The half-term holiday is nearly here and, with day trips – or just a couple of hours out of the house – on the cards for many of us, it’s time to unleash your wild side, explore the outdoors and plan your family adventures.
While you can’t rely on the weather, you can depend on a National Trust place near you for space to run, play and explore, encounters with nature, and plenty to do, both outdoors and indoors.
At many of the places we care for you’ll also find delicious treats and welcome hot drinks in a cosy café or tea-room – the perfect way to end the day, or to take a breather before your next adventure.
By enjoying a day out with the National Trust you’re also helping Europe’s largest conservation charity to look after the nature, beauty and history of each place for everyone, forever.
For more family-friendly places to visit in the North West head to Cheshire and Greater Manchester | England | National Trust
Cheshire
Hare Hill, near Macclesfield
Normal admission applies (£9 adult, £4.50 child, £22.50 family under-fives go free). Free entry for National Trust members.
Reopening on 14 February.
Find out more: Hare Hill | Cheshire | National Trust
This tranquil wooded garden is perfect for little legs to run free without crowds this half-term. See what signs of spring you can spot, as the garden wakes up from its winter slumber, and discover all the different colours of flowers bursting into life. Get closer to nature and venture to the bird hide, an ideal spot to start any wildlife adventure in the outdoors.
To burn off some energy, let the kids loose in the natural woodland play area, where they can build, climb, balance and let their imaginations run wild.
Little Moreton Hall, near Congleton
Normal admission applies (£14 adult, £7 child, £35 family, under-fives go free). Free entry for National Trust members.
Reopening on 14 February at the new earlier time of 10.30am.
Find out more: Little Moreton Hall | Cheshire | National Trust
Wander over the wibbly-wobbly floors of a topsy-turvy, higgledy-piggledy Tudor manor house, with its wonky angles, quirky character and spiral staircases. Find out more about the Tudors and discover what they got up to through the seasons, as history comes to life with the help of our friendly Costumed Interpreters. You can even see a Tudor toilet, but we’ll let you imagine the smell for yourself!
Outside, see what wildlife you can spot in the garden or on the moat that encircles the house. No visit is complete without a treat at the tea-room or a look at our pre-loved book nook, where you can pick up a new favourite to take home with you.
Lyme, Stockport, Cheshire
Normal admission applies (£13 adult, £6.50 child, £32.50 family, under-fives go free). Free entry for National Trust members.
Half-term activities extended across two weeks.
Toddler play in the chapel, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10am to 2pm.
Indoor and outdoor family trails.
Find out more: Lyme | Cheshire | National Trust.
Put on your wellies and jump into half-term fun at Lyme, where activities are extended across two weeks – so whether you’re from Stockport, Manchester, Trafford, Cheshire East or further afield there’ll be something for you in the holidays.
With 1,400 acres of parkland and gardens on the edge of the Peak District, there’s plenty of space to tire out little legs and activities to keep the kids entertained, including indoor family trails and outdoor nature-inspired activities, all included in the admission price. Let off steam in the Crow Wood play area with equipment perfect for climbing, running, skipping and sliding. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, there’s toddler play in the chapel, between 10am and 2pm.
Head inside the grand house, packed with Legh family treasures, to dress up in the shoes, bonnets and top hats of Regency England. Transport yourself to the past on our interactive family trail by taking on the roles of a housekeeper or hall boy to assist Mr Truelove, the head butler, in tasks such as polishing and exploring the inner workings of the clocks.
The surrounding gardens, moorland and deer park come alive with wildlife as spring gradually arrives. Wrap up warm and climb the huge hill up to a historic watchtower known as the Cage. Once you’re at the top, it’s the perfect place for a game of I-Spy, to listen to birdsong or even fly a kite. After all that walking, reward yourself with a snack and a hot chocolate from the Timber Yard Café.
Quarry Bank, Wilmslow
Admission charges apply (£20 adult, £10 child, £50 family, under-fives go free). Free entry for National Trust members.
Scavenger hunt, 17–25 February. Explorer packs available from Visitor Reception, £2 each.
CSI Quarry Bank mystery trail.
Find out more: Quarry Bank | Cheshire | National Trust
Whatever the weather, you’ll find plenty to see and do at Quarry Bank this February half-term.
Pull on your wellies and jump into nature on a scavenger hunt or puddle walk through the woods. In the woodland play area, conquer the fireman’s pole, crawl through the tunnel and challenge little ones to a game of noughts and crosses. The gardens and estate are the perfect playground for nature explorers too, offering lots of gentle strolls along woodland paths.
Or, if you need something to do indoors on a rainy day, explore the mill and solve the mystery of the CSI Quarry Bank trail, and get creative and crafty in the learning space. And don’t forget to visit the toy tinker stations in the Brain Power Gallery, where little ones can play for as long as they like.
In the giant cotton mill, feel the floors shake beneath your feet as the historic machinery whirrs and clatters into action. See how the mill owners lived in Quarry Bank House, then head inside the Apprentice House to learn about the child workers who lived there.
Fill hungry tummies with hot meals and light bites from the Weaving Shed Restaurant, just opposite the new Place to Change facility, or indulge in a slice of cake and a hot drink in the Upper Garden Café.
Greater Manchester
Dunham Massey, Altrincham
Normal admission applies (from £8.50 adult, £4.25 child, £21.25 family, under-fives go free). Free entry for National Trust members.
Interactive storytelling: 17, 18, 24 and 25 February, 11am, 1pm, 2pm, each lasting 20 minutes. Free.
Welly Walk family trail.
Explore the winter garden – one of the UK’s largest.
Find out more: Dunham Massey | Cheshire | National Trust
Just outside Manchester, the green oasis of Dunham Massey is a haven for nature and a young explorer’s paradise. It’s the ideal place for an outdoor adventure with the whole family. Spot the herd of deer in the park, uncover minibeasts galore in the ancient trees, or get those wellies on to make a splash on the Welly Walk family trail around the gardens. Along the way you’ll find colourful displays, playful installations and maybe even the first spring bulbs peeking out of the winter soil. The winter garden, one of the UK’s largest, will be filled with thousands of snowdrops, irises and cyclamens.
The kids are sure to love the natural play area – it’s perfect for imaginative play. They can hop like a frog across the leaping logs, or scale a fallen tree like a squirrel. They might even command a castle in the woods…
Storytelling masters Histrionics are back with a great interactive storytelling experience for all ages. Their nature-based tales create a special moment of connection and magic. Pop in on 17, 18, 24 or 25 February to experience it for yourself. The sessions are 20 minutes long, they’re free, and there’s no need to book.
Refuel with a hot drink in the restaurant or café, or pop into the shop to pick up something to remember your day by. What pre-loved gems will you find in the second-hand bookshop to inspire your young readers?
