Day Trips from Manchester

 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. Halifax town centre has a number of attractions that may draw in visitors; these include the Eureka! children's museum (not visited here, but recommended from past experience for primary age kids), the Calderdale Industrial Museum and the Piece Hall . The latter is a pre-industrial revolution trading hall for pieces of cloth from cottage industries, now repurposed as a restaurant and retail building around a space that hosts concerts and events. The entrance to the Calderdale Industrial Museum. What's Here? The Calderdale Industrial Museum is run largely by volunteers, and there are enthusiastic retirees throughout the building to discuss the different themed exhibitions. In fact, there are reasonably few signs to explain the exhibits, so the staff are an important part of the experience. The museum is extensive, occupying 4 floors of a former factory, and includes areas on the transition from cottage industries to factories, the evolution of power sources in factor...

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. In the suburbs of Blackpool, Blackpool Zoo  hosts a wide variety of animals, large and small, from air, land and sea, from across the globe. Not as vast as Chester Zoo , there is still a lot to see. Although the map says there are Aardvarks and Zebras, as suggested by the title, in fact my alphabetical range was from Alpacas to Wolves, so even though I was trying to be thorough, I certainly didn't see everything. You can get close to some marsupials in the Wallaby Walkabout What's Here? I guess that Blackpool Zoo provides the sort of experience that one expects from a modern Zoo. Clutching a map, there is the chance to seek out a variety of habitats round winding paths, such as Gorilla Island, Big Cat Habitat, Lemur Wood and Wallaby Walkabout.  You can enter the same space as the animals in the last two of these, though unsurprisingly not in the first two.   As you wander around, there are a few key facts provided on each of the species encountered, along the li...

In Brief. Port Sunlight is a model village, built from 1888, to house the workers at Lever Brothers soap factory, now part of the multinational Unilever. The village includes small blocks of worker's cottages in a variety of architectural styles, alongside a range of open spaces, a museum and the Lady Lever Art Gallery , adjacent to a substantial soap factory. Walking tours provide an interesting overview of the history of the site, there is an informative museum and the art gallery exceeded my expectations. The Lady Lever Art Gallery from the slightly out-of-season rose garden. What's Here? My visit started with a successful tea and cake in the Art Gallery's basement cafe, and continued with a wander sround the gallery. The gallery has a grand main hall, lit from above, and a collection of themed rooms. The themed rooms include Wedgwood and Chinese ceramics, tapestries and a series of rooms that combine art, decor and furniture to reflect a period or style. There is also ...

In Brief. Lytham St Annes is a town immediately to the south of Blackpool, and the coast faces the Irish Sea over substantial beaches in St Annes. Thus St Annes is essentially a somewhat sleepy seaside resort that most likely is not especially envious of its glitzier neighbour. Following the coast round to the Ribble estuary, Lytham has costal defences, but feels more like a market town, with a refined shopping and restaurant area and an annual music festival . Statue of a shrimper in Lowther Gardens, Lytham. What's Here? In visiting a town that occupies a substantial stretch of shoreline, I decided to park at St Annes, walk to Lytham along the coastal path, and to walk back along the slightly more direct cost road (perhaps 4 miles each way).  This turned out to be a reasonable plan, with changing costal scenery, a variety of attractions, and periodic eateries. In my visit in September, it was warm, occasionally sunny, and calm, though during a previous visit in October the coast w...