The park is great, and the hall is now open again after being closed during the pandemic. The small…read moregreenhouse is also quite nice! And the petting farm can be interesting for kids. Inside the hall you'll find a cafe with good sitting space and toilets. If you want a bite, come here - the other two cafes in the site (one at the entrance of the park, one in the petting farm) are overpriced and their offering is not good. And don't forget that there's a maker's market on the last sunday of every month! By far the best option for food in the area.

Excellent place to take the kids for a picnic.Has some great functions on also great for a…read moreleisurely walk

St Nicholas' Church couldn't be anything other than 'The Sailor's Church'. Although mere feet from…read moreoffices crammed with PCs and juddering printers, stepping into the gardens here is like stepping into a hardier, more windswept corner of the city. Seagulls whirl and screech overhead and the wind comes whipping into your eyes from across the river. Until 1767, when Georges Dock was built (now crushed beneath the Liver Building), the tide used to lap against the churchyard's outer wall, a spot now occupied by the thundering traffic of the Strand. In 1849, it was closed to burials and now stands as a windswept patch of grass to suddenly find yourself on during bleak afternoons.

If you want to see the Docks and the Liver Buildings from a different perspective then this little…read morechurch garden is a great space to come and reflect, on a lunch break or when you have a spare second. The views are magnificent with a clash of the old and the new on the skyline. St Nicholas is the Saint of Sailors (ahoy there!) and from its foundations up it is a beautiful piece of architecture which has been around one way or another since medieval times. Apparently, pre-Liver Buildings (can you imagine the Liverpool skyline without it?) before a Dock was built the Mersey waters used to lap against the wall surrounding the garden at high-tide! They also have a statue dedicated to the victims of the Blitz here which is worth seeing. I discovered this place at sunset... the sun setting the buildings aflame with an orange glow. It's a great time to see the city from here.

Adding yet another dose of splendid intrigue to an already mightily lovely park is the Palm House…read more A Victorian temple to verdure, the greenhouse was built in 1896 and served strutting park-goers until that pesky Second World War, when the fear of moonlight bouncing off the glass and into the eyes of Luftwaffe pilots meant the whole thing was slopped over with grey and green paint. It didn't work. A bomb landing nearby blasted the glass out in 1941 and it wasn't re-glazed for nine years afterwards. Closed in the 80s amid structural fears, the house was ultimately saved following the Council's 'Sponsor a Pane' programme. Now it stands in a striking location, viewable from even more points since the park's rejuvenation when some trees were lopped down to allow the palm house to be seen from everywhere.

As if Sefton Park itself wasn't good enough, they have a well renovated Palm House located just ten…read moreminutes away from the city centre and away from all the hustle and bustle. Glittering in the park, this octagonal grade II listed, three tiered Victorian glasshouse is quite a showboat and open throughout the year. It is a perfect place to relax amongst the exotic plants from around the world and statues of naturalists and explorers. You can even time your visit to enjoy the programme of events for all ages. Sefton Park Palm House is also available for private and corporate hire therefore it would be ideal to celebrate a special occasion. Opening times vary throughout the whole year and it is best to check the website for details. Entry is free for all and I would definitely recommend a visit if it's your first time.

If you're ever in Liverpool during April each year, you do not want to miss the annual John Smith's…read moreGrand National horse racing event at Aintree - home to the biggest steeplechase in the world. To watch the main race on TV is always going to be different to being there live. The National Meeting runs for 3 days: Thursday being Liverpool Day, Friday being Ladies Day and Saturday being the Grand Finale. Friday and Saturday are the busiest. A standard ticket to enter Tattersalls would cost you around £16 but does not gain you entrance to inside the racecourse (only in and around specific areas. Prices are expensive to see any race but if you are passionate about horses and/or gambling, this is a very popular and well known event in the horseracing calendar. There are a variety of high-class restaurants/bars as well as gift shops and snack kiosks around the site. The atmosphere is just electric on main race day and I would suggest getting there early avoid queues.

