An Award Winning Break in Cheshire

Cheshire Boutique Barns, Wrenbury, Nantwich

Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year — Winner

Tucked into the Cheshire countryside near Wrenbury, Cheshire Boutique Barns offers the kind of self-catering experience that makes it genuinely difficult to check out. The Cowshed is a beautifully converted barn with a character all of its own: a mezzanine bedroom with a cloud-like king-size bed, a second king-size room, stylish living spaces, a log burner, and both an indoor and outdoor bath.

Whether you are planning a romantic escape, a family gathering, or a base for exploring the quieter corners of Cheshire, The Cowshed sleeps four in considerable comfort. Private outdoor dining and a BBQ complete the picture. This is rural Cheshire at its most indulgent.

Cheshire Boutique Bathhouse, Nantwich

Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year — Highly Commended

In the heart of Nantwich, Cheshire Boutique Bathhouse offers a rather different kind of self-catering stay. This luxurious three-storey Georgian apart-hotel places guests within easy reach of the market town's excellent bars, cafes, and independent shops, while the accommodation itself is an experience in its own right.

Choose from the Bar-th Room Suite, the Cocktail Lounge, or the spacious Walled Garden ground floor apartment. Each features a roll-top copper bath, organic Bathhouse toiletries, and the kind of considered detail that turns a short break into something memorable. With capacity for up to six guests and an optional private chef, it works equally well for a special occasion gathering or a luxurious couple's retreat.

Crewe Hall Hotel & Spa

Business Events Venue of the Year — Winner | Large Hotel of the Year — Highly Commended

Crewe Hall is the kind of place that stops you in your tracks. A Grade I-listed Jacobean mansion set within its own grounds, it combines the grandeur of a genuinely historic building with the facilities of a modern luxury hotel, and manages to make both feel entirely effortless.

Guests can choose between the historic suites and feature rooms in the original mansion or the contemporary rooms in the modern wing, which also houses the health club, spa, and restaurant. For events, 16 flexible meeting and event spaces span the traditional grandeur of the Old Hall and a state-of-the-art purpose-built conference centre, making Crewe Hall an equally compelling choice for intimate gatherings and large-scale awards evenings.

Meetings and Events at Crewe Hall Hotel & Spa

Overwater Marina, Audlem

Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year — Winner

On the banks of the Shropshire Union Canal, with Cheshire farmland stretching out in every direction and the village of Audlem a 20-minute walk away, Overwater Marina has quietly become one of the county's most rewarding places to slow down.

The marina's luxury glamping wagons sit alongside the old railway cutting, each one fully appointed with a fitted bathroom, kitchenette, stove, and comfortable bed. Three are dog-friendly, and several come with the option of a wood-fired hot tub. For those who prefer to arrive by touring vehicle, ten serviced hardstanding pitches are available on a nightly or seasonal basis.

"The kind of place you like so much, you never want to go back home."

Rated 4.95 on Airbnb and 9.7 on Pitch Up, and the holder of Five Gold Anchors in the TYHA Gold Anchor Scheme, Overwater Marina's reputation speaks for itself.

The Parr's Bank Hotel, Warrington

Small Serviced Accommodation of the Year — Winner

Set within a beautifully restored Grade II-listed building in the heart of Warrington, The Parr's Bank Hotel is a boutique stay with a great deal of character. Fifteen individually styled ensuite bedrooms blend original architectural features with contemporary comfort, ensuring no two rooms feel quite the same.

Beyond the bedrooms, the hotel offers grand historic event spaces and elegant meeting rooms, making it as well suited to a memorable wedding or corporate event as it is to a quiet overnight stay. Every experience here is shaped by attention to detail and a personal approach that is increasingly rare.

Combermere Abbey, Whitchurch, Cheshire/Shropshire Border

Wedding Venue of the Year — Highly Commended

On the border of Cheshire and Shropshire, surrounded by rolling parkland, Combermere Abbey is one of those wedding venues that needs very little persuasion. This medieval estate, offered on an exclusive-use basis, combines extraordinary historic character with spaces designed to make every celebration feel entirely personal.

Take your vows in the show-stopping Edwardian Glasshouse or in the centre of the fruit tree maze, then celebrate in the Victorian Walled Garden Pavilion, which accommodates up to 150 guests for a fully bespoke wedding breakfast. With luxury self-catering cottages on the estate, there is every reason to linger and make a full weekend of it.

