Day Trips from Manchester

In Brief. With its Roman origins and a medieval cathedral, the walled city of Chester has a long and varied history. The historical sites and the attractive Victorian town centre, mean that Chester is a popular tourist destination, with extensive shopping and eating temptations alongside more worthy pursuits. Not being a serious shopper, I took a boat trip on the river, walked the walls, visited the Cathedral, and ate rather too much. There is plenty to fill a day in Chester while still leaving its famous Zoo  for a return visit. Chester Cathedral from the city walls. What's Here? Though Chester has a population of around 80,000, and thus occupies a considerable area, the historic centre is compact, and delimited by essentially complete defensive walls . Seemingly started by the Romans, but completed in their current location in the 12th century, the walls now provide a walking route that gives excellent views of the main streets, the cathedral, the race course and the river. ...

In Brief. Coal may not be the energy source of the future, but it was dominant for many years, giving rise to a huge industry and many mining communities. Both are commemorated at the substantial  National Coal Mining Museum , which though named as a museum, should perhaps be seen as a coal mine with a museum attached rather than the other way around. The must-do element of a visit is the miner-led tour 140m underground, to see the changing technologies that extracted the coal and the experiences of miners. It all makes office work seem rather tame.  The Pit Head at Caphouse Colliery. What's Here? Coal may now be public enemy number one, in the context of global warming, but it powered the machines and transport of the industrial revolution, and generated a lot of the country's electricity until quite recently. To do this, there was a huge industry, at one time with more than a million employees, and this museum gives some insights into the often gruelling task of mining coal ...

In Brief. Hardwick Hall is a grand, well preserved Elizabethan country house, run by the National Trust, with a walled garden and extensive grounds. The adjacent garden includes an orchard and some fine views over the fields, but the highlight is the house. Built for a grand dame of the Elizabethan period, the hall retains many of its original features, being largely spared from generations of home improvements. The site also includes the adjacent  Hardwick Old Hall , which is run by English Heritage, but they certainly drew the short straw as only the shell of the Old Hall survives. What's Here. Hardwick Hall was built to suit the needs and reflect the status of Bess of Hardwick (1521-1608), who was born on the site, outlived a succession of husbands, and accumulated significant wealth in the process.  Her initials (ES - Elizabeth Shrewsbury) adorn the towers. The house spent a considerable time in the possession of descendants who also owned the even more imposing Chatswor...

In Brief. Visitors to Liverpool can pay homage to The Beatles in a variety of ways. Sites associated with the band and their songs can be visited on tour busses, and photographs can be taken with their statue at the waterfront. The highest profile visitor attraction is  The Beatles Story  at The Albert Dock, which includes recreations of places associated with the band and its members, accompanied by an informative audio guide.  This is somewhat complemented by Liverpool Beatles Museum , near the Cavern Club, which contains more conventional displays and memorabilia, from clothes to cufflinks. The Fab Four What's Here? More than 50 years after they split up, The Beatles still top polls as the Greatest Rock Band of All Time , and are thus deserving of ongoing recognition in their home town.  For a day trip, the journeys to and from Liverpool are also a good chance to revisit some Beatles albums (I went with Abbey Road and returned to Sgt. Pepper, but of course there ...

In Brief. The World of Wedgwood is a visitor centre located with the main Wedgwood pottery factory. Wedgwood has been making up-market pottery in (or now close to) Stoke-on-Trent since 1759. The factory is now in a suburban location, and has well developed visitor facilities. Factory tours can be booked in advance, there is a modern museum with a comprehensive collection of Wedgwood products covering the whole history of the company, and there is an impressive tea room, reassuringly devoid of disposable cups. Josiah Wedgwood What's Here. There are several different attractions on site that could seem like the focal point of a visit. Having booked the factory tour, my assumption was that it would be the high point, but it seems that for many the tea room is the main draw. The factory tour involves meandering through various spaces where different types of pottery are being worked on, from cups and teapots to pots and ornaments. This factory is in marked contrast to the scale and im...

In Brief. The Museum of Making  is a modern museum, opened in 2021, beside the River Derwent and near the centre of Derby across a small park from the cathedral. The museum entrance is into a grand civic hall that includes a suspended Rolls Royce jet engine and a disassembled Toyota car. The museum has a variety of exhibitions on making and manufacturing, often themed by the material used, though perhaps "making" is rather a broad remit, leading to a somewhat fragmented narrative. The Museum of Making What's Here? The Museum of Making is an ambitious modern museum in a historic silk mill. This is a museum based around objects rather than a central activity such as a particular industry, though there is a small exhibition on silk making and on the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage site, which was supported by a friendly volunteer on my visit. The entrance opens into the airy Civic Hall, which features a Rolls Royce jet engine and a Toyota car, both suspended from the cei...

In Brief.  The Kelham Island Museum is a compact but surprisingly comprehensive museum on the industrial heritage of Sheffield. Located by the River Don, in a former factory site, the museum captures the history of manufacturing in Sheffield and the diverse products made from its steel, from saws to ships. The museum is densely packed with exhibits, and includes as a highlight the River Don Engine, the most powerful working steam engine in Europe, which is worth seeing in action. A Bessemer Converter outside the museum. What's Here? The Kelham Island Museum is located in an industrial site by the River Don, adjacent to a mixture of historic industrial buildings, typically repurposed, and modern offices and flats. The museum is near part of the Upper Don Walk, which provides a chance to see other post-industrial areas, though this is much more low key than the Leeds Waterfront . The museum itself has a collection of themed spaces, so that it is possible to follow the evolution of ...