Day Trips from Manchester

In Brief. The Yorkshire Sculpture Park  occupies the extensive grounds of the 18th Century Bretton Hall, with sculptures spread over a wide area. The sculptures on display include long standing items and more frequently changing exhibitions, with the latter concentrated near to the main entrance. The sculptures on show are modern but diverse, with such a variety of styles that visitors should take to some of them.  The Family of Man from Barbara Hepworth (also viewable at The Hepworth Gallery ). What's Here? Most visitors will arrive at the main entrance, which is supported by a modern reception building that hosts a cafe/restaurant and the shop. It is also adjacent to the more formal gardens and gallery areas that host changing exhibitions.  From these, there are paths down the hill past a variety of sculptures towards the lake.   The park includes work from well known sculptors, including Antony Gormley, Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore, alongside the work of other...

In Brief. Wimbledon , the world's premier grass court tournament, takes place in late June and early July, ahead of which are several other grass court tournaments in the UK. One of these is in Nottingham , which tends to feature several top-10 players and many of the top British players. There is a centre court for matches with highly ranked players (and the finals), and a collection of other courts with different numbers of seats (from very few to quite significant stands). Supported by numerous eateries, this is an easy way to observe some good quality tennis.  Tickets can be booked well ahead, but I obtained tickets on Sunday for entry on Monday; later days book up sooner. Rothesay Open Displays What's Here? The Rothsay Open Tennis tournament takes place at the impressive Nottingham Tennis Center , which was hosting lots of coaching activities for young people as well as the tournament when I arrived.  This is the first professional tennis tournament I have attended, and i...

In Brief. Conisbrough Castle  consists of a crumbling inner Bailey and an impressively preserved 12th Century tower that sits on a hill overlooking much of the small town of Conisbrough. Run by English Heritage, there are informative displays on the castle and the principal protagonists in its history, along with insights into what is involved in keeping a castle up and running. The town of Conisbrough itself is quite low key, and its roads are no better maintained than in other parts of the country; hitting a pothole with a bit of a thump at quite low speed near to the castle turned out to be enough to puncture a front tyre and radically change the plan for the day. The tower from the inner Bailey. What's Here? The most striking feature of Conisbrough Castle is its tower, which was likely built in the late 12th century by/for Isabel and Hamelin de Warenne. Isabelle was the great-great-granddaughter of William de Warenne, a close follower of William the Conqueror, and Hamelin of An...