Fans of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice are in for a treat because the National Trust has just made one of the properties used to film the BBC’s iconic mini-series available as a holiday let.
The Lyme Estate in Cheshire, which many will recognise as Pemberley, aka heartthrob Mr. Darcy’s enormous stately home from the TV series, is now open to visitors – with Austen (and Colin Firth) fans now able to stay the night and live out their own Regency romance.
The National Trust, which owns the property, has made a former gamekeeper’s cottage on the estate known as Lyme East House available to let for short getaway breaks.
A short walk from the grand manor house that acted as the backdrop for the cult TV series, the cottage can be rented for two-night stays with prices starting from £315 in September.
The two-bedroom Edwardian property accommodates a maximum of four guests and two dogs, an added bonus for Austen fans with pets.
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Image: National Trust
Image: National Trust
As for entertainment, aside from living out your own personal Mr Darcy romance (although taking a dip in the lake to recreate the series’ most famous wet-shirted scene is not recommended) visitors can also stroll the grounds, tickle the ivories on the cottage piano, and watch the red deer gallivanting in the grounds.
You can promenade through the rose gardens arm in arm, as well as exploring the ravine garden and the estate’s many herbaceous borders, not to mention enjoying free access to the Lyme Estate where a large amount of the iconic 1995 TV series was filmed.
Nearby, there is also the Timber Yard Coffee Shop to be explored for tea, coffee, and cake, and a restaurant that is open for lunch daily.
Image: National Trust
Image: National Trust
A description of the Lodge reads as follows: “Swap grey window views for vast panoramas of green countryside and roaming red deer. You’ll be nestled on the eastern boundary of Lyme’s 1,400 acre historic deer park when you stay in this two-bedroom Edwardian cottage. It overlooks the moorland plateau of Kinder Scout and the historic cage banqueting tower, which was used as a 16th-century hunting lodge.
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“Inside the sandstone house you’ll find an inviting space with spacious rooms that retain some of their original features. It can also accommodate your dogs too. There’s a garden at the rear of the cottage for pup to stretch his legs.
“Take advantage of free access to the Lyme estate. Explore the many walking trails or visit the main house where the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice was filmed.
“If you want to delve further into the moorlands and craggy terrains of the Peak District, a 20 minute drive will take you into the heart of the National Park. Or for the spa town of Buxton is just a 35 minute drive from here.”
Trains to start running to and from Manchester Airport all night from next month
Emily Sergeant
A new train timetable is being introduced next month, and it means services are to start running all night to and from Manchester Airport.
Thanks to train operator TransPennine Express (TPE), eight new services are set to be introduced from Sunday 17 May onwards – which is when, alongside the rest of the rail industry, the company will be introducing a new timetable – and this means there will be a train roughly every hour between Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport all day, every day.
The move to introduce these new services is aimed at ‘improving connectivity’ for passengers travelling early in the morning or late at night, TPE explained.
As mentioned, the new airport trains also accompany a number of other upcoming additional services across Greater Manchester and the North West as a whole.
Trains to start running to and from Manchester Airport all night from next month / Credit: Northern
Passengers can expect to see additional weekday stops on peak-time Leeds to Manchester Piccadilly services to support students and commuters.
Extra services will also be added for a month over the summer during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
“Although most of our services are unchanged, we encourage customers to take a moment to check any journeys they make regularly,” commented Andrew McClements, who is the Customer Experience & Transformation Director at TPE, ahead of the new timetable being rolled out next month.
“We’re pleased to be introducing services that give customers more choice, added flexibility, and an improved overall experience when travelling with us.”
Featured Image – TransPennine Express
Travel & Tourism
Manchester’s newest hotel launches massive recruitment drive with 100+ jobs available
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s newest hotels has launched a massive recruitment drive with more than 100 jobs available to locals.
The Medlock, Manchester’s bold new 401-bedroom hotel – which is born from a partnership between Manchester City Football Club and Radisson Hotel Group, and is set to open later this year in the autumn – is looking for new team members across a wide range of areas, including front of house, housekeeping, engineering, and reservations.
To welcome these new team members onboard, the hotel has now launched a massive recruitment drive with dozens of roles available to local people.
Individuals who bring ‘authenticity, pride, and personality’ to everything they do are encouraged to apply for the roles – which go live early next week (Monday 27 April).
Aimed at boosting employment within the local community, vacancies span front-of-house, housekeeping, engineering and reservations.
The recruitment drive – delivered in partnership with Total People – is being lead by Valor Hospitality, the hotel’s operator chosen for its global expertise and people-first approach to hospitality, and will be offering tailored training programmes that are designed to make careers in hospitality accessible to Manchester residents.
Vocational qualifications across a range of skills will help individuals build confidence and step into rewarding roles in the industry, and it also means prior experience is not entirely necessary.
More than 100 roles will be available to local people / Credit: Supplied
General Manager Richard Pearson says the recruitment drive is a ‘unique opportunity to be part of an exciting partnership’.
“This is a milestone we’ve been eagerly anticipating, building the team that will bring The Medlock to life,” he added. “We’re looking for people who carry the spirit of Manchester with them, people who are proud of where they’re from and passionate about creating something special together.”
Georgina Pellant -
7th August 2023 
