Day Trips from Manchester

In Brief. Levens Hall is a largely Elizabethan Manor House with varied gardens, including the oldest and most extensive topiary garden in the world. The gardens are a particular highlight, but the interior of the house is also in excellent condition, with panelled walls and furniture from different periods.  Nearby is the village of Cartmel, with its winding streets hosting a variety of houses, shops and eateries adjacent to its long established  Priory .  Levens Hall from the Topiary Garden What's Here? The garden at Levens hall is set out in a grid pattern, with different elements of the garden often separated by hedges, including a substantial beech hedge that was a feature of the original garden design from the 1690s. This means that the different areas feel quite separate, with their own characters. The most prominent feature is the Topiary Garden, which is next to the house, featuring not only diverse geometric patterns but also colourful flower beds, where there ar...

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...

In brief. Though not associated with much in the way of an interesting back story, Beningbrough Hall is a refined 18th century country house near York, now run by the National Trust . Though described as Baroque , Beningbrough is quite restrained, with a balanced exterior, fine interior woodwork and a tasteful walled garden. A visit to the hall itself includes period furniture and fittings on the ground floor and changing art exhibitions on the first floor, so overall a visit provides a variety of experiences.  The hall from the back garden. What's here? Though some country houses seem designed to impress with excess, Beningbrough seems more inclined to show off through good taste. On arrival, the walled garden is an obvious first place to visit, and features  borders and fruit trees. Overall, though there are gardens surrounding the house, these are not extensive, so this is not a place to come for exercise. Commendably, there is also a modern Mediterranean garden, reflecting...

In Brief. In February, the gardens at Rode Hall are opened for a Snowdrop Walk. This is exactly what it says on the tin. A path through the gardens leads to an artificial lake (Rode Pool), and various paths meander through a wooded area, with copious snowdrops covering the ground. Combined with a substantial cake from the cafe, this provides some simple pleasures to maintain morale while waiting for Spring. Rode Hall What's Here? Rode Hall is a Georgian country house on grounds that have been in the same family since the 17th century. The house is open to visitors on certain days from April to September, so access does not coincide with the snowdrops. On my visit in a weekday in February, the snowdrop walk was popular with retirees, sometimes with grandchildren in tow. Overall, this is a genteel destination, with visitors sauntering along the paths, and indeed a visit characterised by brisk walking would be over rather quickly.  Stew Pond Now, snowdrops can't be said to be spec...

In Brief. Keighley is a market town just to the north of Bradford that includes among its visitor attractions the Cliffe Castle Museum , the East Riddlesden Hall and a heritage railway , so it's possible to have have a rather full day here. The Cliffe Castle museum is partly visited as a Victorian mansion but also hosts a substantial and diverse museum alongside a well maintained civic park. East Riddlesden Hall, run by the National Trust, is a compact 17th century Manor House with small but pleasant gardens and a well preserved barn. I didn't make it to the railway! The entrance to East Riddlesden Hall What's Here? Cliffe Castle Museum is more a museum than a castle, having been built in Victorian times as the home of a textile magnate. Several of the original rooms are preserved and filled with period furnishings, and the original grounds of the house are now a park. The museum is larger and more diverse than I was expecting; the diversity means that round each corner th...

In Brief. The Thornbridge Estate , near Bakewell, hosts a vibrant garden and a distinctive hall that is a historic building, family home and events venue in one. Many will visit for the garden, for which the well established view from the house to the lake boasts a thousand shades of green, and there are several other areas with quite different character. The house can only be visited by tour groups, which is understandable given that it is someone's home (we met one of the owners), and blends period and modern features as a result of extensive renovations. The hall from the Koi Lake What's Here? Thornbridge is a privately owned country house, of recent wider significance as the original site of the Thornbridge Brewery , best known for its Jaipur IPA, which can be sampled at the cafe.  The gardens provide considerable variety, including the trees and bushes that lead from the lake up to the house, lawns with views over rolling hills, a herbaceous border, a scented terrace that ...

In Brief. Harewood is an imposing country house in West Yorkshire, designed, furnished and landscaped by the best 18th century architects, furniture makers and garden designers that money could buy. The result is impressive, with the carefully balanced house overlooking restrained formal gardens and rolling parkland. Inside, the interiors are grand without becoming too showy, and include sensitively displayed artworks, old and new. All this good taste was funded off the back of sugar plantations in the West Indies, as is reflected on explicitly inside the house and in some artworks. Harewood House from the Terrace. What's Here? Harewood house is surrounded by a variety of landscaped gardens.  Immediately to the rear of the property is the terrace (pictured), which is fine in itself, but perhaps most noteworthy for its wider views over rolling countryside. The terrace cafe provides a civilised location for taking it all in. However, there are also a variety of walks to other parts ...