Tatton Park, Knutsford

Best Tourism Project of the Year — Winner | Unsung Hero Award — Winner

Few places in England offer quite the breadth of experience that Tatton Park does. Spanning over 1,000 acres of sweeping parkland where deer roam freely, this magnificent historic estate in the heart of Cheshire is at once a working farm, a world-class garden, a grand family mansion, and a year-round events destination.

"Step inside and the estate reveals itself slowly, each corner offering something new to discover."

The elegant 18th-century mansion at its heart tells the story of the well-travelled Egerton family through their remarkable collections, while a fascinating journey below stairs into the servants' quarters reveals how culture and daily life evolved across the centuries. Outside, 50 acres of formal gardens have been shaped over 300 years into something truly spectacular: from the structured elegance of classical design to the symbolic tranquillity of the Japanese Garden, it is a journey around the world without leaving Cheshire.

Families will find plenty to keep everyone happy. The working farm holds rare breed accreditation, where farmworkers past and present bring a compelling field-to-fork story to life through seasonal demonstrations. The adventure play area ensures younger visitors are well catered for, and with over 100 events, workshops, and hands-on activities throughout the year, no two visits to Tatton Park are ever quite the same.

Park and Play Pass: daily parkland vehicle entry from £20, with unlimited return visits throughout the summer. All income raised supports the conservation of the estate for future generations.

BeWILDerwood Cheshire, Near Whitchurch

Large Visitor Attraction of the Year — Winner

Leave the real world behind. That is the invitation at BeWILDerwood Cheshire, and once you step through the trees, it is surprisingly easy to do. Based on the enchanting books by Tom Blofeld, BeWILDerwood is a full day of outdoor family adventure built entirely from imagination and fresh air.

Towering wooden treehouses, giant slides, zip wires, mazes, and storytelling shows await explorers of all ages, with grown-ups just as welcome to clamber and explore as little ones. There are no noisy rides, no screens, and no junk food. Just wide-open woodland, brilliant stories, and the kind of shared family memories that linger long after the mud has been washed off.

Open 10am to 5pm (last entry 4pm). Located along the A49, 10 minutes from Whitchurch and 30 minutes from Chester. All activities, including parking, crafts, and storytelling shows, are included in the ticket price.

VR Warehouse, Runcorn

Small Visitor Attraction of the Year — Winner

For something a little different, VR Warehouse in Runcorn is delivering experiences that are, quite literally, out of this world. Whether you're racing around a circuit in a full motion simulator, surviving a zombie apocalypse in a standing VR station, or reliving the golden age of arcade gaming for free, there is something here for every kind of thrill-seeker.

Three standing VR stations, two racing simulators running Project Cars 2, a motion roller coaster simulator, and a bank of free-to-play retro arcade machines covering classics from Pac-Man to Street Fighter make this a destination for groups, families, and curious solo visitors alike. For those who want the full immersive experience, bHaptics vests are available to book, letting you feel every moment of the action.

Summer Holiday Club runs for ages 8 to 14: three-hour drop-off sessions packed with VR, simulators, and retro arcades from £30 per session. Private hire available for birthday parties and group bookings.

Circus Starr, Congleton

Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award — Winner

Circus Starr is doing something quietly remarkable. As one of the pioneers of relaxed performances in the UK, it tours the country bringing the full magic of the circus to children and families who might otherwise never experience it.

Shows are designed from the ground up to be genuinely inclusive: reduced volumes, considered lighting, and special attention paid to sensory and emotional triggers. Shouting out, dancing, and moving around are not just permitted, they are positively encouraged. Every child, whatever their needs, is free to be entirely themselves.

"A trip to the circus is a magical experience that remains with children for the rest of their lives. Circus Starr makes that happen for families who need it most."

Working with businesses and local organisations to fund free tickets for disabled children, families on low incomes, and those facing difficult circumstances, Circus Starr stages 148 shows a year across the UK. Its award this year is richly deserved recognition for a team that puts inclusion at the very heart of everything it does.

Make this year the one you explore the very best Cheshire has to offer and discover why so many of these experiences are earning their moment in the spotlight.

All businesses included in this blog were winners or Highly Commended at the Visit Cheshire Tourism Awards 2026.