Day Trips from Manchester

In Brief. Breezy Knees is a collection of varied, themed, modern gardens close to York. The themes include those based on the time of year when they are at their best, with gardens for May, June and September, and the site was densely planted and colourful in my June visit (in particular the June garden!).  This is a short drive from The Yorkshire Arboretum , in parkland adjacent to Castle Howard , which includes ancient and more recently planted trees in rolling countryside with an emphasis on open vistas. The Lawned Garden at Breezy Knees What's Here? The Breezy Knees gardens occupy over 20 acres of largely level countryside, which has been divided into a collection of gardens mostly themed by type of planting or time of year. There are various natural routes from garden to garden, including places to sit and take in the views. I had a fairly tight schedule to fit in with the guided tour at the Yorkshire Arboretum, but wished that I had taken a book and could have a lazier time ...

In Brief. Shewsbury is a sprawling market town, with a compact historic centre almost enclosed within a loop of the River Severn, the longest river in England. There is more than a day's worth of things to see and do in Shrewsbury; I took a boat trip on the Severn, made a rather brief visit to the museum, and took a tour of the prison.  However, there is also a historic town centre to explore, an abbey and a castle.  What's Here? Having parked near the Abbey, I started by walking along the riverside path towards the Quarry Park, a large open area between the town centre and the river.  This includes the Dingle, an immaculately maintained garden area, with characterful water features and colourful borders.  The Dingle in Quarry Park. My destination was a Sabrina Boat Trip , which as it turns out visited the same part of the river as I had just walked. However, with at-seat refreshments and a commentary providing historical context and humorous asides, this was both a...