We’re trying to do more walking and outdoorsy stuff in 2026, and whether it’s here in Greater Manchester, Cheshire, or somewhere else nearby in the North West, we intend to lap up as much natural splendour as we can.
It goes without saying that we’re unbelievably lucky to have both the Peak and the Lake District not too far from us, but we’ll admit that sometimes we want something close by, super easy and family-friendly.
Now, that’s not to say that there isn’t plenty of that in both the Peaks and the Lakes, but when our mates asked us to come along on a slightly hungover but frosty and super picturesque morning, a key condition we expressed was that it needed to be very low difficulty.
All that being said, we’d argue you might not get a better balance of accessible and enjoyable than the Whitemoor Trail up in Delamere Forest.
Credit: The Manc Group
For starters, that level of ease begins with how you get there; put simply, not only is it less than an hour’s drive away in the car, but it’s just over a 40-minute train ride to Delamere Station, which drops you not too far from the Forest itself – especially if you’re already gearing up for a day of walking.
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You can even get the bus there, if you so wish.
Ran by Forestry England, it’s a fairly popular local attraction, as you’ll see upon arrival at the car park, but the art is in figuring out which route you want to take through the stunning hills, nature reserve and expansive treeline.
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Trust us, it’s in finding these lesser-tread trails and preferred paths that you end up finding some of the most beautiful vistas, glimpses of the native wildlife, and the most serene, sometimes impossibly quiet spots at times.
Of course, there are still plenty of people about on the site, in particular on the weekends, but it doesn’t take long to find your own slice of solace and let the outside world slowly fall away and disappear into the periphery. Go and seek your own quiet moment – you won’t regret it.
Soon, all you’ll see is the incredible landscape around you, the forest continuing to unfold in front of you
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It goes without saying that wandering through the woods is obviously some of the cleanest oxygen you might ever suck into your lungs, but it felt like the biggest breath of fresh air for our brains, too.
We can all be guilty of spending far too long sat it front of screens, staying inside – especially when it’s cold and wet out (as it often is in this region) – but we were definitely very pleased with ourselves for getting out of bed to soak in this simple morning splendour.
Of course, it doesn’t matter how early you get there, so long as you do, as the various parts of Delamere Forest each have their own special little bit of magic.
For instance, for those looking to keep the little ones engaged, there’s an official Gruffalo Trail: a beginner’s level walk with minimal elevation but plenty of hand-carved statues of the classic children’s characters.
Credit: The Manc
You’ll pass everything from almost perfectly still lakes and ponds, connecting up with Black Lake and Blakemere, as well as all types of trunks and foliage stretching far into the main Delamere Circular and well beyond that.
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Whether you want to walk it, trail run, cycle, or even go off-road and sample the different kinds of terrain, this place offers great versatility, so while it’s a perfect entry-level ramble, you can spice things up if you want to make it more of a challenge.
Finally, once you’ve checked off everything you want to see, you can take a well-earned rest at the Forest cafe and stop to get a pretty picture of any and all precious pups who’ve definitely earned a nap on the way home.
As for you lot, reward yourselves however you see fit, but please make sure to try out Whitemoor Trail and Delamere Forest: the experience won’t let you down, no matter the season.
And if you fancy getting out in the hills with even more of a spring in your step, why not try dipping your toes into trail running this year?
Inside Greater Manchester’s most EXPENSIVE house on the market with an indoor pool and supercar garage
Emily Sergeant
A new house has recently come up for sale, and it just so happens to be the most expensive house currently on the market in Greater Manchester.
So naturally, we thought we’d let you have a little look inside.
Now, before we all get carried away, it goes without saying that the vast majority of us don’t have the money to buy this house just sitting in our bank accounts right now, but if like us, you’ve got no shame in admitting you love looking at houses you can’t afford in places you’ll probably never live, then allow us to introduce you to this absolute beauty.
This is a house that’s quite literally so exclusive, the estate agents haven’t even listed where abouts it is on Rightmove.
All we know is that it’s a house in Alderley Edge – which is by far and away one of the most affluent areas in Cheshire, bordering Greater Manchester – which is currently listed for sale at an eye-watering £10.95 million, only £50,000 shy of £11 million.
