Day Trips from Manchester

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. The Avro Heritage Museum occupies a compact modern viewing space, that is packed with information and memorabilia on the history of the Avro aircraft manufacturing company.  As the founder of Avro was an aviation pioneer, this history covers from some of the very earliest aircraft, through a variety of well known civil and military aircraft (including the Lancaster and Vulcan bombers) to 21st century projects. The museum has a Vulcan bomber, which is quite a sight, and a number of cockpits, as well as a variety of models and paraphernalia. Rather a unique place.   Vulcan bomber with the museum in the background. What's Here? The main interior space provides a timeline round the walls that identifies planes, including the number manufactured, starting from reports of entries to early competitions for aircraft pioneers, which included the founder of Avro, A.V. Roe. In contrast with the design-periods of modern aircraft, new ideas emerged and were tried out quickly, an...