need a place to picnic off M6, not a services. around manchesterish? help please.

[cylon]

last year a lovely mumsnetter reccomended a park in moffat to picnic in and it was completly fab. one of the highlights of our trip.
does anyone know any place we could have a picnic, or eat a nice meal away from the services, about two hours out of birmingham?
tia

[TotalChaos]

Heaton Park is a mahoosive park near a motorway Junction, and is four miles out of Manchester.

[Pixiefish]

Tatton Park in Manchester is gorgeous. Loads to do there as well.

Or Sale Water park

[Lilymaid]

Get off at Knutsford and go to Tatton House. There is a charge per car to go into the grounds but it does have a large adventure playground, cafe, shops and plenty of space.

[cylon]

ooo, all you lovely people.

[cylon]

heaton park looks lovely, but i think being on the M60, will be too far out of our way.
tatton house looks perfect. will we be able to bring oour own picnic, or will we have to buy food there???
will check out sale water park now.

[Judd]

Tatton Park is a National Trust one. Definitely take your own picnic but there's a nice cafe if you fancy afternoon coffee or ice creams later! It's also good for little children to take bikes or scooters.

[cylon]

sale also looks lovely. but a bit further out than i want to go. we are driving from london to edinburgh on friday, and need to get to edinburgh at reasonalbe time.
any other ideas please? especially further up?

[cylon]

no bikes i dont think my bidke rack could withstand a four hundred mile trip.
i was hoping to take our own picnic as trying to cut costs of travel anyways. but yes, the ice cream idea sounds wonderfu.l.

[Clayhead]

Tatton Park is great, as is Dunham Massey, which is close by the M6 and M56.

[brandnewhelsy]

this might be a bit different but still a services

[cylon]

thanks clayhead, that looks lovely too. now i have too many choices.
brandnew, i saw those services on the services of motorways website. i have that down as a definite toilte spot, and woul d have been lunch spot too if i couldnt find anything else.
it may still be a lunch/tea spot, depending on =how far up we get.

[cylon]

any ideas of places that are free, or minimal charge further north?

[Gobbledigook]

I second Tatton or Dunham.

[Pixiefish]

When I was going to Perth last year we stopped at a water park on the border somewhere. Twas on the west way though as i was going from Wales.
Just asking Yorkiegirl where it is now- Annandale water park. Motorway services but with a lovely lake with picnic area. Plus loos to use

[Pixiefish]

here

[cylon]

thanks pixie. that's perfect.

[cylon]

second leg of my journey on saturday any help really appreciated.

[cylon]

hi all
just got back.
tatton park was lovely. i wish we had been able to spend longer there, as it was definitly a spend all day kind of place. but we had a lovely picnic. the kids had a play, and it was just so nice to see greenery after the m6.