Considering I eat and drink out as much as possible, there has to be some sort of action plan when…read moreit comes to shifting the pounds. That's why I'm exceptionally lucky to live next door to Alexandra park, a leafy oasis in the red brick jungle of Edgeley. Not only are there 3 reservoirs with a multitude of fishermen hogging the banks, there's also tennis, basketball and football courts all free and fully unlocked to the public 24/7. There's also the Edgeley crown green bowls pitches to the north of the park which are super popular with an older clientele, plus there's all ages going for it in the tai chi each morning. It's a great place to go for an early morning run, walk your dog (wow - everyone seems to know each other!) and I personally go to shoot a few hoops most morning to get my basketball on (wind permitting...) Perfect for folks with kids - there's a huge playground onsite!

I'd prefer to keep this place to myself but seeing as I'm trying to share some pretty cool places…read moreI'll only tell all my Yelp friends about how nice this place is - we can keep it to ourselves and those who are smart enough to use our app regularly! Basically this place is super cool, situated in lovely woods just through from Cheadle Hulme with an entrance very close to Life Leisure swimming pools - a perfect place to spend a lovely summer day - maybe with friends, maybe with family, maybe with a special someone - or maybe all together at the same time. There's a carpark which was £1 for 2 hours and from here you can walk up to their gardens and park area which are rather secluded but still have plenty of opportunity to sunbathe - in fact there were loads of groups of people when we visited enjoying picnics, ball games and good times - very very chilled atmosphere! There's also a full free BMX track if that floats your boat, a kiddie play ground and a cafe and ice cream huts. Overall a lovely place to spend a nice day - now it's time to zoom off and look at those weather forecasts!

Bruntwood Park provides recreational and sporting facilities to all. it also offers a play area of…read moreexcellence to the Borough of Stockport and to many visitors from the North West region. There are a variety of facilities available in the Park. An eighteen-hole par 3 pitch and putt course utilises existing contours and is in harmony with the existing mature trees. A fully accessible child's playground occupies a central position providing adventure and fun for children with all the equipment carefully chosen and landscaped. Refreshments are offered at a refreshment kiosk and the original Victorian conservatory has been converted into a restaurant catering for Park users wishing to relax in pleasant surroundings. A great day out for all tastes and interests.

After 6 months whining about how there is nowhere good to run near me, I belatedly discovered the…read morejoys of the Fred Perry Way (a 14 mile path from Reddish through Stockport and Bramhall to Woodford) which at one point spits you out near the entrance to this delightful nature reserve. Bigger than it appears at first glance, it has beautiful bluebells in the spring and a lovely brook that adorable dogs and children splash about it. The paths appear well laid enough to be passable even after significant rain and it's definitely a good place to run. Apparently some of it is considered ancient wood and you actually reach some kind of farmland at one end - I spotted cows and possibly strawberries!

Yesterday afternoon we decided to visit somewhere new. So, out came the A to Z - Vernon Park looked…read morequite big and accessible and we hadn't been there before. Unfortunately I forgot that A to Zs do not show contour lines so after a bit of a slog up the hill from Stockport we finally reached the park, which was full of families and dog walkers enjoying the rare winter sun. We picked up a map from the visitor centre, which made everything look bigger than it was (the pond was really just a large fountain), however, park (which has been restored to its Victorian splendour with the help of a whopping lottery grant) was immaculately kept and very pleasant for a Sunday stroll. I was quite looking forward to the maze, but the fact that you could step over and around the conifers made it a little disappointing. It would be fun for kids, or Borrowers though. If you want to extend your walk then it's possible to walk down the River Goyt (walking boots or wellies advisable) towards a beautiful red brick mill and back up towards Vernon Park through the adjacent Memorial Park.

If you have any interest at all in the history of early industry and its impact on society as a…read morewhole, this is a must-see. The learning opportunity is tremendous in scope. The displays are fabulous and the chance to see working vintage machinery, as well as live demonstrations of various pieces of equipment, provides a unique experience. The £12 price of admission includes a guided tour of the Apprentice House and a self-guided walk through the Mill. You also can wander the grounds independent of admission and these are impressive themselves. Touring the Apprentice House is definitely worthwhile. The guides are excellent and provide multiple tidbits of captivating information. Walking through the Mill is equally fascinating. The quality of the restoration of the facility is impressive and provides a great atmosphere in which to enjoy the tour. The real highlight, however, is the display of working machinery. The Mill was skillfully restored to its mid-1800s condition and the live exhibitions of working equipment give a real sense of how the factory must have operated. Overall, this is without question a worthwhile place to visit if you have any interest in 19th century history, particularly the impact of industrialization on English life. The staff are wonderfully helpful and interactive. It is a great choice for a day out as there are many enjoyable dimensions to the visit. It is a don't-miss attraction if you are in the area.

