Biddulph Grange Garden is one of the most intriguing and unusual National Trust properties in the country.
On a trip to this hidden gem, visitors can see gardens inspired by ancient Egypt, Italy and China in a single stroll.
It’s been described as a ‘horticultural Disneyland’, with entire continents crammed into sections of the garden.
A wander around the fascinating Grade I-listed grounds will bring you face-to-face with a group of stone sphinxes, a bright red Chinese pagoda by a lake, and a tiered Italian-style garden.
There’s also a Tudor-style Cheshire cottage and a sweeping Victorian garden with views of the valley below.
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The grounds at Biddulph Grange, right on the Staffordshire border with Cheshire, were designed by horticulturalist James Bateman as a ‘playful paradise’.
James took his massive collection of plants from around the globe and built entire worlds dedicated to them on his land, which are carefully preserved today by the National Trust.
This garden within Biddulph Grange packs in tonnes of features inspired by Chinese gardens.
There’s a red and turquoise pagoda overlooking a small lake with a traditional bridge crossing it, a small joss house (or temple), a tower, and even its very own ‘Great Wall’.
Red dragons are carved into the lawns and a golden sacred water buffalo sculpture overlooks the whole scene.
Bateman built his mansion in an Italian style, and the formal tiered gardens around it reflect that.
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The incredible terraces are packed with plants from around the world – it might be Italian in style, but Italian plants apparently don’t grow well on a wet and windy English hillside.
There aren’t many parts of the UK that could compare with the drama of the Himalayan mountains, but Biddulph Grange has tried to capture some of that magic in its glen area.
It’s filled with beautiful rock walls, streams, waterfalls and ferns.
There’s also a High Walk so you can take in the views of the garden from up high, before heading through to the tunnels that lead to the China Garden.
This unusual looking corner of the garden is The Stumpery, where dead tree stumps are used as scaffolding for climbing plants.
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Biddulph Grange’s stumpery is the oldest in the country and has been copied by many other gardens, including at Highgrove, Prince Charles’ home in Gloucestershire.
This Tudor-style cottage dates back to 1856 and its facade includes the initials of James and his wife Maria.
The National Trust has drawn possible links between the Cheshire Cottage and Queen Victoria’s famous Swiss Cottage, which she built for her nine children around the same time.
In Bateman’s time, the cottage would have been the commanding focus surrounded by small trees – now it’s dwarfed by amazing mature conifers.
Biddulph Grange is open from 10am to 3.30pm, Saturday to Wednesday, throughout January.
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It’s between 45 minutes and an hour to drive there from most parts of Greater Manchester.
You can also get there by taking the train to Congleton then a short bus ride on the 94 service to St Lawrence’s Church.
You can find out more about Biddulph Grange Garden at the National Trust website here.
Featured image: National Trust Images/John Miller
Things To Do
Manchester’s new real-life Pac-Man experience is coming soon and you can grab early bird tickets
Danny Jones
Manchester already boasts a whole host of interactive games bars and activity destinations to boast, but we feel pretty confident in saying that there are very places on the planet where you can find a place to play a real-life version of Pac-Man.
First announced back in October and now scheduled to debut in March 2025, the Pac-Man Live Experience is the newest addition to Manchester’s growing entertainment scene and it’s promising to be a popular one too.
This brand-new life-sized immersive experience plunges players into the nostalgic world of the iconic video game we all know and love, only instead of using joysticks on an old-school arcade machine, they’ll physically sprint, dodge, and chomp their way through a maze.
Although the launch itself is still a few months away, the team behind this ingenious idea are getting ready for the frenzy and putting early bird tickets on sale ahead of opening day.
Credit: Concept Image (supplied)
So how does it work?
Good question: participants can gear up in a PAC vest and step into the role of the instantly recognisable yellow chomper, collecting power pellets, dodging the classic ghost characters – BLINKY, PINKY, INKY, and CLYDE – and racking up points on their way to victory.
Guided through an epic 12-level adventure, players will be led by the ‘PAC-MASTER’: a lively gameshow host who serves as commentator and referee; players will also be accompanied by immersive in-game effects like sound bites, lighting, and haptic (vibration) feedback to elevate the experience. Cool, right?
The striking Arcade Arena will feature two massive PAC-MAN courts projected onto the floor, while dynamic visuals transform the walls, fully immersing participants in the retro arcade universe. There’s no need for headsets either, so players can embark on a multi-sensory adventure, seamlessly blending the real world with augmented reality.
Created by Tom Lionetti-Maguire, the CEO and Founder of Little Lion Entertainment – the same team behind The Crystal Maze Live Experience, Tomb Raider, and Chaos Karts to the likes of London and more recently Manchester –
The whole thing has been brought to life in partnership with Bandai Namco Entertainment, lending the proper licensing to make the experience feel both fun and authentic. It’s the real deal.
Credit: Supplied
Early bird tickets for Pac-Man Live Manchester
If you’re not sold on playing a human-sized, real-life game of Pac-Man in a huge augmented-reality arena right here in Manchester then we don’t know what to tell you, to be honest – all we know is that we’ll be first in line when it arrives.
The Pac-Man Live Experience comes to the Arcade Arena on 22 March next year in line with the game’s 40th anniversary, and they’re inviting players of all ages and providing engaging gameplay for younger participants while delivering a nostalgic throwback that parents and grandparents will cherish.
Better yet, if you book during the early bird window, you can access discount ticket prices from just £25 per person too.
Early bird tickets go on sale at 12 noon today (Thursday, 21 November) – you can grab yours HERE.
Greater Manchester cinemas are screening loads of classic Christmas films throughout December
Emily Sergeant
Cinemas across the UK will be screening loads of classic festive films in the run-up to Christmas, and you can already book tickets.
With the nights drawing in, the temperatures dropping by the day, and the most wonderful time of the year now firmly in our sights, film fans looking for some wholesome festive fun in the run-up to the big day itself will soon be able to head on down to their nearest Greater Manchester cinema to catch a classic on the big screen.
Vue, Odeon, and The Light are among the cinema chains set to screen a handful of beloved Christmas films throughout December.
Although there may already be a TV channel showing Christmas films 24/7 now on air in the UK, if you fancy seeing the festivities in full screen instead, then you can watch showings of fan-favourites like Elf, Home Alone, Love Actually, and more over the next few weeks.
Greater Manchester cinemas are screening loads of classic Christmas films throughout December / Credit: 20th Century Studios | Universal Pictures
You can also see seasonal screenings of live ballet, theatre, and concert performances too.
Undoubtably one of the highlights on the lineup this year, however, has to be The Polar Express, with several cinema chains scheduled to screen the 2004 animated Christmas gem to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its release.
Starring Tom Hanks alongside a talented supporting cast of voice actors, The Polar Express is based on the beloved children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg and tells the story of a young boy who boards a powerful magical train to visit Santa Claus’ home on Christmas Eve, learning about friendship, bravery, and the spirit of Christmas along the way.
Elf, Home Alone, and Love Actually are among the films on the lineup / Credit: Krists Luhaers (via Unsplash)
Looking for a more intimate festive film experience this Christmas?
Well you can also get yourself down to one of Manchester’s most popular hotels, King Street Townhouse, where a jam-packed lineup of classics will be screened in its very-own exclusive cinema over the next two months.
Here you can also complete your seasonal experience with festive-themed cocktails, popcorn, pick n mix, and a whole host of other treats too.