Liverpool is home to the John Smith's Grand National every April, and it is a must in the Liverpool…read morecalendar. I'm not a big horse racing fan or gambler but the atmosphere at Aintree is amazing - nothing like watching it on the tele. I always put a bet on every year, I remember when I was about 7, my grandad always put 50p on each way for me, and I won!! I was running about shouting "I've won the Grand National", when in fact I'd won abut £7... Ah well, I was thrilled. Back to Aintree, aside from the Grand National they also host 4 race days a year. There is also a golf course nestled within the racecourse which I've heard is a test for any golder. The racecourse has had a £35 million refurb' and is looking very dapper these days, so if you're ever visiting Liverpool I definitely suggest a visit.

This is a pretty, well kept and landscaped little park across the way from St Chad's church…read more This is more of a city park in that you'll find lots of little benches, a few well placed shade trees, flower beds, and lots of fairly smiley looking people sitting about eating their lunches and reading their newspapers. I love the weeping willows. :) It's a pleasant little park and I'd definitely swing by here again if I were in the area.

This place is just amazing…read more We went on a rainy day so focused just on the house and shops around the stables, but that still occupied us for over 4 hours. It's £6 to enter with a car (no matter how many passengers) and if you just want to roam around the extensive parkland, that's it cost wise unless you also take advantage of the rent a bike feature, which sounds like a good idea. There's a £13 ticket for three attractions (which applies to mansion, gardens, old hall and farm) and the great thing is it's valid for a year so if you run out of time/good weather you can come back. This I think is incredible value especially when compared to other great house like Lyme Park and Chatsworth. The mansion really is worth a visit - it's got all the original furniture and some really nice docents (we also got to speak to a super nice member of staff, Nikki, who told us loads of interesting stuff about the furniture and evolution of the house). Having really enjoyed the state and family rooms, we were then blown away by the remarkable kitchens area - one of the most impressive I've ever seen. Also highly intriguing was the exhibition about the last Egerton, Maurice, who was an eccentric and rather weird avid collector and traveller. Following this we had an equally jolly time in the stables area where we had a snack (good hot chocolate!) at the stables restaurant and my friend who can't eat gluten was overjoyed at the choice available to her - she had a gf scone and took some gf carrot cake home which she said was delicious. There are several very cute shops with gardening, household and luxury food items. You could easily spend a full day here but if you get bored the delightful town of Knutsford is very close by. Really look forward to my next visit back to go to the gardens!

Gardeners Cottage…read more AFTERNOON TEA The front patio and rear garden are charming. The teas are delicious. The staff are delightful. Alas, the items on all three tiers of the afternoon tea are very disappointing and the £35 per person cost is objectionably unjustified. The entire selection felt like it had been pre-bought the night before from a Morrisons ready to eat isle. The menu over promises a fusion of English and Japanese cuisine and falls comedically short of pulling it off. It cost us £140 for four people and the food and most of it went un-eaten. Your best bet it to visit Gardeners Cottage and order off their regular menu. These sandwiches are delicious and fresh and reasonably priced.

