Day Trips from Manchester

In Brief. Halifax town centre has a number of attractions that may draw in visitors; these include the Eureka! children's museum (not visited here, but recommended from past experience for primary age kids), the Calderdale Industrial Museum and the Piece Hall . The latter is a pre-industrial revolution trading hall for pieces of cloth from cottage industries, now repurposed as a restaurant and retail building around a space that hosts concerts and events. The entrance to the Calderdale Industrial Museum. What's Here? The Calderdale Industrial Museum is run largely by volunteers, and there are enthusiastic retirees throughout the building to discuss the different themed exhibitions. In fact, there are reasonably few signs to explain the exhibits, so the staff are an important part of the experience. The museum is extensive, occupying 4 floors of a former factory, and includes areas on the transition from cottage industries to factories, the evolution of power sources in factor...

In Brief. Chirk Castle , between Wrexham and Oswestry, was originally built in the 13th Century as part of Edward I's infrastructure for subduing the Welsh, along with other well known castles such as Conwy and Caernarfon. However, it has been subject to a series of renovations over the centuries, and is now largely a country house (with a dungeon and a fine garden). Nearby is the British Ironwork Center , to add diversity to a day trip, with numerous iron sculptures, mostly of animals, and intimidating afternoon teas. Chirk Castle from the wood. What's Here? Chirk castle is a country house occupying an imposing 13th Century castle. As a building, the Castle features robust towers and an airy quadrangle that includes outside seating for the cafe. Trudging up from the carpark past the uninspiring kitchen garden to the imposing walls, I wondered if this was going to be a poor relation to some other National Trust properties, but not at all!  For the most part, it is hard to see C...