Day Trips from Manchester

In Brief. Several towns in Cheshire, typically those with names ending in wich (Northwich, Nantwich, Middlewich), developed in significant measure through salt production, initially from brine springs, but later from more intensive mining and extraction techniques. The Lion Salt Works  is a restored salt making site plus museum that provides a vivid introduction to the steps involved in moving from brine to sellable salt. Moving coal to the salt works and salt to markets required canals, and the  The Anderton Boat Lift , just a few miles from the Lion Salt Works, connects waterways that, among other things, supported the salt-making industry.  The Anderton Boat Lift What's Here? The Lion Salt Works sits on ground that includes two layers of salt beds. A pump extracted brine from these salt beds, which then went through a series of processes for which the original buildings and some of the equipment are preserved in the museum. These include substantial salt pans, where th...

In Brief. The British Commercial Vehicle Museum  at Leyland and the Lakeland Motor Museum near the southern end of Lake Windermere host substantial collections of motor vehicles of different types and from different periods. In both museums, the standard experience is wandering past pristine vehicles, and reading a little about them on displays.  The Lakeland Motor Museum also hosts an exhibition on Donald and Malcolm Campbell, and their land and water speed records. A vintage MG sports car. What's Here? The  Lakeland Motor Museum  hosts an eclectic collection of vehicles, including bicycles, motor bikes and cars. For many visitors, this will include vehicles that they recognise, as well as models that are now rarely if ever seen on the road. The vehicles are well maintained, and some are accompanied by some comments on the model or the specific vehicle.  With an emphasis on speed, there are displays on the Isle of Man TT races including bikes that have been ra...