Wiltshire to Gretna Green stop off ideas with 2 year old and 1 year old

[Username1234321]

We are travelling from Wiltshire to Gretna Green with our children ages 2 and 1. Looking for places to stop off to break up the journey. Any recommendations?

Blackpool it is what it is, something for everyone, every one must see it at least once.
Liverpool would be a better option as loads to see and do beaches, country side it has it all.
But coming that far north it would be nice to see North Wales
Some ideas here
www.donthibernate.co.uk

If you can share the driving I wouldn't bother. I'd do it at night when they are sleeping. Why make a long journey even longer?
We regularly travel from between Bristol/Bath to Glasgow and beyond. It's about 5 hours to Gretna, if you have a good journey.

Trentham Estate and/or Trentham Monkey Forest would be my first recommendation because there’s so much to do, even for toddlers trentham.co.uk/estate-gardens/adventure-in-the-gardens/
Tatton Park has a play area and a small farm www.tattonpark.org.uk/what_to_see_and_do/farm/farm-family-fun.aspx
Kenyon Hall Farm has all the usual facilities plus a nice farm shop and fruit picking in the summer. It’s no more than a mile from the M6 (junction 22) and parking is free.

Thanks for the suggestions will check these out. Have thought about travelling overnight but they aren’t good at being transferred from the car so would probably wake up and then be awake in the middle of the night which I don’t think the other hotel guests would appreciate.

I wouldn't go as far off the M6 as Blackpool.
Knutsford is only a few minutes off the motorway, there's a play area on the Moor and plenty of cafes / Booths supermarket. You can also get into Tatton Park stately home and grounds although you have to pay just to use the grounds even if you're a National trust member.
Haigh country park at Wigan.
Brookholes near Preston is right by the M6.
Lancaster.
Tebay services or Rheged (may be too far north)

Thank you, this is really helpful. We will definitely be trying some of the places suggested

i would plan a stop around Staffordshire - we are NT members so probably Biddulph Grange Gardens as it’s free for us, then a stop at Brockholes around Preston, then a teatime stop at Tebay.

Little Moreton Hall (again NT) in Cheshire?

These are all fab thanks so much, I had been googling for days but it got too confusing. This is so helpful