Culcheth’s Partridge Lakes has entered its full fairytale era, with Springland now open on selected dates throughout April. The lakeside venue, better known for peaceful views and anglers exercising saint-level patience, has been transformed into a 1km interactive trail of princesses, magical creatures, challenges and enough springtime colour to make a daffodil feel underdressed.
The attraction comes from the team behind last October’s Halloweenville, which pulled in thousands of families. This time, the spooky season props have apparently been traded for a bewitching quest led by Princess Araya, who needs visitors to help save the kingdom of Springland. It is a solid premise, frankly. Culcheth children getting a map, a mission and a prize is considerably more wholesome than another afternoon negotiating the supermarket sweet aisle.
Along the route, adventurers can train as knights at Araya’s castle, feed real alpacas at Twinklehorn Farm, make a wish with a rabbit in the enchanted forest and sing with mermaids at Bloomtide Bay. It is unapologetically theatrical, which is exactly the point. Not every family outing needs to involve staring at a screen or paying £6 for a soft play coffee that tastes like warm regret.
Visitors can take the trail at their own pace, then show their completed map to collect a prize. There is also time to enjoy the lakeside setting, with sweet treats available at the Partridge Lakes café and desserts and ice cream from The Coffee Hut. Additional vendors will be serving coffee, ice cream and stone-baked pizzas, because no magical kingdom is complete without someone holding a pizza box.
Entry is by timed ticket, although visitors can remain on site for as long as they like within their morning or afternoon session. The event is suitable for wheelchairs and prams, is dog-friendly, and includes a quieter sensory session from 10am to 10.30am on Friday, April 10 for children and adults with additional needs. That kind of accessibility deserves proper credit, rather than being treated as an optional extra.
Springland’s original launch was delayed by bad weather, an extremely British interruption to any outdoor plan involving joy. Owners Barbara Ikin and Callum Morgan said they had worked hard to create an experience full of spring colour, fairytale enchantment and seasonal surprises. Judging by the alpacas, mermaids and knight training, they have not exactly aimed small.
For Culcheth, it is a cheerful addition to the school-holiday calendar: imaginative, local and set against the genuinely lovely backdrop of Partridge Lakes. The only real criticism is that the weather had the audacity to delay it in the first place. Naturally, even magic must bow to a Lancashire downpour.