What a lovely hidden gem Arley hall and Gardens is! Based in Northwich, easily accessible from the M56 motorway the drive up to Arley is so pretty and very well sign posted.
On arrival we came to a large car park with plenty of spaces and from the car park there’s a beautiful long path to walk up towards the entrance.
The entrance is based in a lovely courtyard where there is a beautiful shop selling gifts from local suppliers, and there’s also the Gardener’s kitchen which serves hot drinks and snacks. We didn’t visit as we took our own snacks, but we did get a lovely take away coffee and hot chocolate which was a nice treat. There’s also plenty of outdoor seating if you do wish to sit outside.
Arley Hall Gardens
The Gardens are stunning. Even in the off season months, the different features of the gardens are interesting and lovely to walk around. But, my word, they are truly breathtaking in the summer. The gardens are amongst the finest in Britain, they are filled with variety and historical interest and the double herbaceous boarders are particularly magnificent.
Children’s Play Zone
The first place we headed was the children’s Play Zone. The Playzone is suitable for children up to the age of 10 years old. There’s a great zip wire which our children loved, although I’m not sure my husband enjoyed running up and down pushing them lots of times! Plus, swings, a slide and some great climbing areas. The Play Zone also has some interactive elements such as a wooden area where you can thread beads through a rope. My little girl certainly enjoyed the challenge. Another favourite was the little wooden house, our biggest challenge was wading through the mud to get to it though! All in all, there’s plenty to do in and around the playground and lots of space for ball games and other family activities too. And for Mums and Dads who need a rest you’ll be pleased to hear there are picnic benches you can sit down and watch all the fun from too!
Woodland Walk
From the Playzone we followed the signs to the Woodland walk, where we followed the paths, and headed into the woods. We set ourselves a family challenge to see some birds, and big, tall trees and we weren’t disappointed. We saw lots of robins and a few sparrows and the biggest tree ever which apparently was as tall as the sky, according to my little girl! The woodland walk is a great family walk and the kids were able to explore every inch and all the paths meander in a loop so you basically end up back where you started. Always a plus for Mums and Dads who don’t pay much attention to the route as they are too busy exploring and chasing the kids!
Arley Hall
After the woods we headed towards The Hall. Unfortunately, this was closed during our visit due to covid restrictions, but usually it would be open and apparently there’s a great quiz for children to complete and find the clues, making it a fun adventure tour around the Hall.
Beautiful fairy tale gardens
From the Hall we walked back to the main courtyard and followed the signs for the Gardens. Even though we visited in winter and the ground was covered with snow, the gardens are simply magical and look like they are from a fairy tale story book. A particular favourite of ours was seeing the Tea Cottage where my little girl asked if a princess lived there! We all enjoyed walking around and I can imagine in summer the beautiful flowers won’t disappoint.
Look out for the film sets!
It’s also worth pointing out that Arley Hall has featured in lots of TV programmes and films. These include news stories on BBC Breakfast News to Disney productions.
Productions filmed at Arley include the BBC’s Peaky Blinders, Antiques Road Show and Body Farm. Many others include Great British Garden Revival, Songs of Praise and Our Zoo.
Arley Hall and Gardens has also been the link setting for Inside Out North West several times. Filming also includes ITV’s Coronation Street, Cold Feet, The Voice, Tonight with Trevor McDonald and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Cold Blood, The Forsyte Saga, Midwinter of the Spirit and Britannia High have also been filmed there. They were also the setting for Channel 4’s Hollyoaks and Disney UK for Evermoor. Additionally, they have also been the venue for the Manchester United Football Clubs Christmas message and CBBC’s Mr Tumble. At the end of 2019 Cobra was filmed at Arley with Robert Carlyle, this was a Sky One programme. So, if you fancy yourself at the heart of a film set…you never know who might be filming when you visit!
The Gardener’s Kitchen Cafe
The cafe at Arley Hall offers sandwiches, salads, hot meals with vegetarian options and the delicious cakes including gluten free options. Full review here
A hidden gem worth a visit
We spent a good 4 hours at Arley and came away feeling worn out from our adventure – which always means it’s been a great afternoon! When I asked the children what their favourite parts to the afternoon were they said the “cool zip wire”, “ the tree that reached the sky in the woods” and “seeing the Tea Cottage”. If you are looking for some outdoor family time where there’s lots to do and lots to explore, we would highly recommend a visit to Arley Hall and Gardens – it won’t disappoint!
Arley Hall & Gardens Events
Arley host a wide variety of extra events through out the year including outdoor theatre, fireworks and their annual garden festival in the summer and in the winter their hall is decorated for Christmas and they are hosting a fab santa experience.
