Just a short one today since it’s only going to be relevant to my North West based readers – sorry Southerners!
I wanted to tell you about Bruntwood Park in Cheadle, because we went last weekend with some friends and the kids had an absolute blast. It’s the perfect park, if such a thing exists.
You’ll find it just off the A34 in Stockport, with plenty of parking, loads to do, and an added bonus for fans of aeroplanes. You see, the park is very close to Manchester Airport, so planes are frequently coming in to land right over the park. This means you get a pretty unique view of them as they come over. My little boy loved it. He’s never seen a plane so low down before and it blew his tiny mind.
Anyway, planes aside, Bruntwood Park has loads to offer for a day out with the kids, so let me tell you about it.
Landscaped Playground
This is obviously where we spent a large amount of our visit.
What’s a landscaped playground? Glad you asked! It’s not your typical fenced off council job with two swings, a seesaw and a slide. Oh no. It’s properly designed into zones and builds in natural elements like hills, logs and sand. It’s hard to explain but it makes the playground flow so much better.
It’s got some really cool stuff in it too.
Our favourite area were these interactive digital play pillars. I’m not sure what they are technically supposed to be called, but there is one central pillar where you can cycle through different games, then, the circle of pillars around it light up in different ways and the kids have to race to touch them and turn them off, or find their colour, or get as many as they can in a certain amount of time, etc. Our lot were exhausted by the end of it, and that goes for some of the grown ups too!
What’s so great is that everything is really spread out. Each piece of equipment stands alone in its own little area, so the boundaries of each area are clearly defined. Plus, sight lines are amazing so your kids can run off and you can still see them.
I never thought playground design would be something that got me excited but apparently funny things happen to you in your 40s! 😂
Cafe: Kiosk and The Vinery
Right next to the playground you have the Kiosk, which is a bit more of a rough and ready place to get a drink – imagine a non-smiling battle axe of a woman spooning heaped plastic spoonfulls of sugar into an instant coffee – and further afield in you have The Vinery, which is nicer.
Although to be fair the coffee at The Vinery was horrible! The cake was very nice though.
The Vinery has lots of indoor seating but there is also a terrace out the back which looks onto a large garden where the kids can tire themselves out while you and your friends chat and pile on some calories 😂🍰 Very reasonably priced too, I thought.
There are some benches outside the Kiosk with a good view of the playground, but you’re right next to the toilets, and who wants that when they are trying to enjoy a Snickers and a can of Vimto?
Other Reasons to Visit
There’s lots more to do at Bruntwood Park, especially if you have slightly older children:
- BMX Track – We didn’t go on this because there was event taking place when we visited. It looked like a race or competition – there was even live commentary. Usually though, the BMX track is open to all. It’s amazing too, really big and suitable for beginners or experienced riders. They have their own club.
- Pitch and Putt – I got the impression this was aimed at adults, it’s not a crazy golf type place, but if you have older kids it’s definitely an option.
- Archery Range – This was in use when we were there too, so we watched the archers doing their thing for a while.
- Oddfellows – This is a hotel, restaurant, and bar. I wouldn’t say Bruntwood Park is good enough to warrant an overnight stay lol, but Oddfellows looked lovely and it’s won loads of awards. The restaurant is open to anyone though so you could get a posh lunch. It’s a lovely looking place that joins on to the Vinery.
Walks and Wetlands
Bruntwood Park isn’t massive, which is great actually because it means nothing is ever too far away, and the kids can’t go too far. There is still room for some nice walks though.
You’ll find a stream, some mature woodlands, a copse that’s great for kids to make a den, wetlands, all sorts of little places to explore and have adventures.
None of them are very long so they are great for little legs that get tired easily.
The whole place used to be a forest a long time ago, and it’s changed a lot over the years, but what’s left is a perfect mix. It’s part country estate, part playground, part woodland… and part plane spotters paradise ✈️