Day Trips from Manchester

In Brief. Wallasey and West Kirby are coastal towns towards the end of the Wirral peninsula, with views to Liverpool and North Wales, respectively. Wallasey is a substantial town, and includes the resort of New Brighton as a suburb, from which robust coastal defences can be walked in both directions. West Kirby is more compact, but has a distinctive and substantial marine lake. Looking across the Mersey to Liverpool. What's Here? New Brighton hosts assorted eateries and leisure facilities, including a theatre, cinema, ten-pin bowling and restaurants, near to the not especially pleasing marine lake and some rather tired looking resort facilities.  However, the Marine Point Leisure and Retail Park was doing good business on my weekday visit outside the holiday season, and after my walk I had a welcome brunch at the Marino Lounge. I chose to walk from New Brighton along the Mersey, past many elevated properties that enjoy views across to Liverpool Docks, and then the city itself. As...

In Brief. Wentworth Woodhouse is an imposing 18th century country pile near Rotherham, that can boast the longest facade of any country house in England. Though the interior contains little of the original furniture, which was sold off to pay death duties, there are nonetheless striking and varied spaces that benefit from being brought to life in a tour. The property also features an extensive and well maintained garden, with meandering paths, and views of the West Front and surrounding countryside. The impressive East Front. What's Here? Curiously, the property features two houses back-to-back, both built in the early 18th Century, with the slightly earlier Baroque property being considered to give an unsuitable architectural fashion statement in contrast with its Palladian successor.  Both the East Front and the West Front are pictured. The West Front is almost as grand as the East Front. Several themed tours are available; I took the Wentworth Tour, with an enthusiastic and wel...