Day Trips from Manchester

In Brief. Skipton is a market town to the South of the Yorkshire Dales, which has hosted a castle since one was built by the Normans in 1090, and has had a place on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal since 1774. More recently, the presence of these visitable sights and its proximity to the Yorkshire Dales means that it has become a significant tourist destination. Indeed, on my weekday visit in the summer, the town centre was bustling, and both canal trips and cafes were doing good business. Skipton Castle Watchtower What's Here? Though there has been a castle in Skipton for over 900 years, the current stone  Skipton Castle dates more from the 12th century. The castle is in excellent condition, and a self-guided tour follows a path through the towers, halls and courtyard, while providing some insights into key people and events, such as the 3 year siege during the English Civil War.  If the weather encourages more time outdoors, there are also various circular walks next to the c...

In Brief. The town of Ellesmere Port came into being around a port that linked the canal network with the River Mersey, and thereby to Liverpool and the wider world. The resulting canal port featured basins, locks, warehouses and supporting facilities, now preserved as the National Waterways Museum .  The substantial site includes a wide variety of canal boats, either in the water or in an Exhibition Hall, and a collection of buildings that supported the port, including a Blacksmiths Forge and a display of engines in the Power Hall. Locks connecting the lower and upper basins. What's Here? On arrival, visitors are given a map with a suggested route around the site. This involves visiting various of the support services, such as the still-active blacksmiths forge, before traversing the various waterways that host different canal boats. Some of these are quite unusual; for example, there is a concrete barge built during the 2nd world war when steel was scarce but there was plenty con...

In Brief. Leeds is in the middle of the country, so the waterfront centres on the River Aire, which both powered mills and was made navigable as part of the canal network. The formerly industrial waterfront has been modernised, with many flats, offices and restaurants occupying modern and renovated buildings. In the heart of all this is the substantial, Royal Armouries Museum that houses a huge collection of arms and armour, with associated displays on warfare, inventiveness and folly. Royal Armouries Museum and Leeds Dock What's Here? The Royal Armouries Museum  is probably the cultural centerpiece of the Leeds waterfront, and sits adjacent to the Leeds Dock, with its cafes and canal boat moorings. The museum is an imposing modern building on the outside, and inside includes substantial display spaces filled with arms and armour, largely from the Middle Ages to the 2nd World War.  While there is a striking Hall of Steel that displays 2500 items of armour and offensive arms ...