I have some American friends coming over for a week in May to visit me. I'm trying to think of where I can take them locally apart from the obvious Chester/Liverpool touristy places.
Anyone know if it's possible to just go for a drink at The Hillbark Hotel or is it solely for residents? I'm sure they'd love seeing that place (me too as I've never been)
I'd be grateful for any other ideas as to where I can take them and things to do for the week, please

Hi Elizabeth

I think you could include Port Sunlight Village, nice places to see here and a bit of Wirral industrial History - also art gallery, cafes etc

The Priory would also be of interest if they like very old buildings

Slightly further afield if you want a nice place for coffee would be Ingelwood out on Badgers Rake in Ledsham

And if interested then the old village at Shotwick - really nice very old chursh and hall

Actually, you mentioning churches, I'm wondering if any of the churches such as Thornton Hough, Port Sunlight and other quaint ones are open daily to the public for me to take them inside or would I need to contact the vicars to gain access?

Brimstage Hall makes a nice stop over. Several courtyard shops and a cafe.
I certainly agree about Port Sunlight.

me and tc have visited these churches while out walking and found them open each time, both are lovely inside

Southport? Sightseeing in wales?

Hillbark do an afternoon tea all be it a bit pricey. St Peters Church in Lower Heswall usually open daily very peaceful .
Ness Gardens might be in a nice spring condition.
Evening sunsets at West Kirby can be spectacular and close to Royal Liverpool golf course (this years open golf tiger woods and all that)
Ferry ride across Mersey
Thornton Hough--black and white houses and blacksmith
Parkgate--Nicholls ice cream and great fish and chips.
Do a castle somewhere as yanks dont have them (except in Disney world)
Top of Thirsaston Common gives a great view across to wales and up to southport (even Blackpool tower on a clear day)

Elizabeth - do you think they may have done some homework and there are things on their list they want to see?

To be perfectly truthful, I doubt you will have enough days to do all that is a' must'.
Chester has to be one day, Liverpool (via Ferry ?) has to be another .
I would suggest a round trip of the Wirral for a couple of days.
Put the champagne on ice before you leave home.

Trip 1) Start off at Shotwick. Read your history and it won't take very long to see the village, but very interesting.
http://www.shotwick.org.uk/village.html

Make your way back to Ness Gardens via Burton village (very pretty old village) and St. Nicholas Church.
http://neston.org.uk/the-6-villages/

Ness Gardens
http://www.nessgardens.org.uk/plan-your-visit/

Should be lovely in May on a nice day. plenty of places to eat a packed lunch. There is also a café ( I think a bit pricey.. last week 2 x coffee and 1 x scone with butter £6 plus !)
From Ness Gardens go either through Neston and Parkgate relate the history of Lady Hamilton and Nelson( and have an ice cream at Nicholls)
http://www.visitparkgate.co.uk/#/history/4552455136

or back up to Chester High Road
Follow the signs for Thornton Hough and stop off for a walk around .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thornton_Hough

See the Old Smithy, visit the churches (2 of them) and pop into the black and white timber framed Seven Stars pub, where you could have a liquid interval of your chioce, or dinner out.

Trip 2)
Port Sunlight Village.
http://www.portsunlightvillage.com/

Church, Victorian School, Garden centre, Lady Lever . Go to Visitor Centre which gives the history of the villaage , get a map,(they also do village tours on certain days) and maybe buy a souvenir. There is also tiny tea shop opposite station and near to the Gladstone village theatre .
You could go from there to Brimstage Craft Centre which is only 5 mins away. Have some lunch or afternoon tea in the Country Mouse restaurant, or an ice cream from the ice cream shop there. Book restaurant in advance is safest .
http://www.visitwirral.com/food-and-drink/country-mouse-restaurant-p44120

Brimstage Craft centre shops open about 11am I think. So to go there first might hold you up a bit.
If there is time, make your way to Lower Heswall village, where St. Peter's can be found. Back up onto the main Chester High road, and a choice of going to Wirral Country Park at Thurstaston, for a breath of fresh air, or continue along to West Kirby/ Hoylake for a walk along the prom.

Arrive home, sling your shoes off and open the bubbly.

A trip to a castle in North Wales would be great. Conwy is brilliant. I took an American friend there, she was much impressed. There is also a National Trust property Aberconwy House in Conwy.
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/aberconwy-house/

...and another bottle of bubbly !

Conwy Castle
http://cadw.wales.gov.uk/daysout/conwycastle/?lang=en

..also Plas Mawr an Elizabethan House.
http://cadw.wales.gov.uk/venuehire/weddingsandcivilpartnership/plasmawrvenuehire/?lang=en

Tatton Park also a great day out.
http://www.tattonpark.org.uk/

A free castle closer to home and worth a visit is Ewloe.

I remember from years ago the views from Beeston Castle.

Wow, thanks for all the suggestions. North Wales is definitely on the list of places to visit, especially Conway Castle, followed hopefully by a short trip into Llandudno and up the Gt Orme.
I have all the usual Wirral places on my list, Thornton Hough and Port Sunlight are a must and will no doubt wow them. I hadn't thought of Burton/Puddington but these will now be a cert.
Actually, having read all the suggestions, I'm wondering if we'll be able to fit it all in!
All I need now is good weather and I'm sorted

Ellsmere port boat museum can be a nice visit as long as the weather permits elizabeth.

Theres a section of an old street set up there with how folk lived in the 1940's.
You can roam freely in the houses, like walking though a time warp.

What's wrong with Fort Perch Rock it's right on your door, when it's open, also try Peel Hey in Frankby, they do a nice tea and sarnie.

petch rock has h&s issues, i would not recommend it to newcomers.

It amazed me how it got flooded during the last storm, after all these years of standing there. Owners letting it go to pot, maybe. So if it`s a bit wet keep the visitors away. Stick them in the Wilkies Funfair, if it`s still there.

After Conway Castle...Great Orme Tramway or drive to the top, Ancient copper mine ..smallest church in Wales, Rhos-on-Sea..Drive home,Glass of Red..Enjoy

It's going to be a busy week for them!
If they're into American literature and history you may find time to show them where famous American author Nathaniel Hawthorne lived in Rock Park, Rock Ferry. I don't think No.26 Rock Park exists now but you can still get a feeling of the place as it hasn't changed in some respects from the 1850s when he was there. Get them to close their eyes passing the pier end of the road but carry on to the Rock Park Road end and admire the river view. Hope the sun shines for them.
There's a biography of his life in England, including RF, in 'The English Experience', here:

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...U25Lq8zkGfG7lzJLH72m7VZgaRgBw&edge=0

Sorry, couldn't get the link to work but this is the book:

'Nathaniel Hawthorne: The English Experience, 1853-64', by Raymona Hull. 1980.

It's on Google ebooks.