Crazy Golf at Sutton Fields in Sutton Weaver Village

Playing Crazy Golf at Sutton Weaver Village near Runcorn, Cheshire.

Over the years we've played some strange crazy golf courses in weird locations and on Saturday 22nd July we were able to add another oddity to our list as we played a round on the miniature golf course at Sutton Farm Cheshire. The farm is at Sutton Weaver Village near Runcorn, Cheshire.

At the 744th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

What made the fun experience strange was that the course itself is located at what was once a Golf Driving Range but is now part of the farm and is being used as a dog training centre! Another first for us on our travels.

The course was the 439th we've played

When we arrived we thought the visit was going to be another to add to the 'unplayable' files, or worse the course may have been completely removed. We spotted three of the holes and then, through an archway in the tall hedge spotted other holes. As the course layout looked unlike anything we'd seen before we had to have a game on it. We spoke to the man there, Mike, who told us about the site and that we were welcome to have a game. After grabbing our sticks we jumped on the course for a very fun round of crazy golf.

Being careful not to step on the lane

Over a bump

A dogleg

Through the gap

Through a zig-zag

The course itself is a miniature version of the 'eternit' format of the game. It's obviously seen better days, but was still quite playable.



We even shot some aces during our game! Incredibly I played the flat loop hole better than I have done on any previous occasion - including when I've had to tackle the obstacle in international tournaments!



In our match to contest the Sutton Weaver Village Classic title I picked up the win 20 to 22.



The course was the first we played on a day out which also included visits to the indoor Adventure Golf course at Cheshire Oaks, an abandoned Crazy Golf course at Higher Bebington Recreation Ground near Birkenhead, and Championship Adventure Golf in New Brighton!

Photos of the 9-hole Miniature Golf course at Sutton Farm Cheshire / Sutton Fields in Sutton Weaver Village.

Through the arch to the other 6-holes

Hole1

Hole 1

Hole 2

The flat loop on hole 2

The exit

A view of the green on hole 2

Hole 3

Hole 4

  

Hole 5

Hole 5

The very green green on hole 5

  

Hole 6

Hole 6

Hole 7

Hole 7

Hole 7

Hole 7

Hole 8

Hole 8

Hole 8

Something's missing...

Hole 9

Hole 9

Hole 9

Link:
- Sutton Farm Cheshire

Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Cheshire

Videos:
- Crazy Golf at Sutton Weaver 1
- Crazy Golf at Sutton Weaver 2
- Crazy Golf at Sutton Weaver 3
- Crazy Golf at Sutton Weaver 4



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New Pirate Adventure Golf course heading to Bents Garden and Home

Second course set to open at Bents Garden and Home in 2018.

The Jurassic Cove Adventure Golf course at Bents Garden and Home has proven to be incredibly popular. So much so that a new Pirate-themed minigolf course will be opening there next Spring!

The second 9-hole course will be a pirate-themed one

Check out the blog post from Emily's recent Crazy World of Minigolf Tour visit to the Jurassic Cove Adventure Golf course.

Emily in action on the dinosaur-themed course at Bents Garden and Home

Visit the Bents Garden and Home website for more information.

Link:
- Bents Garden and Home

Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Adventure Golf at Bents Garden and Home
- Jurassic Cove Adventure Golf at Bents Garden and Home in Glazebury

Adventure Golf at Bents Garden and Home

A visit to the Jurassic Cove Adventure Golf course at Bents Garden and Home in Glazebury.

Emily recently visited Bents Garden and Home in Glazebury, Cheshire for an afternoon of minigolf on the new 9-hole Jurassic Cove Adventure Golf course.

During her time at the course Emily was on hand to provide minigolf hints and tips as well as enjoy some putting challenges and rounds with visitors at the centre.

Two-time WMF World Adventure Golf Masters women's champion Emily tees-off the minigolf event at Bents Garden and Home

Emily said "I really enjoyed my afternoon at Bents Garden and Home. I played the 9-hole course with four different families, playing the holes, demonstrating potential shots and discussing the merits of minigolf as a hobby. All the children and adults were very good, with some excellent shots and potential stars of the future taking part!"

Emily in action on the Adventure Golf course

"My best score around the 9-holes was 21. There are a few very ace-able holes and the course is spectacularly themed, with huge animatronic dinosaurs peppering the course, making the layout really exciting for the young and old."

