Need inspiration for a family day out next Sunday. Ideally a nice market town that we can wander around. We were in Beverley last weekend and it was perfect. I’m thinking along the lines of Harrogate or Buxton but would welcome any other ideas. We’ve already done Skipton this year.

Help me STW, you’re my only hope.

Buxton is lovely but means heading through Stockport

Settle is wonderful

Knutsford markets a belting day out, first Sunday of every month though.

Chester? York?

Frodsham

Oi! What’s up with Stockers?

buxton is ok, quaint and a bit odd. the museum is odd but good! not obvious.
macclesfield have the treacle market…..

Frodsham? I assume thats a joke!! 😯 8)

nantwich or chester?

It’s a market town. Admittedly without much of a market.

Not really lot to do in Frodsham except walk up to the war memorial and look at Runcorn. Market day is in the week and it’s really not up to much anyway. Cowards pies and Twelve50 cycles are possibly the best reasons for a trip there.

Chester however has loads to do for families. Walk round the walls, boat hire on the river, roman museum. Chester Model Centre might appeal to you I reckon.

Oi! What’s up with Stockers?

One word. Merseyway.

Point taken.

You might hear the Bury has a market; don’t be fooled.

It has an open air pound shop that old people with tartan shoppers and pointy elbows find irresistible.

We’ve done Chester too this year. Keep ’em coming though.

Also, I’ve been to Stockport. I don’t mind driving through but nothing have ever tempted me to stop. Ever.

I’m from Bury. We shall give that a swerve also, but will be there the day before for swimming lessons and a quick trip to Tesco if I can’t get any houmous with a long enough use by date at Prestwich. But, I digress…

Kendal? just about that distance and there are plenty of places to visit locally??

Harrogate isn’t strictly a market town.

But right next door is Knaresborough – a proper market town complete with a lovely river for walking beside and boating in (Waterside)

And further along (Abbey Road) there are some great tree stump sculptures…

And of course, the castle…

And it is home to the famous (from Le Tour) spotty house (although the spots have now gone)…

Foodie Friday at Stockport Market is really good to be honest.

https://www.facebook.com/FoodieFridayStockport

Clitheroe? and what about the home of singletrack which is so memorable I have forgotten the name of it.

Llangollen’s nice.
Bit far though.

It doesn’t have to have an actual market, just a market town type vibe. You know, Georgian architecture and no piss soaked subways.

Salford has a market.

Ripon?

Clitheroe?

The place that some people are alleged to have great difficulty finding…?

And it is home to the famous (from Le Tour) spotty house (although the spots have now gone)…

So it is just a house then? Come to Knaresborough and see the… errr… house? 😉

Knaresborough is lovely, we’ve been there too.

Also, I’ve been to Stockport. I don’t mind driving through but nothing have ever tempted me to stop. Ever.

but it’s got a Decathlon 😕

Bakewell
Leek ??

What about Liverpool. Not really a market town vibe granted, but there is shit loads of stuff to do there.

Rammy

I’ll second Knaresborough. Went there a couple of months ago. It was lovely.

Wirksworth

The place that some people are alleged to have great difficulty finding…?

But those who do are heroes?

I’d second Clitheroe – small and cosy. A few nice looking shops. Amazing countryside.

So it is just a house then? Come to Knaresborough and see the… errr… house?

Err, yeah 🙂

Take the family up to Ingleton and do the walk round the waterfalls – fantastic day out. finish up with fish and chips from the chippy as you re-enter the town.

Maybe combine it with a stop in Kirby Lonsdale for a walk around the town.

Be warned though, the water falls aren’t free!

I liked Knaresborough. Good place and Mother Shipton’s cave may fascinate the kids.

I liked Holmfirth as well – but we did go when the food festival was on.

Bakewell. Got to agree about Bury with Eggy, they even made a mess of my black pudding sandwich, it was repulsive.

slowoldman – Member

One word. Merseyway.

Developments afoot at Merseyway – The Mersey has recently been revealed. There is now a hole in the ground where one can view the majestic flower.

Just need to pull the rest of it down and Stockport will be on its way.

Ok, it’s not a town but what about Chester?

Skipton is around 50 minutes from Manchester ,could be worth a punt, very busy of a weekend

Buxton may technically be a market town but the market has been in steady decline for years. It’s not worth going to now UNLESS you happen to be there when they have one of their speciality markets on…which aren’t held on the market place 🙂

Had it been this Sunday just gone Leek would have been a very good shout. Lots of interesting stalls and live music going on as well as a beautiful sunny day. Leek is a better market town than Buxton (having lived in both) but Buxton will probably keep you occupied for the whole day a little better.

Is it the market you want to see specifically? Do the traditional markets even open on Sundays? These places can be great if stuff is open and happening, but if things are closed you may get bored easily.

Appleby, a fascinating little town that’s fine whenever the Travellers aren’t there.

Nearer to Manchester there’s Clitheroe, which has a Booths (although there’s also a Booths at Media City) and the smallest castle in England, lots of Europiss pubs and one proper pub with an amazing selction of ales, the New Inn, in the shadow of the castle. Good market, railway station, sports centre and nice pool, as well as easy access to some prime cycling and walking country, not to mention Downham, of Born & Bred fame.

Ilkley FTW, like Harrogate not a market town but a spa town

Do the shops, cafe or a Restaurant, pubs are great. its the literary festival if you can get to a talk, then a walk on the moor or up the Beacon