Days out in the north-west with a toddler

[Hotcrossbunhero]

Just after any extra inspiration on places to visit in NW England.
Had a lovely (if hot) trip out to the runway visitor centre at Manchester airport with my 2.5 year old - can really recommend as you only pay for parking and can take picnics so no extra expense. Nice playground and plenty of space outside. Plus I like watching the planes…
Would love to hear any other recommendations!

Bruntwood park in Cheadle - it's right under the flight path so you can watch the planes coming into land at MAN, pay & display parking, toilets, cafe, play area, wooded bit etc.
Delamere forest - paths are good enough to get a buggy round, particularly if you've got a 3 wheeler, or hire bikes with a trailer / toddler seat.
Dunham Massey although it's got more expensive since they started charging admission per person rather than per car.
Tatton - we never made it to paying to go in the farm because the deer in the park were entertaining enough! There's a good play area and plenty of space to run around.
Longford park in Stretford has a little animal corner by the kids play area and cafe.
Wythenshawe park is huge and has a little farm corner and play area.
Go for a ride on the tram.

Favourite parks are Haigh Hall in Wigan and Walton Hall in Warrington.

Haigh has golf, football golf, massive playground and woods to play in. Miniature railway too.

Walton has golf, paint a pot, Zoo area, again good playground, especially good for younger children.

You have to pay to park at both but it's well worth it.

Thanks - not been to Longford or Wythenshawe parks so lovely suggestions.

I do like Dunham Massey - got NT membership for me which helps, but can be a expensive if you make it a family trip out.

Gullivers world

Walton hall gardens fab - £3 or so to park then entry to the little animal park bit is free and great playground.
Dunham massey is free entry with national trust membership (Tatton you still have to pay to park)
There are a fair few farm shop/play area/animals to look at type places around - Wheelock farm has a fair few ride on tractors etc to play with but you need to pay to enter, Waugh Brow and Riverside Organic are a couple off the top of my head where entry's free

Thanks - not been to Haigh Hall in a very long time so will add it to the list.

Anything with tractors is a winner!

Stamford Park in Altrincham/Hale is another nice park. Walkable to Altrincham town centre so you can go to the food market/bar/restaurant for a nice lunch. Or pick up picnic food from M&S and take down there.

Happy mount park in Morecambe. Pre-book the splash park, little train ride, several playgrounds, crazy golf, cafe, zip line, sand pits, ice cream vans. Free on road parking.

Tatton over Haigh Hall any day.

What about a Martin Mere? I agree the runway park is amazing. I spent a lot of time there with my son. There is also Barton airfield in Manchester.

Drove past and saw the dinosaur thing advertised the other day

https://www.mrsdowsons.co.uk/dino

I keep forgetting about Martin Mere, loved going there pre-DS.
I’ve heard that Barton airfield has a nice cafe as well.

Thornton hall country park
Bolton Abbey
Brockholes

Thanks - Altrincham is a great idea, could make it a tram trip for added public transport excitement.

Not too far, but there's also Erddig in North Wales. Used to take dd there from South Manchester/Cheshire. And Little Moreton Hall.

Heaton park
Elr railway

.

Quarry Bank mill

We were always at Brockholes nature reserve when my children were young.

Eureka in Halifax is excellent from toddlers right through to yr 6.

Martin Mere. mine spent ages playing in the water play at the end. they loved the river trip too.

Gullivers world.

cleveleys beach next to The Venue hotel. Great spot on the beach (not this weekend though. Bloody united utilities 🙄) and there is a cafe, toilets, showers and a mini splash area. The cafe is lovely too. Used to be the cove but has recently changed.

Fleetwood leisure centre has an enclosed splash park enclosed area. Mine absolutely loved it and we were there all day. With parking, it’s right on the beach (pebble - take beach shoes)

Smithills farm bolton.

ikea in warrington. Who doesnt live running around there.

Edisford bridge by the river Hodder in clitheroe has a model railway that gives rides on certain days. Not many though so you need to check in advance. Costs pennies. But you can spend hours at the river with fishing nets (you can buy these at the soar up the road), paddling, theres a park. Its always popular in the sun. Again, take beach shoes as there are lots of pebbles. At the weekends in summer theres often a food van. If you have a beach tent, take that too and set up for the day.

I agree Walton Hall is great, we really like it there.

The Garden House in Marple - volunteer run community farm with a good play area - there’s also a cafe but it’s not brilliant, but you can take a picnic. Nice to park in Marple and do the river walk to the place itself. The river is ok for paddling too - we used to do a forest school toddler session there although I think they’ve moved sites now.

Bramhall Park is also lovely, has a play area, some woodland, a duck pond - but paths are good for pushchairs or scooters/ balance bikes.

Southport - I really like it as a day out, the beach maybe isn’t the best but it’s got a nice boating lake, arcades, great play area. Shame the pier is closed at the moment, I’m not sure how long for though so worth a google.

Buxton - pavilion gardens have a good play area, a train at the weekend/ in the summer, sometimes extra things like fairground rides or bouncy castles, boating lake, cafe in the pavilion itself or a little kiosk for ice creams/ drinks on the other side, or you can take a picnic or lots of cafes in the town centre.

Some of the garden centres have little trains - High Legh near Knutsford is a good one, also has an animatronic dinosaur in the cafe plus you can look at the fish etc. Also Brookside Garden centre in Poynton - you could visit there and also drop in at Torkington park which I think has free parking, and a lovely cafe/ ice cream place backing onto it.

Lyme Park has a great play area. Still free to park if NT member.

There’s a eureka in Liverpool now too.

Ice cream farm in tattenhall. Imagine that in Liverpool. I prefer haigh hall to tatton personally.
victoria Park in widnes is good and has a splash park. Church walk paddling pool in northwich and the park next door is lovely in this hot weather you have to book in advance for that. But it’s free.

If you have Instagram there's an account called kidsupnorth (I'm fairly sure!) that posts absolutely loads of day out ideas, parks etc and gives all the details like parking, food etc. Basically like this thread but with even more ideas! I've had loads of good ideas from there.
I'll add Worden park in Leyland is great, there's an amazing play area, cafe is fairly new and nice, maze, normal park paths good for bikes or scooters plus walks through the woods with a river, nice for paddling on a hot day.
Martin mere in Burscough has been mentioned a few times, expensive but a good day out. Take a change of clothes for after the water play at the end!
Windmill farm, again in Burscough is nice, again expensive but everywhere seems to be.
Blackpool zoo is nice as it's not too big so it's easy for little legs. Take your own food. Use Tesco vouchers to get in for free, a few quid to park.
Knowsley safari park is a fun day out too.
Delamere as mentioned above for walks/bike rides.
Formby for the beach.
Ice cream farm in Cheshire we thought was overpriced. Most of the activities weren't really worth what you paid for them. However, the water and sand play building there was amazing and we loved that!
Bewilderwood is one on our list to try this year.

Centre of Chester is nice, park and ride in for £2. Then go onto the park with a picnic including monkey nuts for the very friendly squirrels. It is a nice park, plus play equipment and a mini railway to ride. If you have the energy to get down by the river that is also nice, Cheshire ice cream for sale and boats rides.

Love the IKEA idea - at least I could reward myself with gifflar buns at the end…

Martin Mere is getting a lot of votes, might put that at the top of my list.