It is easy to dismiss Cheshire as a WAGs’ playground, but dig a little deeper and it proves to be a class act.
Take the 1,000-acre, National Trust-owned Tatton Park, in Knutsford, onetime seat of the Egerton family.
Historic Cheshire: Tatton Hall, a medieval wonder, was heavily remodelled in the 18th century
My daughter Lucy, ten, and niece Rain, nine, scamper around the neoclassical mansion and its medieval Old Hall.
There’s also an adventure playground, rare breeds animal farm and deer park. A 1¼-milelong conservation trail opens in July. Later, we lunch at the Gardener’s Cottage on vegetables grown on the estate.
Cosy: Cheshire Boutique Barns is a cluster of farm buildings converted into five-star boltholes
Self-sufficiency was the mantra of another of Cheshire’s one-time overlords — William Hesketh Lever. In the late 19th century, William and his brother James set up Lever Brothers, making Sunlight Soap. Lever put his superior, multi-use product in bright packaging.
Business boomed.
Lever believed in nurturing his workforce. So, in 1888, he started work on Port Sunlight in Wirral — a community of homes beside his new factory. Employees could grow food on allotments, keep bees and enjoy the Lady Lever gallery.
Take a seat, slip off your shoes: The cottages offer delightful views of the Cheshire countryside
Today, it houses paintings by Gainsborough and Constable. There is also a museum showcasing the site’s history, including the fact that in August 1962 a fresh-faced Ringo Starr made his debut with The Beatles at Port Sunlight.
After our history lesson, it’s good to be back at base.
We are staying 15 minutes from the Roman town of Nantwich, in the countryside surroundings of Cheshire Boutique Barns, a collection of old farm buildings converted into five-star self-catering boltholes.
Warmth and wonder: The properties have special design flourishes, like standalone bathtubs
Up in the rafters: There is plenty of space for a family to enjoy a happy weekend away
I’m in the cosy Nest with Lucy, while my mum Ingrid, sister-in-law Joy and Rain spread out in the plush Garden Room barn. Lucy and Rain are thrilled by the zipwire at the bottom of the adjoining field.
One evening, owner Rachael Hill sets us up for stargazing in front of a log fire with marshmallows to toast.
Rain sets her marshmallow alight and declares: ‘It’s super-charged!’ Alas, there are no stars tonight. No matter — chuck another marshmallow on the fire, Mother …