Places to visit
With its prime location on the border between Cheshire and Shropshire, Combermere Abbey is perfectly placed for exploring the surrounding area. When you stay here, you’ll find plenty of interesting things to see and do right on your doorstep, so click the link below and start making plans today!
CHESHIRE
Blue Planet Aquarium
M53, Junction 10
Award winning aquarium, you can even swim with the sharks!
Chester Zoo
Upton, by Chester
This is the largest zoo in the UK, with over 7000 animals and their famous Zoofari railway.
Jodrell Bank
A535, near Holmes Chapel
Home of the Lovell Telescope, 3D Theatre, planetarium and 35-acre arboretum.
Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker
Off A530 Whitchurch Road, near Nantwich
WW2 Command Bunker, kept secret with war rooms and audio visual in two cinemas. Follow the Soviet Spy Mouse Trail.
Oulton Park Race Circuit
Little Budworth, Tarporley
320 acres of car and bike racing – Superbikes, Touring Cars and Formula 3. Perfect for a family day out.
Cheshire Workshops
Burwardsley, near Chester
Candle making, crafts and tea room.
Port Sunlight Village/Lady Lever Gallery
Port Sunlight, Wirral
Unique 19th century village created by William Lever, named after Sunlight soap. The gallery is the jewel in the crown with celebrated collections of paintings and furniture.
Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet
140+ stores – save up to 50% on the labels you love! Free parking and lots of places to eat.
Cholmondeley Castle Gardens: 01829 720383
Capesthorne Hall Park & Gardens
Rode Hall: 01270 873237
Stretton Watermill: 01606 41331
Stockley Farm: 01565 777323
Crocky Trail: 01244 336161
SHROPSHIRE
Royal Air Force Museum
Cosford, near Shifnal
Four museums in one – Missile collection, Warplane Collection, Transport Collection, and Research and Development Aircraft Collection – over 70 on display!
Hawkstone Park & Follies
Weston-Under-Redcastle, Shrewsbury
A woodland fantasy of caves, cliffs, follies, secret pathways and underground tunnels created by Sir Roland Hill.
Hoo Farm Animal Kingdom
Preston, Telford
Children’s paradise with Shropshire’s Friendliest animals!
Rays Farm
Bridgenorth
Another wonderful place for children.
OSWETRY
All-weather activity centre with adventure and animals.
Ironbridge Gorge Museum
Ironbridge, near Telford
A World Heritage Site: the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution where the first iron rails, wheels, boat and bridge were made.
Severn Valley Railway
The Station, Bridgnorth
Recreate the experience of steam travel between Bridgnorth and Kidderminster through 16 miles of glorious Shropshire scenery along the River Severn.
Byways Breaks, cycling & walking
STAFFORDSHIRE
Potteries:
Portmeirion Potteries: 01782 743460
Waterford Wedgewood Factory Shop: 01782 316161
Visitor Centres:
Alton Towers
Oakamoor, Alton
One of the top 5 UK visitor attractions with a large number of exciting rides, including The Black Hole, Nemesis and Oblivion.
Drayton Manor Park & Zoo
Fazeley, near Tamworth
Family theme park covering 250 acres and includes a zoo farm, three museums and more than 50 rides.
Waterworld
Festival Park, Eturia, Stoke-on-Trent
The UK’s most exciting water theme park for all age groups. Aqua assault course, super flumes, rapids and wavepool. Features 20 unique water rides.
Snowdome
Leisure Island, Riverdrive, Tamworth UK’s premier snow centre with skiing, snowboarding and blading facilities, including lessons.
Shugborough Estate
near Milford, Stafford
The magnificent seat of the Earl of Lichfield now being restored as a 19th century working estate. The house contains an interesting collection of china, silver, paintings and furniture. Part of the house is still lived in by the Earl and his family. Shugborough Park Farm is now a Georgian working farm featuring an agricultural museum, restored working corn mill and a rare breeds centre. Visitors to the dairy can see cheese and butter being made.