In Brief. Haddon Hall is an imposing country house that occupies an elevated position overlooking the River Wye near Bakewell. The hall has its origins in the 11th Century, has remained in the same family since the 12th Century, and continues to be a family home. The public areas include one of the courtyards, the original hall, the chapel, a long gallery and the compact but pleasant gardens. Several of these are striking and distinctive, for example with the chapel featuring extensive medieval wall paintings. Haddon hall from the gardens. What's Here? Haddon Hall is a substantial building, built around two courtyards, though one of these is private. However, the lower courtyard gives access to a portion of the 12th century wall as well as the 14th century hall and kitchens. The hall was originally used for most aspects of communal living, and includes a large fireplace, as an early example of a home improvement. The hall featured a log fire during my visit, and provides access to...

In Brief. Little Moreton Hall is a now somewhat wonky timber framed manor house dating from the 16th century, located just south of Congleton in Cheshire.  The name is (Little Moreton) Hall - the hall in Little Moreton, and not Little (Moreton Hall), the hall that is smaller than some other hall in Moreton.  Indeed, although the grounds are quite compact, mostly being inside a moat round the property, the house is quite substantial, featuring a striking courtyard and a decorated long gallery at the top of the building.  The Hall and the Moat. What's Here? Little Moreton Hall, despite its seemingly humble name, is distinguished by two vanity projects. The hall is surrounded by a moat, which is felt to have been built as a status symbol, and which encompasses the compact formal gardens and a lawn.  Furthermore, the top floor is dominated by a long gallery that spans from one end of the hall to another, the weight of which may have contributed to the irregular walls an...

 In Brief. Nostell Priory is a National Trust country house in rolling parkland near Wakefield. The house itself is substantial, occupying a raised position, though to my eyes the neo-classical exterior is ponderous from all angles. For Christmas, the interior is extensively decorated with trees and lights, and outside the parkland provides walks that are undiminished by the season.  Approaching the house from the carpark. What's Here? For the avoidance of doubt, Nostell Priory is not a priory! It is an 18th century country house on the site of a medieval priory. The house occupies an elevated position, overlooking rolling parkland to the front and an artificial lake to the rear.  There are few formal gardens (I wasn't tempted to visit the Rose Garden in December), and the Pleasure Grounds is a rather nondescript wooded area. However, the parkland is pleasant, particularly popular with dogs and their walkers, and the Obelisk Lodge is silly enough to provide a worthy dest...

In Brief. The trees in the gardens at Erddig Hall and Gardens , which is run by the National Trust, are claimed to have given rise to 136 varieties of apple this year.  Erddig doesn't seem to be associated with much of historical significance, having largely been a family home, but has a large hall, an extensive area of parkland, and grand formal gardens with an emphasis on trees and topiary. The nearby Aqueduct at  Pontcysyllte takes a canal over the River Dee, with a narrow footpath and good views for pedestrians. Cider apples from the harvest. What's Here?  Though it has been extended over time, the original Erddig Hall was built in the late 17th Century, and was in the same family for 250 years until it was given to the National Trust in the 1970s, through seven generations of the Yorke family (all named Simon or Philip).  On my visit, only the below stairs areas were open, and these tend to seem pretty similar from stately home to stately home, though in this ...

In Brief.  Chatsworth is the grande dame of northern country houses, having been the home of the Duke of Devonshire and ancestors in the Cavendish family for over 400 years. Located in the picturesque Derwent Valley, the exterior of the property is vast but elegant, in contrast with with the rather showy interior. The gardens are extensive, varied and well maintained, and are likely to be the high point of most visits.   Chatsworth from the Salisbury Lawns What's Here? Chatsworth is what a country house can be made to look like with access to an almost unlimited budget over a prolonged period. The result is undeniably a notch more grand than other stately homes in the area, and interestingly visitors on a weekday in summer include many more overseas tourists than can be seen at a typical property run by the National Trust (such as Lyme Park ) or English Heritage (such as Brodsworth Hall ).  The interior has clearly been designed to impress, but can give the impress...

