September 20^th 2008 heralds the beginning of the Bollington Chamber Concerts 2008-2009 Season, www.bollingtonatrscentre.co.uk with many concerts and much good music to choose from.  If you have bought a ticket for these concerts and choose to stay at Harrop Fold please show your ticket and a complimentary supper tray will be left in your room.

May 8^th-25^th 2009 is the Bollington Festival – as soon as details are released, we will list the website.  Complimentary tea or supper trays will be given to guests who show their tickets when arriving to Harrop Fold Farm – or why not book a pre-theatre feast in the farmhouse?

How about a Green Day Out? Whilst resident at Harrop Fold leave your car in the farmyard for the day and on your return one of our farm jute shoppers full of treats will be ready for you as a reward!  Imagine not worrying about any carbon footprints…cost of fuel…just relax in the beautiful fresh air and experience that ‘green Thought in a green Shade’!  Forgotten your wellies?…There is a good selection on the rack – help yourself!  Maybe completely indulge yourself and book dinner in the Farmhouse, or if staying in Mellow Brook Cottage you have the choice of dinner in the Farmhouse or one of Leah’s wonderful ready prepared meals waiting in your fridge.

Cycle hire may be arranged locally and the Middlewood Way is a pleasant cycle ride from Macclesfield to Marple, passing through Higher Poynton with its former coal mining history.

Just for an idea of distances, here are the approximate journey times:

5 minutes drive to Bollington with its lovely canal and mills, or only a beautiful 15-minute stroll down the fields and across the stream.

10 minutes drive reaches Macclesfield, not many visitors are aware of its fascinating silk history along with the interesting architecture of the original silk weavers cottages.  Take the foot trail around the town and learn a little about what must be one of Cheshire’s best-kept secrets.  Lunch may be enjoyed in one of the lovely tearooms or at All Seasons Deli – just mention to Adam that you are staying at Harrop Fold and he will treat you especially well!

15 minutes to the fascinating  Anson Museum of Engines in Poynton.  Not just ‘boy’s toys’ – a truly amazing trip out.

20 minutes or so is the train journey time into Manchester from Macclesfield which offers an abundance of theatres, museums and galleries, restaurants and shops and no problems with parking – and how environmentally friendly – do this and you will be rewarded by a delicious cake on your table on your return to Harrop Fold!

20 minutes drive is the Goyt Valley and Buxton with its glorious Georgian crescent or Style Mill too is fascinating with the most powerful working waterwheel in Europe and its wonderful Industrial Revolution history (and really good tea room!)  Lovely woodland and riverside walks make a good contrast.

30 minutes to Tatton Park with the beautiful Mansion, paradisal gardens to explore and the tempting Housekeepers Store full of delicious treats, or maybe a trip around the farm with their especially gorgeous rare breed pigs.  Cycles may be hired here.

¾ hour's drive to Alton Towers Theme Park, Staffordshire for thrills and squeals; or Chatsworth House with its beautiful gardens and park, interesting farmyard, children's adventure park; or perhaps Bakewell, famous for its Puddings (and Tarts!) as well as the beauty of Haddon Hall and Castleton home to the caverns and Blue John stone.

1 hour's drive away to Chester, Visit Cheshire the beautiful Roman walled city offering boat trips down the River Dee, a Cathedral and ‘The Rows’ – our Capital of Cheshire.

Visiting Harrop Fold Farm offers lots of opportunities for days out, maybe you might like to look at our new visitor guide for ideas on things to do when you visit us.

Whilst the bus service is very poor and it would be most difficult to arrive or depart using this service, we are committed to help guests who visit using public transport and will try to collect guests from Macclesfield railway station.  If we cannot for any reason offer this service we will give the name and phone number of a good local taxi service.  Harrop Fold can be reached direct from London in 1 hr 58 minutes and from Manchester in around 20 minutes.