Suggestions for day trip to break up Lancashire - Bedfordshire drive with 3 year old

[meow1989]

As the title says really, travelling from one to the other and would like so ideas to make a day of it so we can finish the journey nearer bedtime and hope ds will sleep! We've been staying on a farm so that's out. Considered Chester zoo but it's £75 for the 3 of us and meant to rain all day. Open to a (cheaper) zoo or safari, probably a bit young for theme parks and legoland.

Am searching but thought I would also come to the mumsnet hive mind

Hopeful bump?

Tatton Park off the M6, Manchester airport had a viewing area where you can watch planes land and take off (my ds absolutely loved that). There’s a nice cafe there. Bot LH are very close. Jodrell Bank may have some cool activities.

Chester zoo is still 3 hours to Bedford.
We live in Bedford and have family in Chester so it’s a trip we do often!
It’s a tricky one if the weather is going to be bad.
Trentham is good, monkey forest, shops/cafe and gardens.
Look around stoke/Stafford area. That’s about half way!

Markeaton park in derby is great also but also outside!
If it’s going to rain I’d suggest picking a largish town/city somewhere along the way and find a decent looking soft play or similar! Have a meal etc and then just do the rest of the trip!

Thanks all. We did the monkey forest school the way up 🙂 dh has suggested Knowsley safari which I think will work well. It's def the start of the journey but thought we can spend some time there, hit the road and grab some tea at a services (we went to one with a soft play on the way up, it doesn't take much to impress me!) And change ds in pj's for the last bit.