Day Trips from Manchester

In Brief. Lancaster is a (reasonably small) city in Lancashire with a long history, adjacent to the seaside town of Morecambe . The centre of Lancaster is hilly, but compact enough to be easily walkable, with places to visit including the castle, the river and several museums. Morecambe has a lengthy sea front overlooking the estuary of Morecambe Bay that includes cafes, a stone jetty, a statue of Eric Morecambe and a play park. The entrance to Lancaster Castle What's Here? The centre of Lancaster mostly consists of low-rise sandstone buildings, and the castle remains much the most imposing structure. Entry through the impressive 15th century gatehouse gives access to a large courtyard that hosts an excellent cafe and the ticket office for tours.  Informative one hour tours are the main way of seeing inside the castle, and turn out to focus on its role as a prison.  Indeed, the castle was in use as a prison until 2011, and still hosts courts; both prison wings and court buil...

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. Conwy is a castle with a walled costal town attached. The castle and walled town were built in a 4 year period the 13th Century (how long is it taking to build a railway from London to Birmingham in the 21st century?), and both are impressive and substantially intact. Nearby, the Bondant Garden is an impressive National Trust garden with a surprisingly vibrant winter garden with flowering snowdrops, daffodils and rhododendron, to name but a few, on my visit on 15th January. Conwy Castle What's Here? Conwy is classed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, and it's not hard to see why, with its grand castle and the nearly complete town walls. Both were built at the same time, as part of a network of English castles that were designed to keep the Welsh in check. The castle has a series of towers, most of which can be climbed, offering good views over the River Conwy, just before it enters the Irish Sea. The castle is now popular with pigeons and tourists alike. Conwy harb...

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...

In Brief. Conisbrough Castle  consists of a crumbling inner Bailey and an impressively preserved 12th Century tower that sits on a hill overlooking much of the small town of Conisbrough. Run by English Heritage, there are informative displays on the castle and the principal protagonists in its history, along with insights into what is involved in keeping a castle up and running. The town of Conisbrough itself is quite low key, and its roads are no better maintained than in other parts of the country; hitting a pothole with a bit of a thump at quite low speed near to the castle turned out to be enough to puncture a front tyre and radically change the plan for the day. The tower from the inner Bailey. What's Here? The most striking feature of Conisbrough Castle is its tower, which was likely built in the late 12th century by/for Isabel and Hamelin de Warenne. Isabelle was the great-great-granddaughter of William de Warenne, a close follower of William the Conqueror, and Hamelin of An...

In Brief. York is a serious tourist destination, and it certainly isn't possible to "do York" in a day. So choices need to be made, and I chose to walk the walls for an overview, visiting the castle part way round, and to finish at York Minster . The walls are around two miles, and provide access to the gates and the castle, as well as views of the rivers and the city. The castle keep is compact and somewhat interesting, with commanding views, though for a site of this size the entry fee is as steep as the climb. The Minster is the real deal, grand on the outside, and with remarkable interior spaces; worthy of time and respect even if visiting churches is not your thing. Approaching York Minster What's Here? York has a long history, which is reflected in its rich and varied architecture, and different periods are also represented in well known museums on the Vikings and on Railways.  So, there are different possible flavours to a day trip to York, but the choice is so...

In Brief. Clitheroe is a town of around 15,000 people in the Ribble Valley, though the river bypasses the town. The town itself seems to be centred on the small but ancient castle that occupies a limestone outcrop, with the town centre on one side and a park on the other. The castle can be visited in minutes, but is accompanied by a museum on the history of the area that can extend a visit. However, I partly (perhaps largely) came for the Bowland Beer Hall , which, along with the adjacent food hall , can certainly contribute to a visit. The Holmes Mill area What's Here? Arriving just before lunch, I headed for the Holmes Mill area, which includes a hotel, a formidable beer hall, a bustling food hall and a compact cinema. The Beer Hall lived up to expectations, with the rustic interior housing a daunting selection of draught beers, including a range from the local Bowland Brewery. Come by train or bring your own teetotal driver!  I sampled some of the local beer and a tasty halloumi...