Day Trips from Manchester

In Brief. The National Memorial Arboretum provides a permanent commemoration of the sacrifices made by service personnel in conflicts and peacetime. Given how great these sacrifices have been, the responsibility to provide a fitting recognition seems great, but the challenge has been risen to in the National Memorial Arboretum. The site is substantial and immaculately maintained, with over 400 memorials spread across a 150 acre site. Visitors can explore the site on foot, or participate in guided tours. The Stretcher Bearers Sculpture  on the Armed Forces Memorial What's Here? The arboretum is on level land by the banks of the River Tame.  Though there are trees, for the most part the site is light and open, with views along avenues and across lawns to the many memorials. These vary substantial in style and scale.   The Armed Forces Memorial The monumental armed forces memorial names members of the navy, army and air force who have lost their lives on service since the S...

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. Biddulph Grange is a compact but diverse National Trust garden in Staffordshire. Like many gardens, it is open all year, so I decided to visit it in each of the four seasons, to see how it changes through the year, and to understand if recurring visits are worthwhile beyond the consistently excellent scones. An earlier blog in this series describes a one-off visit to the garden, and thus provides a more general review. The house from the lake, 30th January 2023 What's Here and When? Winter : The garden is not colourful in the winter, but many parts of the garden are as good at this time of year as any. There are several paths through wooded areas (Lyme Avenue, Wellington Avenue), and there are gardens defined more by their architecture than their plants (China, The Glen). Thus although there are areas that feature seasonal plants, the garden is still highly visitable for its landscaping when the predominant colours are green and brown. The rhododendrons are coming into ...

 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...