Boasting nearly 13,000 sq ft of internal space, all designed bespoke by Hill House Interiors, this six-bedroom detached super luxe villa is set amongst five acres of expertly manicured private gardens that hold an orchard, pond, paddocks, stable, and even a 4G sports pitch.
Some of the stand-out features inside have to be the substantial kitchen, dining, and living room with balcony, a separate chef’s kitchen, ‘his and hers’ dressing rooms, a three-storey glazed entrance hall with floor-to-ceiling windows, and the fact that five of the bedrooms have deluxe ensuites.
If that wasn’t enough, there’s also the small matter of a cinema room, a garden room, a full ‘leisure’ suite with a stunning indoor pool, and even a luxury eight-car garage with its own bar.
This is the most expensive house currently on the market in Greater Manchester / Credit: Jackson-Stops
And to top it off, there’s a one-bedroom detached gate house on the land and planning permission exists for an additional outbuilding.
Of course, with a house this swanky, the property is set behind a secure gated entrance down a large driveway – with a sophisticated security system installed, including zoned alarm system and monitored CCTV.
This property is currently on the market with the Alderley Edge branch of national estate agents Jackson-Stops for, as mentioned, a Guide Price of a whopping £10,950,000, and if you fancy taking a closer look, then you can contact the agents to arrange a viewing.
Or you could just take the cheaper route instead and have a nosy at the Rightmove link here.
Featured Image – Jackson Stops
Cheshire
Northern bakery with Greater Manchester pop-up fires back perfectly at ‘bigots’
Danny Jones
All of us were no doubt hoping to start off 2026 on a completely positive footing, but we were gutted to see some of the messages and comments received by cult Northern favourites, Finch Bakery – still, at least they responded in a pitch-perfect way.
Who doesn’t love a good comeback?
In case you haven’t seen the story yet, Lancashire-born independent business Finch Bakery were met with a series of what they have quite rightly dubbed as “ill-educated, bigoted conversations” with a number of users on social media over flagging that lots of their food is halal-friendly.
Surely just a bonus and therefore a good thing across the board, right? Well, you would think so, but unfortunately, the beloved indies were still somehow met with backlash.
Sharing their reaction in the caption to this post, sharing a glimpse at some of the remarks they received, Finch Bakery wrote: “Just in case anyone was wondering why we’re halal-friendly: we have Muslim friends. We want to be inclusive.
“Everyone deserves to be able to shop where they want based on dietary requirements, whether that’s for religious or cultural reasons, allergy or intolerance purposes, sensory reasons, or digestive disorders.
“And we will continue to try and provide a selection for all of these people as long as it’s safe for us to do so (like our lack of a GF kitchen means we cannot provide gluten-free items). It also makes business sense to try to cater to as many people as possible.
“If you’re going to slide into an inclusive business’ DMs and then immediately block them, don’t think I won’t come for you. Yes, I’m 34. Yes, I’m a mum of 2. Yes, I’m a grown-up (apparently).”
The response to the messages, which left the team and countless others among their customer base ‘rolling their eyes’, continues: “You don’t have to agree with something to respect someone’s choices. Especially when we’re not adding any meat products into our brownies.
“We will and always will be inclusive for a wider group of people, and we are proud to be halal-friendly. If you don’t like it. Please unfollow.” Well said, guys.
The bakery itself was founded by two twin sisters, Rachel and Lauren Finch, who are now approaching more than a decade of success since opening their first proper location in Great Harwood near Blackburn. They now have pop-ups as part of the Selfridges chain.
We also enjoyed how they used it as an opportunity to simply show more of their stunning menu, which – while not fully Halal Certified – has extensive disclaimers and signposting towards what is appropriate for different diets.
Many of those individuals in question are said to have unfollowed the brand on Instagram; however, their hundreds of thousands of fans across the North West and online have sent plenty of love and praise for how they handled the situation, not to mention respecting other cultures and life choices.
If you want to show your support for a brand doing things right, which also happens to be bloody delicious, go and try some of their brilliant bakes at their site in The Trafford Centre.
Danny Jones -
24th January 2026 
