Knutsford - Park, Moor & Centre

Please Note: One clue along the route of this Trail is now inside Tatton Park. There is no charge to enter as a pedestrian but the gate is only open between 8am and 7pm.

Navigating The Route

This is a circular Treasure Hunt around Knutsford's historic streets, The Moor, literary landmarks and the edge of Tatton Park, with Explorers racing to uncover the hiding place of Gigglemug Collie-Shangles' missing scandal-soaked manuscript before the snoopers from 'Hey Up!' get their hands on it.

The quest covers approximately 1.5 miles and should take around 2 hours to complete. You'll begin near Princess Street and Tatton Street, investigate King Street and the Tatton Park gateway, head back through Drury Lane and The Moor, then continue past Brook Street Chapel Gardens, Toft Road, St John the Baptist Church and the Gaskell Memorial Tower before looping back towards the start.

This Trail is not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs. Some pavements are narrow and busy, there are steps and road crossings, and paths can become muddy after rain. The unmade road beside Moor Pool is also in poor condition, so sturdy footwear is a good shout when the weather has been soggy.

Getting There

Time to gather your Treasure Seekers and begin the hunt for Knutsford's juiciest lost scoop:

By car - Tatton Street Pay & Display car park (WA16 6AG), using ///youth.spud.surely, is a handy option and avoids Knutsford's one way system.

The quest itself begins at the corner of Princess Street and Tatton Street, at the alleyway entrance beside the pub (WA16 6BW), using ///woof.bluffing.leap.

If you're planning to visit Tatton Park as part of your day, allow enough extra time on your parking ticket.

By public transport - Make your way into Knutsford town centre, then head for the corner of Princess Street and Tatton Street to begin the adventure. The circular route brings you back to the same area once Gigglemug's hiding place has been uncovered.

Need the Loo?

Even hardened scandal-hunters need a comfort break. Public toilets are available at King Street car park (WA16 6DX), just after Clue 09, making this a useful mid-quest pit stop.

Bring Your Furry Sidekicks

Four-legged Explorers can come along for the adventure 🐾

The route includes busy town pavements, road crossings, park paths, an unmade stretch and potentially muddy ground. Keep canine companions close around traffic and busier areas, and remember that Tatton Park is home to roaming deer if you decide to extend your visit there.

Food & Drink Stops

Hunting down Victorian gossip is surprisingly hungry work.

You can pick up supplies from around Clue 15 onwards, while the area around Clues 08 and 09 has picnic tables if you'd rather bring your own provisions. There's also a chance for a food or drink stop around The Moor before the quest heads back into the town centre.

Want to Make a Day of It?

Tatton Park

This is the big one. The quest takes you right up to Tatton Park's Lodge Gateway, so it's an ideal opportunity to turn the Trail into a longer day out. The estate includes vast parkland with roaming deer, grand gardens, a neo-classical mansion, rare breed farm and Tudor Old Hall.

Knutsford Heritage Centre

The final section brings you close to Knutsford Heritage Centre, making it a natural extra stop once the manuscript hunt is nearly wrapped up. It's a particularly good fit if all those architectural details, old scandals and local characters have left your crew wanting more Knutsford history.

Elizabeth Gaskell and Brook Street Chapel Gardens

Literary Explorers can spend a little longer around Brook Street Chapel Gardens, the final resting place of novelist Elizabeth Gaskell, author of Cranford and North and South. Her Knutsford connections make a rather more respectable counterweight to Gigglemug's shameless Victorian gossip.

The Moor

The Moor offers a greener breather from the town streets and is a handy spot to slow things down, enjoy a picnic and let Mini Explorers burn off some treasure-hunting fizz before continuing the quest.