One of the best things about being invited to stay away from home to showcase accommodation is getting to explore new parts of the country which I’ve never visited before. Or, in the case of Cheshire, somewhere I haven’t been for a very, very long time. Shacks reached out to me earlier this year to invite us to stay in one of their new off grid cabins, which fill the gap between glamping and a cottage stay.
We chose to stay in Starling, one of their newest additions, nestled in the heart of the Cheshire countryside close to Tarporley. The cabins are all off grid and eco-friendly, but well equipped with the necessities you need to enjoy a few days of total peace and quiet. Starling is solar powered, with a cosy log burner, radio and selection of board games – and so utterly quiet. The perfect place to relax and read – after a busy day exploring of course.
I stayed here with one of my friends and Merry – although it would have been perfect for Coal, in such a secluded and quiet spot. We didn’t see a soul the whole time we were there! Starling is well set back from the farm track where you park, but a handy wheelbarrow is provided to save you multiple trips backwards and forwards across the intervening field.
Once we’d arrived and unloaded our things we had worked up an appetite. The cabin is equipped with a two ring hob, as well as a small table (with clever stools which double as storage), but we were feeling extravagant and decided to eat out (the bonus of not taking Coal away is that it opens up more culinary options than staying in and cooking!). We popped down the road to the Nags Head, a 5 minute drive or a 20 minute walk, where Merry was welcomed too and provided with many biscuits and a bowl of water. Then, it was an early night in the king size bed (a step up from glamping indeed!), ready to spend the next day exploring.
With the forecast grey and overcast, but at least dry, we decided to head into Chester for a look around. Rather than parking in the city centre, we used the Boughton Heath park & ride which only cost £2.50 return, and I could take Merry on the bus too. The bus takes you right into the city centre, and after disembarking it was only a short walk to many of Chester’s tourist attractions.
We started out with a visit to Chester’s Roman amphitheater, which is rather incongruously at the side of the main road, before moving on to Chester Cathedral. I couldn’t believe the cathedral was dog friendly, but it’s true – dogs can join you everywhere apart from the cafe, lady chapel and cloister garden. Plus, it’s free to visit, although I did leave the suggested £5 donation in gratitude for being able to take Merry in. There’s lots to see at the cathedral, not just the architecture: art from local creators, information boards about the history of the site, and even a scale Lego replica of the cathedral!
Ready for lunch, we had a stroll around Chester looking for somewhere dog friendly. Rather than not being able to find anywhere, we were almost overwhelmed by too much choice! In the end we climbed up into The Rows, a second level of shops on a timber gallery running above the street, which was one of my favourite features of Chester. We ate at Little Niki’s, which was good value, before finishing off our Chester visit with a walk along the city walls. There are some good views of the city and the river, just don’t peer too far over the edge if you don’t like heights!
The park and ride is really frequent, so we didn’t have long to wait at all. Rather than heading straight back to our cabin, we hopped in the car and drove across to Beeston Castle. Set in a commanding position on the top of a rocky crag, this medieval castle is run by English Heritage and is definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area.
The castle is the starting point for a number of countryside walks, which perhaps accounts for the rather busy car park, but the castle itself was fairly quiet and there weren’t too many other people at all. It’s a short walk uphill to get to the castle, but it should be manageable for everyone and at the top there are panoramic views over the Cheshire countryside – at least, there are if there isn’t a layer of cloud covering everything like when we visited. It was atmospheric at least!
While we were there we peered down the well to see if we could spot Richard II’s lost treasure, which is supposedly hidden down there (no sign of it). The castle’s design is thought to be influenced by its builder’s crusades to the East, with Beeston in turn being an influence on the design of Beaumaris Castle in North Wales (at least according to English Heritage – according to my university course, Beaumaris was directly influenced by Edward I’s own trip to Constantinople!).
Tuckered out, we headed back to Starling for a cosy afternoon with the log burner merrily roaring away. There’s no wifi or TV in the cabin, making time spent there very restful: there is a radio and a selection of board games, but we were happy to while away a few hours reading, while Merry was content to snooze by the fire. The day was finished off with a trip to another local pub, The Yew Tree Inn, this time a 9 minute drive or a 45 minute walk. Of the two pubs we visited I’d say this one was my favourite: the food was very good, there was a good vibe inside and the service was quick with friendly staff. Not that the Nag’s Head isn’t good – I probably just enjoyed my meal here more.
In the blink of an eye it was Sunday morning, and after a slow start enjoying a cup of tea (I don’t think the novelty of hob kettles will ever wear off), we decided to treat ourselves to breakfast at Lockgate Coffee House. I managed to resist the very fancy lemon meringue croissants, although I must confess I regret that a bit now as they looked amazing! Here we parted ways, with Lucy starting her long drive back down South, while I had a more leisurely wander around Cheshire before starting my drive home.
My first stop was Delamere Forest, which I knew would be busy and initially plotted out a long route with a hill to climb in it – that usually disperses the crowds pretty quickly! However, after checking the weather forecast, I changed my mind and decided to do a shorter route to avoid a soaking – rain was forecast to start at lunch time.
The Forestry Commission has set up a few different way marked walking routes of varying lengths. I picked the shortest route for a 2 mile wander through the trees – nice and flat and easy! Possibly for this reason it was rather busy, with someone else nearly always in sight and several of the junctions having clusters of people chatting. I can see why it’s a popular dog walking spot, with plenty of opportunity to let dogs have a run off lead and lots of different trails to choose from. The autumnal colours were lovely too, and just about clinging on before the start of winter.
If you do visit with your dog, just keep in mind that there have been a few cases of Alabama Rot reported after walks here: for this reason I kept Merry on the main paths and he also had a bath when we got home. It might also be a bit too busy if you have a reactive dog, or you might need to get creative with the route you follow.
I just about had time for one last stop, and decided to call in at Dunham Massey to get the use of my National Trust membership. Dunham Massey is very geared up for families and when I arrived it was fairly busy in the visitor centre and deer park, but as soon as I went into the garden (which is paid for entry or free for members) it was much, much quieter. A few of the paths were closed and I think most of the colour had finished, but there were still some nice autumn colours as well as good views across to the house. It’s worth noting that if you visit with your dog, they are only permitted in the garden from 12pm onwards – but they are welcome in the deer park all day.
Dog friendly rating – 4/5. Dogs are welcome to join you in Shacks cabins for an additional charge of £35, and once you’re there, the cabins are surprisingly spacious – although I think 2 medium dogs might be the most you could comfortably fit in the cabin we stayed in. The real appeal of Shacks will be for owners of reactive dogs: the cabins are very quiet, and with no worries about neighbours or dogs popping up while you’re out for your evening wee, it’s much more relaxing than lots of accommodation!
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