There's nothing more I love than a Sunday walk in an atmospheric, cold and misty National Trust…read morepark. There's nothing quite like getting the blood pumping by walking through the muddy trails, enjoying the soothing sound of the rivers and taking a break from the city. With this in mind, we went to the Quarry Bank Mill which is situated just outside Wilmslow and close to Alderley Edge (just in case you're after potential lunch options after walking). Being an old cotton mill from the 1830's, it's incredibly striking upon arrival and it's amazingly well set in woodland of the highest order. We actually didn't make it into the house as we really just wanted to stretch our legs and get a bit of fresh air but we did go on one of the trails which took maybe half an hour of moderate walking, while we also had the option to go on a much longer harder walk but thought we'd leave that for another day. It was £4.50 to park the car and this gives you full access to all of the grounds. There's 2 cafes on site which serve everything from main meals to cakes, snacks and of course tea and coffee. This place probably isn't one for hardcore walkers but it is a nice little option to nip to for a couple of hours if you've been stuck inside for a while or want to see lots of nice greenery.

The epitome of a hidden gem. Located just off parsonage road in Didsbury, the Marie Louise Gardens…read moreare the loveliest little green space in the area. The gardens have a poignant history as they were given to the citizens of Manchester in 1903 by Josephine Silkenstädt, in memory of her daughter who died at the age of only twenty-six. There is actually a website of their own for all this stuff, so check that at (as listed above) for more information. In this instance the council description of the gardens as a '3.4 hectare oasis' is not an embellishment, as the rest of their park propaganda seems to be. These are a lovely little green area perfect for a walk or picnic, and they are always very quiet, often giving the feel that you have your own little private garden space. There's also a lovely little pagoda thingamajig. Excellent place, well worth a visit. Check out the photos I've added, some of which date back to the early 20th century, documenting the history of this lovely space.

I shall refrain from using the cliché 'hidden gem' to describe these gardens, but they do receive…read moresurprisingly few visitors to say that they are located a short walk away from East Didsbury, West Didsbury and Northenden. In fact, in the spring and summer, I'd say that humans are outnumbered by grey squirrels by at least 20 to 1. A few years ago there was talk of part of the gardens being sold to developers (who are currently busy building flats on the land next door) but as with Chorlton Meadows, this is a story of people power. The Friends of Marie Louise Gardens successfully campaigned to prevent this development and have now secured funding for restoration of the gardens. Some people call squirrels rats with tails but I, for one, am glad that the Friends were successful and that the squirrels have plenty of space to safely bury their nuts for winter. At all times of year these gardens are a beautiful place for a walk or to sit on a bench and contemplate and philosophise. Bring some monkey nuts if you're not afraid of the extremely tame squirrels coming to eat them out of your hand.

Visited Bramall Hall on a trip to Manchester and loved it. We took a picnic and sat in the grounds…read moreto eat, then took a tour of the house. Beautiful old fire places and artefacts. Really helpful staff to answer questions. Signs and video screens around to read or not read as you choose. The gardens were spectacular and we bought duck food to feed the ducks and geese. Parking was a problem - the "large car park" was not large an probably had 30 spaces. This with another smaller car park was not enough. We did a trip with a multisite pass for Bramall Hall, Stockport Hat Works and the Air Raid Shelters in Stockport - highly recommend this day out!

A large park / small estate with an impressive timber-framed hall, ponds, playparks, Bramall Hall…read morewas once the seat of the Davenport family and is now owned by the local council. It is a great place to take visitors and children alike; the hall itself is very impressive.

What a wonderful way to spend a day exploring these lush gardens... there are absolutely gorgeous…read morewalks to savor here, and plenty of beauty to photograph. So peaceful, and beautifully kept. We plan to come back when the seasons change, and will definitely bring visitors.

You'll love this place, once you've found a car parking space. Or at the very least like it…read more There's the river, a field area to play games, a cafe, a rose garden and a pretty garden bit. It can become flooded when the river water levels rise so check to see if that's happened before you come. After your walk you can always head to the pub that's super close by.

Reasons to visit this great park! 1. It has beautifully…read morelooked after gardens for you to explore the shrubs, bushes, flowers, trees and wild life. 2. Waterfall and pond in the garden. 3. The pathways are well tended and the notices at least insist people keep their dogs on a leash (even if the people don't always adhere). 4. Rose garden. 5. Tennis courts which need a little tlc depending on when you visit. 6. Parking nearby. Either £2 in 'The Didsbury' car park or alternatively free street parking. 7. The quietness and tranquility amidst the hustle and bustle of town life. 8. Many seated areas. 9. Coffee shop 10. Errr like if the other 9 reasons weren't enough then I suppose you might be wowed by a stroll along the river Mersey!

There's no better way to spend a sunny afternoon in Didsbury than to join a few friends for a…read morepicnic in Fletcher Moss Gardens. There's some beautiful exotic trees, shrubs and flowers to look at. Not least in the rock garden, which is dog free. The rock garden also has its own pond and I swear I've seen terrapins or turtles in there. Nobody ever believes me, though! Throughout the rest of the park, you'll find plenty of benches where you can bask in the sunshine, as well as a great little café, which does the best flapjacks and cakes in the world! There's also a beautiful arboretum that's lovely to sit in and a couple of tennis courts, which seem to be in almost constant use during the summer months! These tennis Courts are sometimes used for open air theatre productions in the summer. I saw Oscar Wilde's The Important of Being Earnest there one year, and there was a lovely atmosphere.