Pitched up overnight with the outlaws and starting to plan what to do this week with an 8 yr old. Have previously visited the Zoo, Blue Planet, a few castles etc.

Any inspiration appreciated.

Go Ape at Delamere forest?

An 8-year-old will absolutely love the Crocky Trail.

It’s completely bonkers! All the stuff there looks like it’s been built by a demented farmer utilising leftover agricultural equipment (it has!), but I guarantee an 8-year-old will bloody love it. My two loved the place when they were younger, and it was a regular day out

Where in Cheshire? Anyway:

Jodrell Bank

Lyme Park

Tatton Park

Park at the carpark near the Boars Head in Higher Poynton, walk along the canal, feed the ducks etc, to the Miners Arms, have lunch, walk along the Middlewood Way back. (You can also walk into Lyme Park from there)

Spend a day at the seaside in West Kirby

Manley Mere has to be worth a visit?? https://www.manleymere.co.uk/

Total Wipeout there is only open at the weekend though, as far as I know

Beeston Castle!

Perfect for an eight-year-old, and indeed anyone who never really grew up 🙂  The gift shop sells all sorts of ace weapons – bows and arrows, swords, mini trebuchets etc. There’s a secret room that you can only get to by crawling through a tiny hole, a very deep well (stock up on stones before you go, the castle has been picked bare) that you can drop stones down and count the seconds – good chance to sneak in a bit of education trying to work out how deep it is.

Can’t recommend it enough! Also there are caves/catacombs within the outer walls, unfortunately gated but still cool to shout into and listen for echos.

Lots of good suggestions above. I’d recommend the Crocky Trail, Beeston Castle and Delamere forest all fairly close to each other, if you’re anywhere near Chester.

Jodrell Bank also a good option.

Most of the ones I would suggest are already covered. Manley mere def worth a trip, depending upon where you are in Cheshire the monkey forest at trentham gardens is worth a trip, and if you like gentle cycling the path from Birkenhead up the wirral is nice. Hilbre island worth considering too.

Ride a bike at Delamere or Llandegla. Walk the city wall in Chester. Ice Cream Farm.

ice cream farm can be expensive if you do the activities but the ice cream is very good. Manley  mere and the crocky trail are great fun ( you have to pay for parking at Manley which is a bit of a jib..). at delamere if you want to avoid high parking prices then head for barnbridge gates car park which is free( and is on the quiet side of the forest (relatively). beeston is a good shout and close to tarporley which is quite nice for shops and cafes and at the moment has some ww1 memorial statues. for a bit of history you could go to anderton boat lift and have a ride in it, its not in an exactly pretty area ( next to an old chemical works but still…). walking around the walls in chester is a good shout and there are ofter events on in the park and amphitheatre, and down by the river. as ever its the cost that bites ( as you can guess the parking costs everywhere) but there is loads if you look.

Quarry Bank Mill near Manchestah airport. Fascinating.

Quarry Bank Mill is an excellent shout.

Have a walk around and a picnic on Alderley edge (the edge itself, not the WAGville village)

There’s a kid’s Go Ape at Delamere, bike hire (say Col sent you for a discount), cafe with Kelly’s ice cream (mention me again for a discount), Gruffalo walk.

Teggs Nose Country Park

Walk up Shutlingsloe – the Cheshire Matterhorn

Anderson Boat Lift