A family of four walk through the winter garden at Dunham Massey surrounded by colourful winter plants. — Visit the Winter Garden at Dunham Massey, Altrincham | © National Trust Images/Chris Lacey

Family-friendly places in Cheshire and Manchester

Plan your family day out in Cheshire and Manchester. We've got play areas, wildlife to spot, plenty of things to do when it rains and loads of activities for kids (and the young at heart).

Get close to nature, step into the past or run tired legs out in a play area – there's something for the whole family to enjoy whatever the season.

Quarry Bank, Wilmslow

Plan your family day out to Quarry Bank and discover all the family-friendly things to do no matter the weather. From exploring the mill, to enjoying one of our seasonal trails around the property.

Children in the Winter Garden at Bodnant Garden

Dunham Massey, Altrincham

Entertain the whole family this season at Dunham Massey. Enjoy adventures in the garden, take a walk in the deer park and stop for a bite to eat in the Stamford Café.

Visitors walking along a path in the Winter Gardenat Dunham Massey, Cheshire

Lyme, Stockport

From running, skipping and jumping around Crow Wood play area and dressing up in period costume inside the house, to spotting red deer in the park, there’s something for everyone at Lyme.

A woman and toddler lay playing in the snow next to a frozen pond.

Little Moreton Hall, Congleton

Whether you’re enjoying one of our self-led trails or the wibbly-wobbly floors, there's plenty of free activities to keep the whole family entertained at Little Moreton Hall. **Hall now closed for winter conservation cleaning, re-opens on Wednesday 11 February 2026. Please explore the website for more details.*

Family exploring the courtyard of the house at Little Moreton Hall, Cheshire

Tatton Park, Knutsford

On your marks, get set ...for The Tatton Scarecrow Sports Day, coming soon, this February half term!

Scarecrows in front of Tatton Park Mansion Cheshire

Family-friendly things to do at Hare Hill

Discover the secret gardens at Hare Hill, where little legs can roam safely; the perfect spot for a family day out. *Hare Hill is now closed and will re-open February 2026.*

Child in the garden at Kedleston Hall, Derbyshire in autumn

Liverpool and Lancashire

Head over to Liverpool and Lancashire to find family adventures at Speke Hall, Rufford Old Hall and Gawthorpe Hall.

A family of two adults and two children in the garden at Rufford Old Hall. They are dressed for winter and the woman is pointing at something out of frame.

Explore winter gardens with the help of family-friendly trails, spot deer and other wildlife, get cosy with a new story in a book nook and much more this February half term.

See all family-friendly events

Dunham Massey

Enjoy a fun-filled half term at Dunham Massey, from spotting fallow deer to exploring the natural playground. Discover seasonal colour in the Winter Garden or follow a family trail with Speechly the Pineapple.

Quarry Bank

Step into the wonderful world of books at Quarry Bank. Follow a book-themed trail through the Mill, finishing in the Play Space, where you’ll find soft play, giant board games and lively puppet shows. Plus, ‘Hop into the Wild’ on a family trail, inspired by Disney and Pixar's "Hoppers".

Lyme

Younger visitors can help the Truelove the Butler prepare for the Legh family's return to Lyme with a free family trail in the house. Outside, pick up a Wildlife Wander activity booklet for just £1 which the whole family will enjoy.

Little Moreton Hall

Be a Design Detective for the day and discover what the walls of the Hall tell us about the Moreton family. Pick up a free booklet when you visit and take a closer look. There's also the Wandering Wolves to watch out for, as you explore the wonderfully wonky Tudor Hall.

Speke Hall

Get ready for World Book Day at Speke Hall. This half term you’ll find a cosy reading and craft space on weekdays, storytelling sessions on Wednesday and a self-led, literature themed trail on the orchard.

Rufford Old Hall

There's plenty to see and do for all the family at Rufford Old Hall. Borrow a balance bike, explore the garden on a Winter Trail, and set your imagination free inside the house as it reopens to visitors on 13 February.

We’ve handpicked some of the best family-friendly walks in the North West. Whether you’re pushing a buggy, need a shorter route for littler legs, or want to spot birds, bugs, deer and other wildlife along the way, there’s a walk for everyone.

Dunham Massey’s mini park loop

Looking for a walk to embrace the outdoors, whatever the season or weather? Looping around a small section of the park, this walk will give you a flavour of all this nature haven has to offer. The route is circular so starts and ends at the same place.

A deer stands in a grassy field as people stroll by in the background, enjoying the outdoor scenery.

The Wizard's Wander at Alderley Edge

Discover the ‘Legend of the Wizard’ on this short, easy-access circular walk in the heart of Alderley Edge. Look out for the Druids’ Stone Circle, cave entrances and signs of old mine shafts.

Climbing a tree in woodland at Alderley Edge and Cheshire Countryside, Cheshire.

Step free cage and deer sanctuary view walk at Lyme

This walk to the East Lodge and back will reward you with memorable views of The Cage, deer sanctuary and surrounding area. This step free route is perfect for people wanting a flat, gentle walk or travelling with a prams.

A view of a stag with large antlers in the deer sanctuary with a large fortress like folly in the background at Lyme, Cheshire

A walk through the Southern Woods at Quarry Bank

Watch the river Bollin twist and turn as it makes its way to the huge industrial mill. See whether you can spot herons and other wildlife in the Mill Pond. This walk is partially accessible for pushchairs up to Heron’s Pool Bridge.

