The Waggon and Horses

Stately piles abound in Cheshire, so take your pick of a visit to the 18th-century chapel at Capesthorne Hall (10 minutes’ drive), or the wonderfully crooked Little Moreton Hall, a half-timbered and moated manor house (15 minutes) – and in the Old Hall at Tatton Park (35 minutes), you can all pretend to be medieval knights and stage a joust. Soak up the fresh air on yomps along Biddulph Valley Way (10 minutes), an untaxing spot for kids as it follows a former railway line, or head out into the Peak District National Park for serious hikes along the Pennine Way. There’s a handful of golf courses within a 15-minute drive, and on the odd rainy day, you can head for the swimming pool at Congleton Leisure Centre (10 minutes). Another local landmark you might like to check out is Jodrell Bank Observatory (15 minutes), where you can stroll around the base of the massive Lovell Telescope and take the kids hunting for aliens.