stepping through the manufacturing process and describing the working lives of the factory workers in a wide variety of roles. There was also one demonstration of pottery making on the day of my visit. It is an interesting complement to tours of the current day Wedgwood factory that is four miles away. Bottle ovens and factory buildings. What's Here? A visit to the museum takes the form of a self-guided tour through the factory buildings.  The site is compact but densely packed, with four bottle ovens and a collection of buildings that include both pottery making paraphernalia and display boards that step through the ...

In Brief. The  Maritime  and  International Slavery  museums share a large warehouse along one side of the Albert Dock in  Liverpool's Waterfront . The maritime museum covers two complete floors, including exhibitions on The Titanic, The Battle of the Atlantic and commercial shipping, especially where there is a Liverpool connection. The more modern International Slavery museum covers African culture, the slave trade and its connection to industries in the north of England, and for more recent times the legacy of slavery and modern slavery. There's a lot to take in. The museum building. What's Here? The obvious way to approach this museum is probably to start on the ground floor with a history of Liverpool Docks, and work your way up. This is what I did, but I don't recommend it, as by the time you reach the International Slavery Museum there is the risk that you will have had your fill of museums for the day. The Maritime Museum is huge, and covers a variety of...