Cheshire…..more than just housewives
Hello lovely ladies, I am Lillie Pragnell and I am a qualified nutritionist, personal trainer and beauty therapist. Alongside working with my gorgeous clients helping them to feel their best possible selves I also enjoy blogging and vlogging to get my recipes and workouts to as many women as I can! Zanna, as you can imagine, is a massive inspiration to many women including myself and I am absolutely thrilled to be guest blogger for the Cheshire area.
Renowned for its beautiful landscapes, stately homes and of course The Real housewives of Cheshire, this fantastic county has so much to offer. So, I have made life easy and drawn up an itinerary to ensure you get to see the best of the area and also have time to exercise, relax and eat good food!
Weekend Itinerary
Friday evening: If you are looking to stay for a night or two, Cheshire can lay claim to having the most romantic hotel in the Europe!! That is quite an achievement. Edgar House is situated in the historic city walls of Chester boasting a 7-bedroom boutique hotel overlooking the River Dee and is in walking distance to the town centre. Chester is a historic and beautiful city where there is something for everyone and attracts visitors from all over the world for that reason. It has the most complete city walls and oldest Racecourse in Britain not to mention the 1000-year-old cathedral and the UK’s favourite zoo.
Saturday morning: For the outdoorsy types we have Delamere Forest, packed full of beautiful walks (including a Gruffalo themed walk!) and cycle routes and also offers a full schedule of bootcamps and classes for all ages and level. Every July they also host the Delamere commando trail 10km obstacle race, which is building in popularity and promises to excel previous years this year. With 18 obstacles, some natural terrain and others man made, this grueling course is not for the faint hearted. Are you up for the challenge? www.delamereoutdoorfitness.co.uk
Saturday Brunch: Chester has a great selection of cafes and restaurants. One of my personal favourites, especially after a gym session is The Health Hut located on Northgate Street. This health conscious company uses locally and ethically sourced seasonal produce and each meal is packed with protein and macronutrients.
Choose from ‘Power pancakes’ or ‘Oats to proats’ for a protein packed start to the day, washed down with my favourite, the ‘Body Builder’ shake. What I really like, is if you work or live in Chester or you are at an event or conference and looking for a take away delivery, then these guys are the best and will deliver healthy goodness straight to you! So no excuses! (www.thehealthhut.co.uk)
Saturday Afternoon: If it’s a trip with the girls and you fancy shopping and cocktails, I would recommend trying Commonhall Social (10 Commonhall St – just off the shopping streets) where you can sit in the rustic, chilled environment and refuel on a cocktail or craft beer. (www.commonhall.co.uk)
Saturday night: Head over to the East of Cheshire to find some local talent and live music at The Yard Alderley Edge…this place is so idyllic you would just live here if you could. This lifestyle venue (a car garage converted into a heavenly cocoon) is a family ran business created 4 years ago by reformed hippies Jeannie and Stewart Pickering to create a space for people to “gather and nurture feeding their cultural and holistic needs”. These include a selection of yoga dinners, monthly open mic sessions, book signings (including Madeleine Shaw) and private parties as well as hosting a 2-day event for International Women’s Day. If visiting, I would definitely tie it in with one of their events.
Located just across the road is The Yard studio where they hold a variety of classes and workshops such as Qigong, Tai Chi and postnatal yoga. If you are looking for something to wear to attend, they have an ethical and sustainable online shop selling stylish loungewear in collaboration with Beaumont Organic made from organic cotton with bamboo, alongside designer yoga mats in aid of a charity close to their hearts.
Sunday morning: There is always an Artisan market to visit, as they alternate between the local towns on different days throughout the month, offering a variety of beautiful art and craft pieces and locally sourced food and drink. My favourite one is Wilmslow market who host on the 3rd Saturday of the month. I love to spend a morning or afternoon there just wandering around and soaking up the atmosphere.
Sunday afternoon: Spend the rest of the day at the luxurious Hale Country Club, (where you may also spot a few celebrities). This lavish gym, restaurant and spa is a great way to spend the day to workout, chill out and pig out.
Recently refurbished, this club boasts a state of the art gym with elite equipment as well as free weights, yoga studio and a pool. They have classes that will suit everyone ranging from every different type of yoga you can manage, Hatha, Vinyasa Flow, Ashtang and hot, to name a few. However, if you would prefer something more energetic there is ‘Buns of steel’ and ‘Power Hour’ for you to work up a sweat too. The best bit comes afterwards when you choose to cool down and relax in their gorgeous wellness pool and thermal suite to soothe your muscles pains away. Then there is the champagne bar and restaurant… Need I say anymore?
I hope you all enjoy your weekend, thank you so much for reading my blog and please come to visit Cheshire soon.
In the meantime, please follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter to join in with my mini workouts or follow some of the scrummy recipes I make.
Website: www.restartcoaching.co.uk
The Makers’ markets are great, especially the food so save room for lunch. If you’re in Alderley Edge i’d recommend a walk on the Edge as there are spectacular views. As a local resident I’m slightly biased – but a visit to Knutsford is always highly recommended! 🙂