Arley Hall & Gardens

Cost: Family ticket £36 plus £4 parking
Ages: 4 to 11
Where: Northwich, Cheshire
Weather: Mostly outdoors
Booking: Pay on the gate, or book online - cheaper

Grand gardens about seven miles from Warrington, which feels like cheating. The double herbaceous border is the famous bit for adults; children get the Grove and woodland walk, where sculptures including a life-size cow and calf and a giant dragonfly wait to be found, plus an adventure play zone in the parkland with a zip wire, sandpit, swings and den building.

Garden tickets cover all of it except the hall: £13 for adults, £6.50 for 4 to 16s, £36 for a family of five, plus £4 to park. Book online and it comes down a bit. The Gardener's Kitchen cafe handles lunch, dogs on leads are welcome everywhere except the play zone, and the hall opens on selected days for an extra charge if anyone insists.

The honest split: the borders are the point for you, the play zone is the point for them, and the Grove is where the two negotiate. The gardens stay open every day except Christmas Day, and winter entry drops to £7 and £4, which makes a crisp December walk here surprisingly good value.

What it costs: High season (March to start of November): adults £13, children 4 to 16 £6.50, family of five £36, plus £4 per car. Low season drops to £7 and £4. Hall entry is an extra charge on selected days.

Know before you go

Book online rather than paying on the gate - advance tickets are discounted and the £4 parking applies either way.
Do the borders and the Grove first and save the play zone for last, or you will never see the gardens. Last entry is 4.30pm in season.

What’s on at Arley Hall & Gardens

The Nightmare Before Christmas Light Trail at Arley

Arley Hall & Gardens, near Northwich

Selected evenings, 22 October to 3 January, timed entry

Jack Skellington, Sally and Zero in lights, projections and sculptures round Arley's gardens, set to the film's songs. It is the spookier end of Christmas and about 75 minutes of walking outdoors on a one-way route, with pushchairs recommended for children five and under. Arley only hosts it, so questions and bookings go to the organiser, and use postcode CW9 6NA then follow event signs, not the sat nav.

Price not listedTimed tickets through Fever, arrive 15 minutes early

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