Haddon Hall is a large, grand, and very interesting manor house near Bakewell, England. Part of it…read moreis kept private but a large portion of the hall and ground are open to the public, with a restaurant on the premises in the old carriage house. The buildings include sections from many different periods, from the late 12th century to the mid 17th century and the portions open to the public include the kitchen area, banquet hall, and other sections, plus portions of the grounds and walled garden. This is also a must-see site for those interesting in filming locations since many films and television shows have had scenes filmed here. This is particularly true for fans of The Princess Bride, with many scenes being filmed in the hall and on the grounds, all very recognisable. More scenes wre filmed in the general area as well. At Christmastime, it is heavily decorated and there is choir singing in the hall.

This place was absolutely awesome! Such history and inspiration for the imagination here! And if…read moreyou're any sort of period-piece movie fan, you MUST come here! You'll recognize parts of this castle (or mansion? Lol) IMMEDIATELY! They filmed parts of movies here like Princess Bride, Mary Queen of Scots, The King and the more recent adaptation of Jane Eyre with Michael Fassbender! It was so lovely all decorated for Christmas as well...they even had a bell-ringer concert going when we arrived! I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed my visit here! Parking is directly across the street and they have an easy crossing and walk up to the site. The parking lot can be muddy and they do charge you about 3gbp to park.

Beautiful place, if you are in the area its a must.read more

Towering 160m above both what was once the old-money village of Alderly Edge (now a mecca for…read morePremiership footballers and Wags) and the Cheshire Plain in general, the edge has some of the best views of anywhere in the area thanks to the dramatic edge - a steep cliff-like drop. The edge has historic associations with, somewhat incongruously, mining and wizardry, but these days it's a great place to go for a walk with either the kids, the dog, visitors or even a solitary stroll. There are car parks at both the foot of the edge and the top (the latter is the main one) giving the option of a quick trip to the edge itself and back or a longer, more demanding up-and-down walk.

Again I guess I review a village. I just love to explore and I am weird in that I lecture on public…read morehealth, plague, cemetaries etc..I try to make it funny and it often is with me doing it argh. The of course is probably the most famous village of the Black Death. Very good TV drama's have been done about it. Potted history. August 1665 bubonic plague arrived at the house of the village tailor George Vicars, via a parcel of cloth from London. The cloth was damp and was hung out in front of the fire to dry, thus releasing the plague infested fleas. George was the first victim. Rector William Mompesson and others sealed off the village and there is a stone where food and water was left for the villagers. Disinfected coin (vinegar) was left in payment. Whole families were wiped out. The Riley graves, for instance holds the bodies of the husband and six children of farmer Elizabeth Hancock. All died within a week of each other. The Plague in Eyam raged for 14 months and claimed the lives of at least 260 villagers. They sacrificed themselves to stop the spread of the plague. I find visiting this place quite sad. Wander the village and see the remains and markers that inform. Then there is an exhibition centre and a tea room. Visit the church too for info and booklets after all it was the vicar who played a major part in it. Only one victim is buried in the churchyard - the rector's wife. One pub too with a decent pint. An interesting, if a little depressing, couple of hours can be spent in Eyam.

Eyam, famous for being the 'Plague Village' that decided to isolate itself after the plague arrived…read morewhen a flea infested parcel of cloth was delivered to a local tailor. The plague killed almost three quarters of the population that lived there. A great place to visit to learn about this bit of history. Many of the houses have plaques that describe who lived in the property in 1665 during the Great Plague, and how they were affected. Eyam Hall is in the centre of the village , as is the church and both are worth a visit if you are planning to spend some time here. The Miners Arms inn and restaurant also offers good place to stop off at if you should visit Eyam at lunch time. Eyam is probably best as a place to visit alongside other nearby villages, and you could expect it to be visited within a couple of hours. Especially nice in the summer months when the well dressing season is in full flow.

Review 500! Wowzers…read more I'm chuffed that it's this local landmark, as we walked up to Peel Monument on what was probably the loveliest, sunniest first day of Spring that I can remember. Occupying a prominent position on Holcome Hill, you can see the monument from miles around and it serves as a beacon for walkers or those of us that just enjoying getting up to it "because it's there". It's a memorial to Sir Robert Peel, born in Bury, who twice served as Prime Minister and is regarded as the father of the modern British police. On a clear day, which we were lucky coincided with our visit, you can look out across the Greater Manchester landscape to the towns, villages and moorlands beyond. Sit down on the grass and take it all in. There are public footpaths leading up to it from Ramsbottom; we didn't need a map as you could see it above you most of the time. Alternatively, there are lanes you can park on further up the hill as it's a bit of a climb, but definitely worth visiting.

Loved this place! If you can get going on a good day then I would highly recommend if you're…read moreinterested in Elizabethan time history. First you're greeted with beautiful English countryside which is covered in Sheep and little lambs which are great for a quick picture before moving on to see the huge house which you will soon be exploring. This place is part of the national trust, so you can expect it to be well taken care of and and a lot of people about who are more than willing to share their knowledge. We first checked out the old building which is now in ruins, but it still reveals some of the small features which are still preserved such as fireplaces and balcony which gives you a great ire of the entire house and the countryside. After this is the gardens which are fantastic to walk around on a warm day which displays all the beautiful flowers. The house itself has a nice short tour where the guide tells all about the history of the owner, her very interesting history with her granddaughter and more on Mary Queen of Scots who stayed/Imprisoned here. The houses features all appear to be in their original positions and looks, bar a few repairs throughout the years for preservation. Plenty of information to read and people sitting about to answer any questions you need. If you're interested interested in your ElizabethIan style houses, or just want a peak into English history, I would highly recommend!