Emily signing an autograph at the event

"The highlight was playing three-generations of a family who had travelled from near Southport to meet me, learn some techniques and try to beat me. The youngest member of the family was incredibly good and was leading the round until the very last hole when he unfortunately took a few too many shots, leaving me in the lead at the end of the round."

"I’d like to thanks Bents for their hospitality, and all the families whom I played against for making it a really successful event."

The themed kiosk at the course

The Jurassic Cove Adventure Golf course became the 738th course visited on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since 2006.

Visit the Bents Garden and Home website for more information, opening times and prices for the Jurassic Cove Adventure Golf course.

The Jurassic Cove Adventure Golf course at Bents Garden and Home has proven to be incredibly popular. So much so that a new Pirate-themed minigolf course will be opening there next Spring!

Links:
- Bents Garden and Home
- Jurassic Cove Adventure Golf

Related blog posts:
- Jurassic Cove Adventure Golf at Bents Garden and Home in Glazebury
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

The Cheshire Line Tavern

A visit to the Cheshire Line Tavern in Cheadle.

As a bit of a train nerd it was marvellous to find out that a nearby disused railway station on our doorstep is now a pub!

The Cheshire Line Tavern in Cheadle

The station opened as Cheadle North in 1866 and at one time was a double track line and saw more than 200 trains pass through a day!

The single track line and former station last November

The station closed to passengers in 1964.

The line itself is still in use for freight, and the occasional luxury charter. Unfortunately we didn't see any pass by while we were in the pub. However, I've seen a handful of trains on the Mid Cheshire Line since we moved to the area last summer.

We didn't see any trains pass by our window seat on our visit last November

Visit the Cheshire Line Tavern's website for more info.

Links:
- Cheshire Line Tavern
- Disused Railway Stations

Related blog posts:
- Train nerdery
- Disused stations
- Cheadle
- Pubs

A treat for dull men

A photographic treat for members of the Dull Men's Club.

There's a double-whammy treat for members of the Dull Men's Club in this photo I took while on a recent visit to the post box on Twining Brook Road in Cheadle Hulme.

A post box AND a lost glove

The Dull Men’s Club is a place where dull men (and women who like dull men) share thoughts and experiences, free from glitz and glamour, free from pressures to be in and trendy - free instead to enjoy simple, ordinary things. The club's mission statement is “It’s OK to be dull”.

One of my fellow DMC members has documented each and every post box in the UK on his travels, while another - who also features in the Dull Men's Club 2017 calendar - photographs lost gloves.

Related blog posts:
- Dull Men's Club

Link:
- Dull Men's Club website

End of the Petanque season in Stockport. Or is it...

Playing Pétanque at Alexandra Park in Edgeley, Stockport.

Today's session of Pétanque in the Park with the Woodstock Pétanque Club was scheduled to be the last of the season. But with the nice weather and good turnout of players the club are looking at rolling on into the winter months, weather permitting.

Lovely weather and excellent company. What sport is all about

In today's session I walked away with a 100% win record. Albeit having only played one match as I was otherwise engaged prior to the normal 1pm start time.

My bright new coche. With my shinyish newish boules

The format of play at the Woodstock Pétanque Club is great fun. It's easy to get involved and pick up the sport and well worth a go if you've never played before.

In our game - the last of three in the afternoon - I was drawn in a triples team with Jackie and Barbara to take on the pair of Paul and Andrew. In this type of situation each of the players in the team of three use two boules each, while the duo get to use three boules each.

What a match-up the blind drew created

With some very close ends played and some fine shooting and pointing from all the players we emerged as winners with a 13-8 scoreline.

The Woodstock Pétanque Club meets-up on the second and fourth Sunday of each month. New players are very welcome. It costs just £10 for the annual membership, with a £1 fee per week when you play - with prizes up for grabs for results over the three games played. The 'normal' season runs from March to October. Check out the Woodstock Pétanque Club's website for more details.

Related blog posts:
- Pétanque
- Petanque
- Boules
- Petanque in Stockport

Links:
- Woodstock Pétanque Club on Twitter
- Woodstock Pétanque Club on Facebook
- Woodstock Pétanque Club website
- English Pétanque Association
- Geologic

The Corner Bar in Stockport Market

A visit to The Corner Bar in Stockport Market.