View of the River Bollin in autumn at Quarry Bank, Cheshire

There’s nothing quite like playing outdoors. Swooshing down slides, clambering over logs and letting your imagination run wild. It’s no wonder that play areas are an essential part of many family days out. Here are some top places to play in Cheshire and Greater Manchester. 

Crow Wood playscape at Lyme

Let off some steam and have fun with your family in the Crow Wood play area. It’s the perfect place to run, skip and slide. Get closer to nature on a walk through Crow Wood and see what wildlife you can spot in the mill pond.

A child playing in the Crow Wood play area at Lyme Park, Cheshire

The log pile at Dunham Massey

Is it a ship? Is it a castle? Will you get eaten by sharks if you fall off a beam? The log pile in the north park is a play area at one with nature. Perfect for little ones with active imaginations, these carefully placed logs and branches create a casual play environment for children (and adults) of all ages.

Grandparents and a grandchild play together in the Log Stack play area in Dyffryn Gardens during the winter

Playground at Quarry Bank

You can find the playground just beyond the Mill Yard. It's small but perfectly formed, giving little ones the chance to jump, balance and climb obstacles. And with picnic benches are close by, it's perfect for parents to take a break with a warm coffee.

Woodland play at Alderley Edge

Test your balance on giant logs and pretend the mud is water or strike your best tree pose on a tree stump in the natural play area at Alderley Edge. Look around to see birds flit from branch to branch amongst ancient trees and the woodland floor.

Children playing in woodland at Alderley Edge and Cheshire Countryside, Cheshire.

Natural play area at Hare Hill

In spring, summer and autumn little ones can escape to the hidden natural play area at Hare Hill and discover the magic amongst the nature that lives there. Make a secret den and create some look out points to spot wildlife. Cook up a storm in the mini-mud kitchen – you’ll find all the ingredients you need on the woodland floor beneath.

Den building area at Cragside, Northumberland

When it’s raining (and we get a lot of that in the north west) you have two options: find some indoor fun or grab your waterproofs and get stuck in! Luckily we have loads of suggestions for both…

Explore inside the mill at Quarry Bank

Shelter from the rain inside the mill and feel the floors shake beneath your feet as the historic machinery whirrs and clatters into action. See one of the most powerful water wheels in the country spinning as the river flows beneath it.

Four visitors looking at the water wheel at Quarry Bank, Cheshire

Top ‘50 things to do before you’re 11¾’ activities to do when it’s raining

We've compiled a selection of items from the ‘50 things to do before you’re 11¾’ list that are perfect for rainy days, so grab your waterproofs and get involved.

Boy jumping in a puddle. The boy is wearing a woolly hat and wellies

Step back in time at Lyme

Sometimes even the best laid plans can be ruined by a sudden downpour. Never fear, from dressing up in regency dress to playing billiards, there’s plenty of indoor activities for you to try inside the house at Lyme.

A close up of a girl in a recency style sun hat.

Enter the unique house at Little Moreton Hall

Wander over wibbly-wobbly floors and up spiral staircases inside this topsy-turvy house. You’ll even find a Tudor toilet! No wet weather visit is complete without treating yourself to a delicious snack in Mrs Dale's tea-room.

Family looking through the windows of the Long Gallery at Little Moreton Hall, Cheshire.

Discover a world of endless adventures with our pick of some of the best things for teenagers to do in Cheshire and Manchester. Round up your friends and family and get exploring.

Find activities for teenagers

Become a budding photographer

Full of far-reaching views, vast wildlife and picturesque buildings, the places we care for are a young photographer’s dream. Walk across moors and woods at Lyme to get seasonal snaps of surrounding counties and Manchester’s skyline, photograph the fallow deer at Dunham Massey, or get creative with the quirky angles of Little Moreton Hall’s black-and-white Tudor house. Click here for top photography tips.

A woman in a velvet green dress smiles and poses for a photo in front of a swathe of snowdrops in the woodland at Stowe.

Step into the small screen

Discover the places that provide the backdrop for some of your favourite TV shows. Jane Austin fans can step inside Pemberley, Mr Darcy’s home, in the BBC’s Pride and Prejudice (1995) at Lyme. You might recognise some of Tatton Park from Peaky Blinders (2013–2022) and Sherwood (2024), while The Mill (2013–14) is based on the lives of millworkers at Quarry Bank during the industrial revolution.

Close-up of filming equipment and monitor at Quarry Bank in Cheshire

Arrive by bike

Bring your bike and take a trip through sheltered woodland or through the deer park at Lyme – there’s even a short but challenging mountain bike trail here too. And did you know that if you arrive on a bike to Lyme, Quarry Bank or Dunham Massey you can get 10% discount in the café? All three sites are close to national cycling routes and places to lock up bikes when you arrive.

Children cycling on the Explorer Trail in Comer Woods at Dudmaston, Midlands

Tuck into a sweet treat

Rounding off the day with a sweet treat and hot drink are a key part of any visit. From breakfast baps and toasties, to doughnuts and brownies, and lots of vegan options too, we’ve got something for everyone. Or grab a coffee to takeaway before your walk – we’ll even give you 25p off your drink if you bring your own reusable cup.