Knowsley hall is arguably one of the best venues in our humble region that is the northwest…read more Situated inside a measley 2,500 acre privately owned estate, boasting a safari park, inhouse catering, spa and accomodation, you'd be hard pressed to find a more extravagent estate in the region. The venue however is for the majority of time used for special occasions such as weddings and conferences. Although they do hold private events such as tea parties. The grand nature of the Hall obviously dictates its usage for all things opulent. It really is like entering another world as you step inside. One of the many ways of experiencing the delights of Knowsley hall is to book a spa package. Now it isn't exactly cheap; £155 per person, but it does include facial, deep scalp massage, head, neck and shoulder massage with fabulous oils of your choice and use of the hydropool and relaxation area. This is followed by coffee and homemade cakes which will boost your energy and prepare you nicely for what is to come. Post cakes and coffee you will be collected by a personal chauffeur to escort you to Knowsley Hall in style. Here you will enjoy a delicious three course lunch prepared by their fantastic team of Chefs avec une glass of Champagne and wine with your meal in an awe inspiring dining room. After dining you can then walk off some calories in stunning surroundings of the estate grounds, to cap off a memorable experience. All this pampering does come at a cost however as I mentioned and the booking requires a minum of 3 people, so that is forking out a poultry £465 at least. However as I mentioned, yes there are probably cheaper options but then again this particular package does come with the grand background of a historic estate. The only other chance to see the Hall is on 5 occasions a year in August when a £12 ticket gets you a tour of the Hall, so I suggest you get booking.... its round the corner..

If you can afford it - Knowsley Hall would be a fantastic place to get married...hint hint to the…read moreboyfriend! You know what I mean girls! It is absolutely stunning, a breath taking location and 5* Gold standard for accommodation. There is a wonderful long drive which takes you to the front door. I could just imagine being in my wedding dress feeling amazing, with my new husband beside me, hand in hand, being chaffeured up the drive in an old car. Oh yes oh yes, I can keep dreaming. If of course you don't have your wedding at Knowsley Hall, you could always have your hen party there and take advantage of the spa packages. But at the prices of the packages, I think it would definitely have to be a rich hen and rich chickens that go along. I will keep dreaming!

I may not look like the traditional 'outdoorsman' but it may shock you to hear I'm quite the fan of…read moreNational Trust sites and in particular wildlife spotting! And at Dunham Massey there's nowhere quite like it to spot deer, squirrels and pheasants amongst some of the finest woodland the UK has to offer. As is standard at NT sites, it's £5 to park and around £10 entrance to the house, plus there's an excellent restaurant onsite serving homemade food between 12 and 2.30pm (we had the pork and vegetable casserole and mushroom pie and both were of excellent quality, out of a choice of around 6 dishes), with snacks such as teacakes and scones served with tea and coffee in the morning and afternoon. Lunch came to £22 with a couple of soft drinks. As is usual with National Trust sites, it's an extremely popular day out for older people, parents with pushchairs and young couples enjoying a romantic day out - saying that, there is plenty of room in the park to find your own piece of paradise so don't worry about it being too claustrophobic!

"Dunham" is gorgeous, beauty personified. It's places like these that make you appreciate the UK,…read moreregardless of the unreliable weather. It's perfect. So much so I've declared I'm retiring in Cheshire, fact. I'm a big fan of Cheshire in general, home to many pieces of greenery similar in purpose. I'm quite sad I do not possess a car any more, although there are good public transport services that get me to Dunham which are a jolly old ride. I've had indulging picnics, lay endlessly making animals and faces out of the clouds. I've perused the gardens, gone for lengthy walks, always ending up discovering something new. It's times like these I really really appreciate The National Trust. With a National Trust card you can get in for free other wise it's £6.50 for an adult, £3.35 for a child for entrance to the garden and £9 and £4.50 for the house and garden combo. There's also a special family rate too. I'm yet to explore the house that lies in this estate but you apparently they tell the stories about the Georgian scandal about the Earls and their domestics. Coronation St eat your heart out. What I adore are the deer and the ducks and swans. There's something so serene about watching the wildlife here, they look so carefree, the feeling I somehow achieve along with them. Warning, bring a picnic blanket to lay on, this is their home! Amongst the ancient trees and Britain's largest winter garden also lies a restaurant, souvenir shop, and the sale of ice-cream which wins me over every time. Children, dogs, parents, teenagers, Dunham is enjoyed by all. Just venture that bit out from the Cosmopolitan of Manchester and you can find one of Britain's beauty's. The opening hours are seasonal and vary with each attraction. The ones listed are for the current to the 31st October for the gardens, my favourite part.