BUSYBUS BIG HOUSE TOUR

Busybus are pleased to bring you this fantastic Big House bus tour from Chester and Manchester Airport on a regular, circular route to some of the best Big Houses and Attractions in Cheshire.

Departures are every Sunday and Bank Holiday throughout 2008 using modern, comfortable mid-sized executive vehicles along with a friendly driver and guide. 

You are free to hop on, hop off at any stop and explore lots of famous places whilst enjoying the outstanding scenery. We guarantee you will witness some of the most unusual and unique locations that Cheshire has to offer.

DEPARTURE DATES

• Commencing: Monday, 24th March 2008 

• Every Sunday

• Every Bank Holiday

• Last Bus: Sunday, 14th September 2008

TYPICAL TIMETABLE

Subject to Change. An accurate version will be issued upon boarding.

Your tour departs from the Chester Visitor Centre on Vicars Lane in Chester at 9:30am and then proceeds to Manchester Airport (Train and Bus Station - called The Station) Stand "G" after a quick stop at Tatton Park. Thereafter, the bus takes a route that stops multiple times at the wonderful locations detailed below to co-ordinate with opening times and allowing enough time to explore a selection of your chosen places.

You will, of course, be returned to your starting point at various times throughout the day, the last being at 5:45pm to the Chester Visitor Centre.

Tabley House was designed by John Carr of York for Sir Peter Byrne Leicester, Bt., and completed in 1769.

JMW Turner, Henry Thompson and James Ward were among the many painters who stayed at Tabley. Today, important works by them can be seen in the rooms for which they were created, together with fine paintings by Dobson, Lely, Reynolds, Cotes, Northcote, Callcott, Fuseli, Lawrence and Martin.

The house will be open from Friday, 25th March until the end of October from 2pm to 5pm. Admission £4.00 (adults); £1.50 (children and students with card).

Stockley Farm is a modern working dairy farm of 700 acres, an organic farm set in the beautiful Cheshire countryside on the Arley Estate with a herd of 150 Holstein / Friesian cows. Visitors can watch them being milked from a viewing gallery along side the computerised milking parlour.

Why not take a tractor and trailer ride down to the farm from Arley Hall? There are always baby animals for the children to handle and feed such as newborn calves, piglets, goats, lambs, chicks and rabbits.

The friendly staff at Stockley are on hand to help and tell you all about the animals.

Relax in our tea room with it's extensive menu and don't forget the Souvenir shop.

Arley Hall, with its ancient history and over 100 acres of gardens and parkland, has been owned and maintained by the same family for over 500 years. The original hall was built by Piers Warburton in 1468 and the cruck barn and other outbuildings date from that period.

The present hall and chapel were built by Rowland Egerton-Warburton between 1832 and 1845 in the Victorian-Jacobean style. Each of the main rooms in the hall has an individual character and charm. There is fine plaster work and paneling, a magnificent library and historic family furniture, pictures and porcelain. Arley is now the home of Viscount and Viscountess Ashbrook.

The Arley estate consists of over 2,000 acres of parkland, farmland and woodland with several farms, cottages and estate buildings. The delightful Arley Green, with its listed buildings and village green, is a secret gem tucked away on the estate and only accessible by footpath.

Tatton Park has so much to offer with its two historic houses, the Mansion and Tudor Old Hall, set in 1000 acres of beautiful parkland with lakes, tree-lined avenues and herds of red and fallow deer. Award-winning gardens, a working farm, specialty shops and a superb program of special events complete the picture.

The Mansion is the jewel in Tatton's crown. It offers a truly fascinating glimpse of the style, taste and history of the Egerton family with lavish state rooms, family memorabilia, fine collections and the domestic realities of the extensive servants' quarters. It is a house offering contrasting moods and experiences.

When the Egerton family considered the development of a new garden to reflect the latest horticultural whim or fashion, they simply converted more of the park into garden by moving the boundary fence rather than building over an existing garden. That is why today the gardens at Tatton are so extensive and contain a variety of styles drawn together within the framework of woodland and pleasure grounds.

Located near Northwich in Cheshire, the Anderton Boat Lift is one of the greatest monuments to Britain's last canal age and known as the "Cathedral of the Canals".

Built in 1875 it was the world's first, and is the UK's only, Boat Lift. It was reopened in March 2002 following a £7 million restoration programme and now provides what can only be described as a shear marvel of an experience whether interested in canals or not.

A partnership of public, private and voluntary organisations are currently helping to restore canals within the UK  at the same rate that they were built at the height of canal mania of the 1790's. The Anderton Boat Lift is one of British Waterways flagship restoration projects restoring the lift back to its original working order.

The Anderton Boat Lift Lift has been fully restored with a new hydraulic operation system. The 1908 structure and pulley wheels have been retained as a static monument for all to inspect within the grounds.

Boat owners and visitors alike are able to ride the Lift once again, for a nominal charge. The journey takes around 30 minutes and really is worth doing.

The Operations Centre boast's a 2 storey facility with cafe area and superb viewing deck along with museum pieces and excellent information walls.

The lower level houses an exhibition area along with the lift control console allowing visitors to see how the operators control the lift as it carries out it's daily schedule.

We will pass through some of Cheshire's most beautiful countryside seeing some of those wonderful little Cheshire gems scattered around, quite literally all over the place!

There will be numerous traditional Cheshire villages on our journey offering a chance to see just about everything "English" in a village community with their churches, village center, cobbled streets, local shops and thatched cottages.

Cheshire is a county of many parts, each with its own charms and attractions for visitors and is jam packed full of variety with places like  historic Northwich in the county's rolling Salt country - and Daresbury, birthplace of Alice in Wonderland creator Lewis Carroll.

Yet Cheshire is so more than even the locals know about! It is a great accessible destination - rich in gardens and heritage, exciting family attractions and fascinating museums, intriguing craft centers and tempting designer shopping.

That's why this essentially traditional English county is becoming ever more popular with people looking for quality experiences, whether on days out, short breaks or for longer holidays.

If you're looking for somewhere different to visit, look no further than Blakemere. Not only do we have unique shops offering hundreds of unusual items from around the world, we are also set in and around beautifully restored Edwardian stables in the heart of the Cheshire countryside.

Come and see for your self why Blakemere is a really great day out for all the family with over 30 different shops offering a huge selection of items made both locally and from around the world. Find gifts ranging from jewelry to teddy bears, ladies clothing to antique beds and beauty products to chocolates. We have everything you need for yourself, your home and your garden.

Various demonstrations are held in several workshops at Blakemere including Beauty, Greeting Card making, Teddy Bear making, Chocolate making and Pottery with 'drop-in' workshops sometimes available.

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So, come and join us on our next Big House Tour adventure . You are guaranteed satisfaction, of which we are totally reliant on for the success of our business. Please remember to pre-book early as space is limited on this very popular tour.

BUSYBUS Bus Tours looks forward to being part of your Cheshire memories!!

Head Office
"Casabella", Vicarage Lane, Little Budworth, Cheshire, England. CW6 9BP

TEL: +44 (0)8708 741800  or  +44 (0)7017 420460

24-HOUR / EMERGENCY: +44 (0)7977 463965

 FAX: ++44 (0)870 284 8506         E-mail: info@busybus.co.uk

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