Thornton Hall Hotel
The search each year for somewhere different, and indeed with different attractions, always proves challenging, and the economic situation has certainly made things more complicated, with some potential venues closing for ever and surviving hotels & venues trying to recover their losses by escalating prices. Worse, after the pound collapsed against the euro following Brexit, a large number of continental workers found it was no longer viable to work in hospitality and send money back to families so went home and never came back.
This has meant dealing with hotels has become seriously difficult as staff shortages has meant in a lot of cases people have been promoted beyond their abilities or without adequate training. Getting sensible quotes has become a nightmare with event managers (?) reading from scripts and unable to allow leeway.
The fifteenth Credit Crunch Special at Stratford Manor Hotel, proved to be a great success with excellent service so I’m hoping the sixteenth at 4-star Thornton Hall Hotel and Spa on the Wirral Peninsula will prove equally good. We’ve done the usual incognito check stay and it was fine, with good food, so fingers crossed!
The itinerary is as follows:
Sunday, April 6th. Arrivals during the day at the 4 star Thornton Hall Hotel followed by dinner at 7.30pm.
Use of the swimming pool is included but spa facilities have to be booked.
Waterways Museum
Ness Gardens.
Monday, April 7th. We start with a gentle tour around the Wirral, taking in the model village of Port Sunlight constructed by Lord Leverhulme to house his factory workers and visiting the Lady Lever Art Gallery. Traveling on we go along the front at Parkgate, once the main port for Ireland from England before stopping for coffee at world renowned Ness gardens mid-morning. Leaving Ness, which was incidentally the birthplace of Emma Hamilton, Nelson’s mistress, our next stop is the fascinating National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port. After lunch we carry on for a brief period through some industrial scenes before once more taking on backroads through Delamere forest.
Dinner 7.30pm.
Tuesday, April 8th. We board a coach at 9.30am for the short journey to Seacombe and the famous ‘Ferry ’Cross The Mersey.’ Arriving in Liverpool we rejoin the coach for a guided tour of the city including both the Anglican and Catholic cathedrals.
Sir Giles Gilbert Scott was the main architect of the Anglican cathedral and also designed the red telephone box. For a long time he was buried underneath the cathedral car park!
The Catholic cathedral is known locally as ‘Paddy’s Wigwam!’
The tour takes in all the sights and those connected with the Beatles, including Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields, and the Cavern Club. After lunch the afternoon is spent in the amazing Albert Dock complex of museums and shops.
The coach delivers us back to the hotel late afternoon through the Mersey tunnel.
Dinner 7.30pm
Wednesday, April 9th. Departure for home unless you’re staying the extra night. If you do decide to stay a special rate of £110 per person D, B&B applies.
There’s still plenty more to see in the area, but you could, of course, just chill out and take advantage of the swimming pool and spa facilities.
CREDIT CRUNCH SPECIAL 2025. The package costs £645 per person (based on two people sharing a room) for three nights’ dinner, bed and breakfast and entry to all attractions, I'm sure you'll agree it's still a bargain in view of current inflation and escalating costs!Single supplement £45 per night.
An extra night costs a special rate of £105 per person, again based on two people sharing
Included in the price are the following:
- Three nights’ accommodation on a dinner, bed & breakfast basis at the 4-star Thornton Hall Hotel in the picturesque village of Thornton Hough
- Entry to Lady Lever Art Gallery
- Entry to Ness Botanical Gardens
- Coffee and cake at Ness Botanical Gardens
- Entrance to National Waterways Museum, Ellesmere Port
- Buffet lunch at National Waterways Museum
- Ferry ’Cross The Mersey
- Guided coach tour of Liverpool
- Entry to the famous Cavern Club
- Light buffet lunch at Albert Dock
- Entry to museums including Maritime
- Information pack on arrival with leaflets on local attractions
- Rally plate
- Windscreen sticker
- Plus more and a few surprises!
ENTRY FORM – 2025 CREDIT CRUNCH SPECIAL
April 6th – 9th (10th)
This event is only offered to people on the Country Lane Tours postal mailing list and entries are limited, so if you’re thinking of coming act quickly to ensure a place!
Name (driver)……………………………………………………………………….....
Name (co-driver)………………………………………………………………………
Car (if known)……………………………….Year………………Reg………….......
Address & Post Code…………………………………………………………………...
………………………………………………………………………………………….
Tel. No……………………Mobile……………………Email……………….…………
Do you wish to stay Wednesday evening?...................................................................
Amount enclosed £…………………………Date…………………………………….
Any special requirements (vegetarian, dislikes, twin beds, mobility, etc.)? THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT AS THINGS CAN BE DIFFICULT TO RESOLVE
ON THE DAY!!………..………...................................................................................
………………………………………………………………………………………….
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Please make cheque payable to Country Lane Tours, and send with form to Country Lane Tours, Tirionfa, Bodfari Road, Llandyrnog, Denbigh, LL16 4HP. New entry fees are refundable in full (less £10 admin fee) up to February 28th.
In order to obtain the low price non-refundable deposits and payments have to be made to the hotel, attractions, etc. well in advance so regrettably after March 1st no refund is possible.
NOTE!!!!!! There are 50 rooms reserved at the Thornton Hall Hotel so if you wish to be certain of a place please book quickly as once the 50 places have gone people will be allocated rooms at an overspill hotel. Participants in previous Credit Crunch Weekends have priority notification.
Space precludes a detailed description of everything you will see, so the details here are necessarily a synopsis. However, the leisurely daily mileage allows plenty of time to relax and enjoy the scenery and quiet roads as well as the hotel facilities. If you have any queries please don’t hesitate to call me on 01824 790280, or email countrylanetours@gmail.com.
Please note! There may be slight variations in the advertised schedule if conditions dictate.
If you wish to pay by bank transfer the details are:
Bank: Santander
Account Name: Country Lane Tours
Account Number: 02149028
Sort Code: 09-01-50
IBAN: GB77ABBY09015002149028
IT IS CRUCIAL IF PAYING BY TRANSFER YOU SEND THE COMPLETED ENTRY FORM WITH THE PAYMENT MARKED TRANSFER!!!!!
IF YOU HAVE SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS PLEASE DEAL VIA
Country Lane Tours
WHEN PEOPLE CONTACT THE HOTEL DIRECT IT INEVITABLY LEADS TO CONFUSION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There are reputedly over 900 listed buildings in Port Sunlight! Just a couple of the buildings are shown left but there are a huge variety in this incredibly pretty village.
However there is so much of interest between the Wirral and Liverpool that there’s simply not enough space to list here. Suffice to say you will be truly amazed at everything you will see during the event.
Most of all it’ll be fun as usual!