In Brief. Tatton Park is a substantial estate that was owned for over 400 years by members of the Egerton family. The current neo-classical mansion was built in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and many of the fixtures and fittings date from that period. However, the outdoor spaces are probably more visited than the mansion, and there are extensive and varied gardens, including a Japanese Garden and an arboretum. For younger visitors, there is also the farm, which includes both historic buildings like the mill and a collection of farm animals from rare breeds. The mansion from the gardens. What's Here? Tatton is an impressive estate, and everything comes on a grand scale. I started with a walk round the gardens, where there are airy lawns, many impressive trees inside and outside the arboretum, ornate topiary, a variety of ponds and an extensive Japanese garden.  There is even a compact formal Italian Garden, but the scale of the rest of the garden rather leaves it as a foo...

In Brief. Walton Hall is a Victorian era country house, now owned and run by Warrington District Council. Set in extensive gounds that include lawns, wooded areas and formal gardens, it is possible to visit here for a wander. However, this is largely a municipal park with attached hall, and the target audience certainly includes pre-teens, with a play area, crazy golf and a zoo among the attractions. The hall seems largely to be used for functions. Walton Hall What's Here? Although there is a country house, Walton Hall is primarily visited for its ground, and its grounds are primarily visited by families with kids. The grounds are reasonably extensive, including a wooded area and some formal gardens that were quite colourful in our July visit.  These are not as grand or as manicured as at some custom gardens (such as Harrow Carr ) or country houses (such as Brodsworth Hall ), but they are pleasant enough (and free).  The formal gardens. For the younger generation, there is a ...

 In Brief. Just to the south of the Lake District, and close to Silverdale, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)  Leighton Moss  reserve provides access to a distinctive natural habitat in the form of a substantial reed bed, with assorted viewing areas and a visitor center. I saw a variety of mostly rather familiar birds, but a significant number of more committed ornithologists were well equipped with impressive cameras, so likely there are more exotic species to be seen if you know where to look. If you prefer your nature more tamed, the nearby National Trust property at Sizergh  provides civilised gardens adjacent to a hall that has evolved over almost 800 years of occupancy by the same family. Sizergh House from the Mirror Lake. What's Here? A visit to the RSPB Web Site reveals that they have over 180 nature reserves. The only one I had previously visited featured nesting seabirds at Bempton Cliffs , and was clearly a popular tourist destination....

In Brief. Brodsworth Hall is a Victorian country house surrounded by gardens that were designed to impress, and do. The house was built in the 1860s, and much of the interior dates from the time of its construction, when money was plentiful. However, the gardens are the star turn, maintained to a very high standard, and providing variety around every turn. The immaculate formal gardens were quite a spectacle during my August visit. The formal fountain garden. What's here? Brodsworth Hall was built to replace an existing residence on the site in the 1860s, at the same time as the gardens were laid out. The hall itself, though substantial, has a somewhat understated exterior, approached by a sweeping drive and surrounded by lawns. The interior is more lavish, with grand spaces for entertaining, which can be contrasted with the more down-to-earth facilities of the servant's wing. The friendly guides were keen to share stories and history. View from the summer house. The gardens, ...

In Brief. Lyme is a country house in extensive grounds, operated by the National Trust. The house has a long history, evolving through 600 years (!) of ownership by the same family; as a result the interior reflects different periods and contains a rich collection of historical artefacts and curiosities. The house backs onto manicured gardens that include a lake and an orangery, and is surrounded by much less tamed parkland for more energetic walks. Lyme obtained national visibility in the '90s as Pemberley in a widely watched BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice . The Georgian rear of the house from the garden. What's Here? Lyme is large and diverse enough to accommodate a variety of different visits. Families can head from the carpark to the adventure playground, explore the adjacent woodland or make dens, and round off the visit with a sandwich or ice cream from the Timber Yard, all without going anywhere near the house or gardens. Up a hill from the carpark, the gardens a...

In Brief. Bolsover Castle is more a country house, or perhaps pleasure dome, than a fortress. Mostly built for, and reflecting the social interests of, a single 17th century aristocrat, the historical narrative largely relates to the lifetime of that individual. Reflecting this, there is a well preserved country house with quirky artistic interiors, a renovated riding house, and a ruined wing once used for larger scale entertaining, including of royalty.  The grounds are compact, but include a pleasant walled garden. The Little Castle and walled garden. What's Here? The castle occupies a compact site adjacent to Bolsover town centre. Run by English Heritage, there is a reception building selling tickets, with a cafe and a shop.  The reception building gives access to a lawn, including some picnic tables and a castle themed play area, beyond which is the castle itself, which consists of three sections. The Little Castle, pictured above, is the original building, built during t...