By Dianne Bourne
It’s a tiny village in the “middle of nowhere” but Cholmondeley in Cheshire is a place sought out by thousands of visitors every year. The village is largely made up of the Cholmondeley Estate, the historic parkland where a famous castle and gardens sit – and where visitors flock to walk the beautiful gardens. In more recent years the old village school house in ithe village was converted into the estate’s first pub, The Cholmondeley Arms. And what a pub it has become – claiming the title of Great British Pub of the Year at the end of 2023. The pub is affectionately known as “The Chum” – in reference to the way the name of the village of Cholmondeley is actually pronounced. For it is pronounced “chumley” rather than the more tricky phonetic “chol-mon-de-ley”, for those unfamiliar with the place. Less than 200 people call this village home, living among farms and small holdings scattered across the 7,500 acre country estate which is 8 miles from Nantwich in Cheshire. But the village itself is visited by thousands upon thousands of people every year during the spring and summer, when Cholmondeley Castle throws open its gates for visitors to stroll through its pretty gardens. The castle and estate is owned by Lord and Lady Cholmondeley, a family that has owned the estate here for over 500 years. Lord Cholmondeley enjoys close ties with the Royal Family as a Lord-in-Waiting to King Charles III, while their “other” ancestral home is Houghton Hall in Norfolk, making Lord and Lady Cholmondeley neighbours to Prince William and Princess Catherine. While the family have lived here since Norman times, the castle we see today was built in the early 19th century to the design of the 1st Marquess. The 70 acre gardens offer magnificent blooms and foliage throughout the seasons, including in the spring a stunning display of over 1 MILLION daffodils for visitors to admire. In the summer you can enjoy the gorgeous, and recently renovated Four Seasons Rose Garden with over 800 blooms. The gardens open every Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday and bank holidays across spring and summer. But during the school summer holidays this year they are also opening on Saturdays 10am-5pm from 19th July 鈥 31st August only. Tickets for entry to the gardens can be booked in advance online or on the gate on the day, with prices booked in advance online 拢9 for adults and 拢4.50 for children from 5 – 15, although children go free during the school summer holidays this year it has just been announced. The castle itself is a private residence and not open to the public, but there are tearooms on the estate and there’s also a play area for kids, as well as “The Den” a natural play area for kids to explore with a bug hotel. For those visiting the area, there are plenty more things to visit too in the village. That includes the Cholmondeley Castle Farm Shop, based in pretty white-washed buildings on the road that runs alongside the castle estate. This is separate from the castle though, so you don’t need to pay for entry and it’s open all week. Here, you’ll find a wealth of local produce including meats, vegetables and Cheshire Farm Ice Cream which is made just down the road in Tattenhall. The farm shop also has its own tearooms, with seating spread in little nooks inside the building and a menu including all-day breakfast and hot and cold sandwiches and cakes. Meanwhile just a mile down the road from Cholmondeley is the hugely popular BeWilderwood family attraction. It is set in woodlands at the neighbouring village of Bickley Moss. BeWilderwood has previously been named best family attraction in Cheshire last year, and boasts an outdoor adventure playground with slides, mazes and trails galore. The Cholmondeley Arms is regularly scooping awards, and in 2023 got the best of the lot when it was named Pub of The Year at Great British Pub Awards. Judges praised its “wow factor that impresses anyone that crosses the threshold”. They went on to say it is: “Impeccably run, this is a business that will offer a warm welcome to all visitors and give them an experience that will be impossible to beat.鈥 Owners Tim Bird and Mary McLaughlin put the pub’s double victory and its continued success down to the team鈥檚 ‘sheer enthusiasm and passion’. The village’s old Victorian schoolhouse was converted in 1988 to become the first estate pub in over a century at the request of Lord Cholmondeley. It has gone on to win scores of accolades as well as holding a place in the Good Food Guide. The MEN’s what’s on editor Jenna Campbell also reviewed the pub after its big win, hailing the “glorious Sunday lunch” with a roast beef dinner for 拢17.95 or lamb for 拢19.95. The pub is open “all day every day” and serves food from 12noon to 9pm daily, and to 8pm on Sundays. They only take bookings for parties of over 8 people, but when they are busy they run a waitlist and soon get people seated. Cholmondeley Castle and Gardens and The Cholmondeley Arms pub are around an hour’s drive from Manchester. They can both be accessed just off the A49 with the postcode SY14 8ET for sat nav. Public transport options are limited directly to Cholmondeley, with the nearest train station at Wrenbury.