World Urban Parks Pre-Tour 2017

Places available: 28 Cost: £150 per person

Make the most of your visit to by joining this year’s exciting guided pre-tour. The two-day itinerary has been carefully designed to ensure you have the chance to unwind at the same time as taking in famous sights not to be missed around and its closest National Park, the Peak District.

Day 1: Highlights Meeting Point: St Peters Square tram stop 9.15am Our local adventure begins with a behind the scenes stadium tour at Old , Theatre of Dreams, of Manchester United, the most successful and richest football club in the world. Just a few tram stops away, we visit the town of Sale, a popular and thriving suburb recently voted as the 4th best place to live in the . After lunching at traditional canal side pub, we explore two of Greater Manchester’s most loved green flag parks, where you will have the chance to try your hand at Crown Green Bowling, a popular and relaxing British sport. Volunteers will take you on a short tour of Gardens, a hidden greenspace gem in the heart of Sale, before we board a private barge to journey south towards the countryside. Whilst cruising along Britain's’ oldest canal, you will enjoy a traditional English Afternoon Tea, kindly hosted by the Mayor of Trafford. The barge stops just outside Dunham Massey, the National Trust’s most popular attraction in the UK. We will explore the impressive grounds of this 300 acre medieval , hosting the largest winter garden in Britain, before heading back to St Peter’s Square. In the heart of Manchester City Centre.

Day 2: The Peak District National Park Meeting point: St Peters Square, Manchester 9.30am An idyllic expanse of grassy peaks, rugged peat moors and stone-brick villages; the Peak District National Park became Britain’s first national park back in 1951 and remains one of the country’s most visited regions. We will travel by coach to the small historic rural market town of Bakewell, renowned for its Bakewell Tarts and Puddings. There will be free time to explore the museum and shops before meeting back up for a picnic (provided) along the riverbank.

In the afternoon we will visit Chatsworth House, the magnificent estate of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire where Sir Joseph Paxton designed the beautiful gardens and water features including the famous “Cascade”. The Estate continues to excel in horticultural excellence, winning “Best in Show” at the world famous Chelsea Flower Show in 2015. Our Peak District experience will end in style with a visit to the nearby Georgian Spa town of Buxton for our evening meal and to “take the waters” from St Anne’s Well, a naturally fed spring.

You will then be transported to your Sunday night accommodation in the Liverpool City Region to join the main congress.

Fine Print: All food and transport detailed in the itinerary is included. Accommodation is not included. Delegates must arrange their own hotel accommodation in Manchester for the Friday and Saturday night (13th-14th October), payable locally. Your World Urban Parks Congress pre-tour includes souvenirs from the local area, kindly sponsored by the One Trafford Partnership, responsible for looking after Trafford’s parks and green spaces. Please note that day 1 and 2 itineraries may swap around, depending on the schedule of the Manchester United football fixtures to be announced towards the end of June.

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