For this Valentine’s special, we pick six of Cheshire’s most romantic getaways.
Lymm Water Tower, Lymm
For something entirely different, look to this former disused Victorian water tower that's been reimagined by a leading architectural firm and transformed into a cool and contemporary home. Guests arriving at the six-storey tower (the subject of Kevin McCloud's Grand Designs) stride up a spiral staircase all the way to the penthouse suite - a mesmerizingly all-white space with a low-lying bed, state-of-the-art sound system, mood lighting and serene lounge to kick back in. The real ace card though is the palm-filled roof terrace you'll have all to yourself. With sprawling views of Cheshire and a bubbling hot tub, this game-changing space will leave you beaming.
Make a date: For earthy, refined dishes from top chef Aidan Byrne, nab a table at the nearby Church Green, go all out and order the chateaubriand for two.
Roebuck Inn, Mobberley
The one-of-a-kind Roebuck has won legions of fans, not only for its stonkingly good food, but for its six characterful rooms that are determinedly different. Luxurious, yes, but there is a flamboyance the creators have nailed perfectly: from peacock-feather textiles to illustrated lampshades, copper freestanding baths and chandeliers swinging over the thick wooden beds. Some have garden views, others have log burners, but all rooms are named after a different grape variety, and on arrival, you'll find a matching bottle as a gift. It's hard to think of a lovelier place to hide away after a bracing country stomp in Mobberley.
Make a date: For an easy walk, take the four-mile Mobberley Rail Trail Walk from the rail station, popping in at the Church Inn for a swift half.
Withy Meadow Shepherds Hut, Nantwich
Making a destination of the Llangollen canal, this dinky, bespoke-built hut is crisp, fresh and it's got romance written all over it. This isn't the sort of hut you'll have to duck out of for a midnight pee - there's a plush little bathroom hiding at one end. There's also a kitchen overlooking secluded fields, there are cosy corners to curl up in your partner's nook, there are fluffy robes to slip on (and off), there's the private fire pit area, and there's a balmy hot tub - far from the gaze of prying eyes. A foodie hamper kicks things off on arrival, but the real joy in this nifty little find is the utter seclusion.
Make a date: Slip on your winter warmers and head to the Llangollen canal - just 100 metres from the hut - winding up at the Dusty Miller pub for a amaretto-spiked-coffee.
Cheshire Boutique Barns, Wrenbury
There's an under-the-radar vibe to these five spruced-up barns on an unassuming farm in Wrenbury. Interiors play on rustic glam with soaring country views and a babbling river within earshot. For romance, the garden room barn ticks the boxes - a cosy one-bed hidey-hole, where guests wallow in the roomy roll-top bath with skylights opening to star-strewn skies. You can huddle together with fizz beside the fire pit in your own private garden, warm up beside a crackling fire, book in the onsite therapist for a massage, and drift off in the king-size bed on the upper mezzanine. It's the country retreat redefined.
Make a date: Feel like a tipple? The Three Wrens Gin distillery is just around the corner for tours and tastings to shun the February chill.
Oddfellows on the Park, Cheadle
If there were an award for Cheshire's sexiest hotel, the title might just go to this flamboyant country pad on Bruntwood Park. Oddfellows has become rooted in the Cheshire hotel scene, beloved for its giggly, feelgood atmosphere that inspires guests to feel as carefree as the kids running wild on the neighbouring park. Go for the fun and playful Kendal Suites that have an underlying vibe of glamorous naughtiness: there's a roll-top bath perched in the room and a gilded mirror beside the huge four-poster bed.
Make a date: Swerve Bruntwood and head to Bramhall Park with its Tudor mansion and Stables Kitchen.
The Courthouse, Knutsford
A site that once witnessed the hanging of convicts might not sound like a recipe for love, but The Courthouse has come a long way since its days of law and disorder and is quite rightfully regarded one of our county's chicest places to bed down. Cool-seeking locals dawdle in the bar catching up over expertly made cocktails - grab one or three of these when you're in the mood to woo and make a beeline to your room. You might not be newlyweds, but if you're looking for love to bloom, pick the superior bridal suite with its enormous wooden four-poster bed, roll-top bath and deluxe monsoon shower.
Make a date: The gardens at Arley Hall are captivating at any time of the year, but the crowds are thinner during February, where you can pad about the arboretum and woodland walk with barely another soul in sight.