A National Trust property, situated near Junction 29 of the M1. Huge Elizabethan house and…read morebeautifully landscaped gardens (including a walled garden, orchards and herb garden), featuring statues etc. The surrounding country park is beautiful - and contains cattle, sheep etc. There's also the remains of Hardwick Old Hall in the grounds (although I think that's owned by English Heritage so you would have to pay separately to look around). A gift shop and tea room are also on site - or take a picnic! National Trust members get in free (you can join when you get there and they refund any admission charges) or it's £9 for adults to enter the house and gardens.

You have got to try the Paternoster lift!! You heard it here…read morefirst, although its not for the faint hearted!!

The arts tower is an amazing architechtural building,i think in total it has 19 storeys & it stands…read moreout for miles with in the Sheffield area.It is a landmark,with a great observation deck & has the best view around looking out from the top of the tower.It stands at 255 feet tall. The paternoster lift is the best ever way to travel that was invented but beware how you step onto it.Circulation isthrough 2 ordinary lifts & the rest by the paternoster at 38 cars -the largest of the few remaining in uk It was officially opened by queen elizabeth,the queen mother in 1966 There is a cafe in the basement & a student computer room on the 12th floor & the buildings can be viewed during business hours but you may have to sign in & show id,well worth a look if you are in the area

It IS a shame that this once beautiful dam has been allowed to silt up. I remember as a 12 or 13…read moreyear-old going fishing at the dam, on an awful rainy day back in about 1977/78 and, at that time, the dam was still open water with no island visible in the middle, as it is today. I recall the wooden seats too, going back even further, to when I was only 4 or 5 years of age. I think also there was kiddies paddle boats too at one stage, although i may be wrong on that one. I think it's time for the dam to be cleaned up of silt, just like the Shepherd's Wheel dam, just down from Forge Dam! David, Sheffield

FORGE DAM is situated roughly five miles to the West of Sheffield city centre in the Porter Brook…read morevalley. To the North of Forge Dam about one mile away is the Fulwood district of Sheffield. The dam has seen better days, years ago it was a large expanse of open water fed by water from Porter Brook. Large flocks of geese used to visit the dam and so did ducks. Apart from these large numbers of people used to visit the dam to fish or sit on the benches that were provided for picnicers around the side of the dam. Today however, it's an entirely different scene. In the centre of the dam there is a large island that has been created by silt flowing into the dam via Porter Brook. Due to the silt island hardly any geese or ducks visit the dam now. Little black water hens with their bright orange beaks are plentiful instead. The water of the dam is black due to peat thats in the silt, the fish cannot be seen anymore, although a few people do still come to fish. The picnic benches have all gone as nobody sits any more to admire the dam and it's surrounding countryside.

Mow Cop Castle was built in the 18th Century as a summerhouse for someone, I don't know who, you…read morecan find out by Googling it. It's right on top of a hill, on the border of Cheshire and Staffordshire. On a clear day if you look north east from the castle you can see Jodrell Bank (very picturesque!). The views are breathtaking though. The castle itself is now in ruins, but it's still very impressive. I'd recommend taking a flask of hot chocolate up here on a crisp autumn day. If you look hard enough you'll see 'LK 4 SS' written on a rock somewhere in chalk too (that's me and Steve, that is). Well worth a trip. Head to The Ash for a pint afterwards, you'll deserve it after that walk.

Can be seen from all over south cheshire, and stands on the horizon as the local area's little bit…read moreof history. The killer-mile up to the castle itself is well known for being difficult in the car, let alone the killer mile run held annual. Not a visit for the faint hearted in wintertime when the roads are a little slippy! The castle itself may have seen better days, but it still holds its shape and is worth the trip just for the view over cheshire and staffordshire that it gives you at the topa spectactular vista all around.

When the Queensway Tunnel was dug beneath the river, the subsequent rubbish pulled from the ground…read morewas dumped and landscaped into what is now Otterspool Prom. Here you can do everything there is to possibly do on a riverside promenade; things such as walk, ride a bike, look at the water and...um...well that's about it. I suppose you could rollerblade if you wanted. If it's a warm day and you don't mind the style your hair will be sculpted into by the blustering gales, you can follow the prom and its interconnecting paths right up to the Pier Head. If you don't fancy that, try and unearth the ruins of the 1984 Garden Festival, which lies hidden by tree trunks and weeds. You don't know how overtly creepy something is until you accidentally stumble across a kid's overgrown swing park. I still have nightmares.

What a spectacular view. Did you ever see such a coastline? Especially when the waves are choppy…read moreand the wind blustery. I absolutely love the promenade; walking along beside the river with the breathtaking view of the Welsh hills in the background is really relaxing, there's lots of cyclists and dog-walkers around and it's a lovely environment on a clear sunny day. The park which was renovated through the 'Pride in our Proms' project is Amazing. It's a mini world of Big Kid heaven... for me anyway I regressed about 10 years and was on the swings, seesaw and monkey bars, and when we'd totally worn ourselves out running around and taking cool scenic pictures of the sunset we went for a well earned pint from the Otterspool pub which is handily a hop skip and a cartwheel across the park. Go fly a kite, see the sights, play on the park and grab a pint!