Summer is here! With longer and, hopefully, several months of sunny days stretching ahead, you may be looking for ways to escape the everyday chores of work and homelife.
If so, read on to discover a few ideas for family-friendly day trips within easy driving distance of Manchester.
Stay close to home and rediscover Manchester on foot
Free Manchester Walking Tours run entertaining and informative city walking adventures that include something for everyone.
No need to plan ahead – meet your guide at 11am, on any day you like, at the Alan Turing Memorial in Sackville Gardens. Make a spontaneous decision and discover Manchester’s sights and secrets with a native English-speaking guide.
Typically, guides are history graduates, storytellers, and most importantly: Mancunian. During the walk you’ll learn weird and wonderful facts about political trailblazers, architectural wonders, street art and urban legends, historical stories, rave culture, football giants, industrial innovation, and musical heroes.
The tour takes between three and four hours with a 15-minute breather. At the end of the tour, you’ll be asked to pay what you feel the tour is worth but never be pressured to tip.
Take a short drive to the pretty village of Congleton and take tea at Little Morton Hall
Located just an hour’s drive from central Manchester, Little Moreton Hall is a 500-year-old Tudor manor house “that will take your breath away with its wonky angles and quirky character”.
Now a National Trust property, Little Moreton Hall was built in 1508 for a wealthy landowner and managed to remain in the same family for more than 450 years.
Meticulously restored and preserved, the Hall boasts a moat and the Knot Garden – formed of box hedging spanning hundreds of metres.
The tea rooms serve hot and cold meals and drinks, sandwiches, and light snacks. Once refreshed, pay a visit to the second-hand bookshop, and buy a pre-loved book, or two…
The money you spend in the tea rooms and the bookshop is redirected back to fund projects to protect the heritage of Little Moreton Hall. So, you can feel good while you treat yourself to that extra scone or add to the already toppling pile of books you find.
Have an adventure at Delamere Forest
Again, almost exactly one hour’s drive from central Manchester, Delamare Forest makes an ideal day trip.
Paved walking paths carve their way around the 972 hectares of woodland, making forest adventures accessible for all the family.
If you’d rather save your legs, you could opt for the Segway tour which, with rocky slopes in some places, will be sure to put your Segway skills to the test.
Channel your inner-Tarzan or simply let your kids go wild at Go Ape!
Along with the walking trails, Delamere Forest is also home to four awesome Go Ape activities for adventurers of all ages.
Fly through the sky with a treetop adventure. There’s a selection of courses to choose from, making it easy to discover your tree legs and work your way up to the high-rise challenge.
Those brave enough to traverse to the top get to soar along the 212-metre zip wire as a thrilling reward.
Come clean and discover the secrets of Port Sunlight Village
Made up of picturesque cottages and landscaped parks, Port Sunlight was founded by “Soap King” William Hesketh Lever to house the people who worked in his “Sunlight Soap” factory.
Visit Port Sunlight today and find out the history of the village in the fascinating museum, feast your eyes on beautiful architecture and a world-class art gallery set within stunning parkland.
From walking tours to soapy interactive education at SoapWorks, this is a relaxing day trip with something for all the family.
Venture further afield and treat your senses to some scenic space in the Lake District
An area of outstanding natural beauty, the Lake District is the largest national park in the UK. Home to around 16 lakes (and many more tarns), it also boasts the tallest mountain in England – Scafell Pike.
Unarguably dramatic, the Lake District has inspired writers and poets with its incredible landscape, most notably Beatrix Potter and William Wordsworth.
If you only have a day in the Lakes, Bowness-on-Windermere is a must. Located on the Lake Windermere, those with a sweet tooth will be spoilt for choice as a wander around the shops will offer up fudge and mint cakes galore. Once you’ve stocked up on sweets, take a walk around the lake to work off the sugar high.
Head for York and discover (or rediscover) a trove of heritage sights
A day trip fit for all history buffs; the medieval city of York is just a 90-minute drive from Manchester.
From the stunning York Minster, to the aptly named Shambles, a day in York is full of places worth exploring.
A three-mile walk along the magnificent city walls gives explorers a chance to view the city’s famous landmarks from on high.
Discover the little-frequented Forest of Bowland
Compared with its neighbouring Peak and Lake Districts, the Forest of Bowland is a relatively unfrequented spot. Recognised as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, it’s a fabulous choice for a day’s hiking or cycling.
The Forest lies north west of the ancient wilderness that once covered huge swathes of England, stretching down through Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, and encompassing the Cotswolds all the way to the New Forest.
Visit the Forest of Bowland website for a wide selection of walking and cycling trails to suit every fitness level.