Biddulph Grange Gardens
Grange Road, Biddulph
One of Britain’s most exciting and unusual gardens designed in the mid-19th century by James Bateman to display an extensive and wide ranging plant collection. It has been restored by the National Trust and the garden is divided into themed gardens, including a Chinese temple, Egyptian court, pinetum, dahlia walk, glen and many other settings.
Moseley Old Hall
Fordhouses, Wolverhampton
An Elizabethan house, altered in the 19th century and famous for its association with Charles II who hid here after the Battle of Worcester (1651). The bed in which he slept is on view. An exhibition retells the story.
Whitmore Hall
Whitmore, Newcastle Under Lyme
A Grade I listed building, Whitmore Hall was designated a house of outstanding architectural and historical interest and is a fine example of a small Carolinian manor house. There are some good family portraits to be seen as it has been the family seat for more than 900 years of the Cavenagh-Mainwarings.
NORTH WALES
Bodnant Gardens
Tal Y Cafn, near Colwyn Bay
This National Trust Garden is one of the finest in the world, situated above the River Conwy, looking across the valley towards the Snowdon range. The 80-acre garden features magnolias, camelias, daffodils, rhododendrons, azaleas and the world famous Laburnum arch. Wonderful colour throughout the summer.
Bodysgallen Hall
Llandudno, Conwy
Originally a Mostyn house, this mansion and its gardens partly date from the 17th century. Beautifully restored in recent years, these fine terraced gardens include a water garden terrace with a formal rose garden and kitchen gardens. Open by appointment (Bodysgallen Hall is also a hotel and restaurant which is open all year).
Bodelwyddan Castle
Bodelwyddan, Denbighshire
18th and 19th century landscape park with picturesque elements. Arts and crafts, walled garden by T H Mawson and woodland walks.
Hawarden Old Castle
Hawarden, Flintshire
Picturesque ruined castle, constructed 1280 – 1474, was dismantled after the Civil War and slightly restored in the 19th century. Old Castle open Sundays 2 pm-5 pm from Easter to end of August.
Erdigg Hall
near Wrexham
Owned by the National Trust, this is one of the most fascinating houses in Britain, not least because of the unusually close relationship enjoyed by the family of the house and its servants. A beautiful and evocative range of outbuildings include a kitchen, laundry, bakehouse, stables, sawmill, smithy and joiner’s shop. The state rooms display most of their original 18th and 19th century furniture and furnishings and the large walled garden has been restored to its 18th century formal design.
Snowdon Mountain Railway
Llanberis, Gwynedd
The journey begins at Llanberis station and continues through woodland and across an impressive viaduct before starting the long haul up to the mountain itself. On fine days, views from the summit take in the Isle of Man and the Wicklow mountains in Ireland.
Llechwedd Slate Caverns
Blaenau Ffestiniog
The Slate Caverns offer two underground rides. The Deep Mine tour begins with a ride on Britain’s steepest passenger railway for a walk through ten sound and light sequences led by the ghost of a Victorian miner. The Miner’s Tramway is a guided tour with demonstrations of Victorian mining skills.
Plas Newydd
Llangollen
Home to the Ladies of Llangollen (1780 – 1831) who created this much visited romantic garden including a woodland walk to the Gothic alcove with a stone font from Valle Crucis Abbey.
Portmeirion Village and Gardens
near Portmadog
This unique village is set on its own private peninsula on the southern shores of Snowdon. It was created by Welsh architect Clough William-Ellis to demonstrate how a naturally beautiful place could be developed without spoiling it. The village is set among 70 acres of sub-tropical woodland gardens.
Caernarfon Castle
off the A55
Caernarfon, a World Heritage Site, is one of the most striking and impressive medieval monuments in Wales. Built by Edward I, it is raised on a site rich in history and legend and was his capital and royal palace in Wales.
Tweedmill Factory Outlets
off the A55
Tweedmill was once a working mill, weaving tweed as the name suggests! The mill closed some time ago but now visitors can browse through more than 150,000 items of womenswear, menswear, home accessories, footwear, handbags, luggage and giftware.
Chirk Castle: 01691 777701