There's a lot of debate as to which is the smallest pub in Britain/the UK/the planet. On our travels we've been to The Signal Box Inn at the end of the Cleethorpes Light Railway in Lincolnshire (the smallest pub on the planet) and more recently to the Lakeside Inn at Southport (the smallest pub in Britain).

Well, to add to the mix there's a very very very tiny pub in Stockport's Market Hall - The Corner Bar.

Emily and a visiting Simon Hall at a very small bar indeed. It was well stocked with draught and bottled beer and cider

We certainly deserved a drink after our tour of one of the more horrifying stops on the Stockport Town Centre Heritage Trail. Luckily there is plenty of outdoor seating at Stockport Market

Link:
- Stockport Market website
- Stockport Market on Twitter

Related blog posts:
- A visit to the Smallest Pub on the Planet
- The Lakeside Inn at Southport, Britain's Smallest Pub
- Stockport
- Pubs

Stockport Heritage Trust's Dungeon Tours

Exploring more of the rich history of Stockport.

A few weeks ago Emily and I enjoyed an amble around Stockport town centre and checked out a few of the pubs there too. Walking from the market hall towards the Underbank we noticed a wooden door above the ground and a plaque above that.

The plaque described how the building had once been the town's Court Leet - the magistrates court of its time - and the door was the entrance and exit to a dungeon!

Last weekend we were enjoying another walk around our new local town, this time with our friend Simon who had just arrived for a weekend stay with us. We walked up Mealhouse Brow to show him the dungeon door and plaque as it was an interesting bit of history. And while we were at the spot we were offered a tour of it! We didn't realise that was a thing - but the Stockport Heritage Trust look after the building and the building is open for tours.

Free tour if your dare! Well worth a visit though

In a way we wish we hadn't gone in, as the dungeon itself has to be see to be believed! The outer door we had seen was the way in to the 'drunk tank' dungeon - itself a pretty squalid cell. But the dungeon of the Court Leet was far more horrifying than that.

The view of the drunk tank cell - seen from a hole in the court leet cell. I think I'd rather have just been given a tour of the dungeon with the door!

Even so, for anyone interested in social history, and the history of Stockport, Mealhouse Brow is well worth a visit. Just be prepared to hear from the knowledgeable volunteer from Stockport Heritage Trust about the conditions prisoners were kept in!

Visit the Stockport Heritage Trust website and blog for more information and details of the Stockport Heritage Trail.

We picked up a copy of the Stockport Heritage Trust's Town Trail map and are looking forward to exploring the other places of interest in the town.

Links:
- Stockport Heritage Trust website
- Stockport Heritage Trust blog
- Stockport Blue Plaques

Related blog posts:
- Stockport

Brookside Miniature Railway in Poynton

A visit to the Brookside Miniature Railway in Poynton, Stockport.

Since moving north we've spotted a few miniature railways on our travels around our new local area. The first of these - the Brookside Miniature Railway in Poynton - was randomly found en route to Macclesfield last month.

The Brookside Miniature Railway is located at the Brookside Garden Centre in Poynton, near Hazel Grove and is well worth a visit. We spotted the sign from the road outside and had to call in for a visit.

Full steam ahead

We enjoyed our ride on the train so much that we took our friend, and fellow fan of miniature golf and railways, Oliver Florence there on his recent stay with us in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport.

Ollie and Richard on the train

Squire Richard with the Sir Richard engine

New locals of Cheadle

The "Greatest little railway in Cheshire". Not my words, the words of Phil Collins

A view of an engine

On our first visit fares were £1.80 for adults. As the route was shortened on our second visit tickets were £1.50

A long Stockport bench

As there is some building work going on through the winter the route of travel has been truncated. Luckily our first visit coincided with the last weekend of steam until next summer.

The closed section of line. Luckily we got to travel that way the week before our second visit

Check out the links below for more information on the Brookside Miniature Railway, as well as other miniature railways in the UK. Visiting them could become a new tickable list activity like the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour...

Like Land of the Giants

Links:
- Brookside Miniature Railway in Poynton
- Brookside Garden Centre
- Miniature Railway World

Related blog posts:
- Miniature Railways