Manchester

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Great Manchester gardens

There's more to Manchester than just industrial landscapes. Discover the city's green and pleasant spaces

Although Manchester is often noted more as an industrial centre, it’s amazing how many of the nation’s great gardens are within a short journey of the city. In fact it’s estimated that more than one in eight of all garden visits in Britain take place in Cheshire. Although you might imagine that gardens are typically the preserve of bus loads of OAPs, the activities on offer at some of those close to Manchester include Led Zeppelin cover bands, maize mazes and of course a chance to commune with nature at her very best

So, whether your garden at home consists of a 12” by 6” window box or a perfectly manicured lawn complete with well-tended organic veg patch and a herbaceous border that’s the envy of the neighbourhood, there should be a garden close to Manchester that you can enjoy and learn from. We’ve identified some of the gardens around the North West and highlighted what’s going on, so you can get out and about and enjoy the late summer sunshine in some of Britain’s best gardens.

Tatton Park (www.tattonpark.org.uk/01625 374 435) is a good example of gardens that have something for everyone. With a mansion, gardens, farm and the old hall to discover, you might not even get time to explore the 1,000 acre deer park. The gardens themselves are a varied affair with several different areas ranging from Japanese enclaves (which are at their peak in August) to glasshouses and a fantastic walled garden. August is a busy month for events at Tatton with the Country Show (Aug 23-25) which features examples of many countryside pursuits such as falconry. Throughout August you can also experience the Biennial Exhibition which showcases artists’ works throughout the park.

Just north of Northwich lies the extremely beautiful Arley Hall (www.arleyhallandgardens.com/01565 777 353) which is sometimes unfairly overshadowed by nearby Tatton Park. Arley is the family home of the Lord and Lady Ashbrook. With a good claim (and several experts queuing up to make the case) to being the finest gardens in Britain there are eight acres to explore with highlights including Ilex Avenue, a series of immaculate and curiously-shaped trees. Culture comes to Arley on August 28 when a production of ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’ is performed in the walled gardens.

As part of the Cheshire Year of Gardens, the National Trust has opened the Secret Garden at Quarry Bank Mill (www.nationaltrust.org.uk/01625 445 896). Many people know it for the incredible cotton mill but the gardens are well worth a visit. The Secret Garden has been painstakingly restored from the original eighteenth-century garden. As well as featuring an excellent display of rhododendrons it gives visitors a good idea of the picturesque style of garden popular in that era and the presence of the River Bollin running through the site means that there’s a wealth of beautiful walks for visitors.

Lyme Park near Disley is also worth exploring in summer (www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ 01663 766492) as the planting and the Dutch garden come into their finest. Lyme Park is perhaps best known for the scene in ‘Pride and Prejudice’ where Darcy emerges from the lake, which was filmed here. Darcy fantasies aside, Lyme Park offers visitors a seventeenth-century Victorian garden with an incredible collection of roses to enjoy, an orangery and the reflection lake.

Whilst not strictly gardens, the kids won’t complain if you take them to some of the maize mazes that are on offer near Manchester. First up is the Maize maze at Red House Farm (www.redhousefarm.co.uk/0161 941 3480) which as well as having a maze with over three miles of pathways gives visitors a chance to investigate a working farm and sample some of the products, such as the incredible ice-cream at the award-winning tearoom. Another option for maze enthusiasts is Apple Jacks Farm (www.applejacksfarm.co.uk/01925 268 495) at Stretton near Warrington which is a dream for kids with mini tractors and diggers, a straw bale castle, a corn cannon and even pig racing on offer (don’t worry it’s nothing for the RSPCA to worry about!)

Still in Warrington, Walton Hall and Gardens (www.warrington.gov.uk/waltongardens/01925 601 617) were awarded the Green Flag Award for the fifth year running. This is a perfect venue for kids, with vast lawns and picnic areas, outdoor games and the ever-popular children’s zoo. There’s a nice balance with some mature parkland and ornamental gardens for adults to enjoy. You can even take a walk from the park with some well-signposted walks to places such as Hill Cliffe and Appleton Reservoir.

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