A Suitably English Excursion, Part 2

I'm not a great fan of big cities; small places tend to have more character - and are also better for day-trips. England in particular is full of little gems that most tourists tend to overlook. Nantwich, for example.

The town certainly isn't the most happening place in the world - when I went there, it was a market day, and the high street was full of old ladies. This, however, only added to the olde-worlde charm of the place. The town musem, on the other hand, was full of noisy schoolchildren, who were apparently there to learn about the traditions of cheese-making.

I found my way to the canal completely by accident, and spent a couple of hours following random footpaths back to the town centre. The weather was magnificent, and I really envied the people who floated by on their canal boats, smiling and waving as they went.

The locals were friendly as well, if a bit curious.

The following day I took a train to Knutsford - another charming old Cheshire town. Nowadays it's perhaps best known as Elizabeth Gaskell's Cranford (although Wikipedia tells me that the recent series was actually filmed in Wiltshire). Being more of a Brontë fangirl myself, my reason for going there was the town's main point of interest, Tatton Park.

Altough I'd done some research beforehand, I really wasn't prepared for the sheer size of the place. The park itself is HUGE: it took me almost an hour to make my way to the mansion.

Within the park, there were several big gardens, all of which were very impressive. Above the Italian garden behind the big house.

The Japanese garden, however, was my favourite. 

  I've seen quite a few historic houses in my time, but Tatton Park still managed to impress me. Also, five hours wasn't nearly enough to see everything; I would have liked to see the old Tudor hall, and to spend more time just walking around the park in the company of the deer and the sheep. Knutsford itself was a pleasant-looking place, and certainly worth more than a quick walk-through.

Still to come: A Suitably English Excursion, Pt. 3: The Wonders of Shrewsbury.