Tegg's Nose Country Park
A gritstone hill above Macclesfield with old quarry machinery to clamber round, a summit view across the whole Cheshire Plain and a good coffee shop at the bottom. Free apart from the pay and display car park.
Blaze Farm
- Cost
- Free entry, pay for ice cream and cake
- Ages
- 1 to 12
- Where
- Macclesfield, Cheshire
- Weather
- Mostly outdoors
- Booking
- Just turn up
Blaze Farm is a working hill farm on the A54 Congleton to Buxton road at Wildboarclough, on the edge of the Peak District and about 6 miles from Macclesfield. The Waller family run it, entry is free, and the point of the trip is ice cream. Hilly Billy is made on the farm with Peak District milk, and the tea room does home-baked cakes. You will not need persuading to stay for a second scoop.
Walk it off on the nature trails, which run through meadow and ancient woodland with carvings to spot on the way. The basic trail splits halfway into a short and a longer version, and the first half is fine for buggies and wheelchairs. The advanced trail climbs up and across the top of the wood for the views over the village, and wants proper shoes. Dogs on leads, and none at all in April.
The catch is the rule on picnics: there are none, because the food and ice cream sales are what keep entry free. Opening is 10am to 5.30pm, Wednesday to Sunday plus bank holiday Mondays, but from November to March Wednesdays close too. At Easter there is a ticketed lambing shed with a viewing gallery and a chance to cuddle a lamb, and pottery painting runs at the Potty Sheep studio if you book ahead.
What it costs: Free entry and free parking. Lambing shed tickets at Easter 2026 were £7.50 each (£2.50 for under-2s), booked online in 45 minute slots. Pottery painting at the Potty Sheep studio is booked and paid separately. Cards taken with a £5 minimum.
Know before you go
- From November to March it is also shut on Wednesdays, so winter opening is Thursday to Sunday, 10am to 5.30pm. Always closed Mondays (except bank holidays) and Tuesdays.
- No picnics. Entry is free because they rely on the cafe and ice cream sales, so budget for lunch there.
- Lambing tickets sell out. The 2026 run was 28 March to 12 April and was fully booked, so watch the website from late winter.
Seasonal: Lambing shed at Easter only. Check before travelling.
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