Cheap days out by public transport from near Manchester. Not cities preferably.

[FlatteredFool]

Where is your go-to cheap day out with dc? We are reliant on public transport and live not too far from Manchester. We'd rather be out in the countryside or coast than cities. Dc are all able to walk for miles without moaning and love getting muddy and generally mucky.

I am currently visiting Buxton with my family (DH is from here)

There is a train from Manchester Piccadilly which brings you to Buxton and from the station you can walk around the Victorian Spa town or walk in about 10 minutes to Pooles Cavern and the Grin Low Country Park. There are also buses which could take you further into the Peak District.

Manchester to Delamere Forest (on the Chester line.) plenty to do and the ice cream is delicious.

We go to Buxton quite a bit and love it but weve never been to delamere forest.

Train from Manchester out towards Huddersfield - Marsden/Slaithwaite are great. Walk along the canal, nice cafes to eat, some independent pubs.

Train to Edale? Lovely long walk and pub lunch, maybe an activity or two at the youth hostel if you have kids (do kayaking etc and all reasonable).

Second Delamere Forest.

Frodsham, depending on DC ages. Go to Castle Park and play. Lunch in the town.

Manchester to Llandudno

Heaton park?

What about the new RHS Bridgewater? It looks great for kids

The Manchester -> Buxton train stops at Disley; from there you can walk to Lyme Park (a NT House and gardens) and if you're on foot I'm pretty sure you can get in to the grounds for free.

There's a great play area, loads of walks, deer roaming free, ice-cream and cafe yada yada, though you have to pay to go in the house and gardens. Take a picnic and it's a cheap and fun day out.

RHS Bridgewater is great - think you have to book places until 1 September due to it being new and popular.

I'm in North Mcr and would recommend Hebden Bridge - great walks around Hardcastle Crags and along the Rochdale Canal. Ditto Dovestones in Saddleworth. I think you can also have canal barge rides along the canal from Uppermill. There's also a great walk up to the Bridestones from Todmorden.

Lyme Park is great.

Train to Disley (on the Buxton line), walk along Red Lane to the side gate into the park (not along the A6), then up to the Cage for the views and on to the hall/gardens/cafe/lake/play-park bit. There are deer to spot and often activities happening. More walks if your legs can take it. Take a kite on a windy day. It's National Trust so there's a fee for the hall & formal gardens but all the rest is free. The Ram's Head next to the station has a garden & is reasonably kid-friendly if you mistime your train home and want some food & drink.

Iamnotminterested

What a cross post, I promise I didn't copy you

It's a long time since I took any children to it but as PP suggested, Heaton Park in North Manchester. It's the biggest municipal park in Europe, has playgrounds and a boating lake, cafes and picnic areas.
Easily accessible by tram on the Metrolink or by bus from Manchester city centre.

Just a little heads up about the pubs in disley if you did decide to visit on a day trip! Go a bit further into the village past the rams head and you've got the malt Disley which does cocktails and craft beer and maybe ten minutes on foot past that is the white lion which does amazing pub food at about 1/3 of the price of the rams head. It's a great village and I love living here!

Lyme park is lovely and not far at all although not the easier to get to from where we are. It's 4/5 miles away but requires two trains or two buses or a very long walk. Use public transport they say

@FlatteredFool can you get to hazel grove easily? I think there is a shuttle bus to Lyme for free near the park and ride

Train to Cark then a nice walk to Cartmel- or stay on train to Barrow and go to Walney Island?

Get the tram to Bury, then go on a steam train to Rawtenstall! I think you can still get day tickets that let you hop on and off, so you could go to Burrs Country Park and Ramsbottom or Summerseat as well. Google East Lancs Railway for more details.

You know what, I think
Lyme Park will be perfect for somewhere relatively quick and easy to get to. The shuttle bus runs at the weekend but not sure about in the week. We could walk and enter the park at Higher Poynton. They've not really seen that end of the park before. I'll check it out. Thank you.

Hope or Edale... lots of walking and interesting things to look at.

Eureka is right next to halifax station