Oh my gosh, I haven't written in over a year. What can I say, life is busy! I'm a PA now and all I s...
Oh my gosh, I haven't written in over a year. What can I say, life is busy! I'm a PA now and all I seem to do is work, go to the gym and sleep with a bit of socialising thrown into the mix. (6/8/05)
Member since:09.09.2000
Reviews:96
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I’m a sucker for shopping, whether it is online or offline, so when my boyfriend mentioned wanting to go to Cheshire Oaks I was eager to accompany him, whether he liked it or not!
HISTORY
Cheshire Oaks (McArthur Glen Designer Outlet Village) opened in April1995 as a joint venture between developers BAA McArthur/Glen. They sold 75% of Cheshire Oaks in 1998.
GETTING THERE
- Car: If you’re travelling by car, Cheshire Oaks is adjacent to junction 10 of the M53 (you’ll see it as you exit the motorway) and a mile from junction 15 of the M56.
- Bus: There are regular bus services from Ellesmere Port
PARKING
Well, I have to say I was impressed. We went during the school holidays (half term) and we still found a parking space immediately. We parked near McDonalds so we could find our way back later!
There are disabled parking spaces, but none of the spaces seem very far from the shops. Best of all it is free to park – which you can’t often say for city centre shopping.
FOOD
There are plenty of cafes and a McDonalds right next to the car park. The McDonalds was very busy because of the school holiday but it didn’t take long to get served. One complaint is that none of the staff were tidying up the trays/tables so it was a bit dirty and nothing like the service you would get in USA!
The website lists Garfunkles and La Brioche Doree as other eating establishments. Some of the cafes smell delicious so if you fancy something other than McDonalds just follow your nose and try one of these. Some mad people were walking around eating ice cream but I wouldn’t advise that at this time of the year!
Just outside the shopping outlet there is also a KFC and other food places.
TOILETS
I didn’t use the toilets so I can't comment on how clean etc they are. One thing I can say is that they aren’t signposted very well. My boyfriend was complaining that he couldn’t find them when suddenly I spied some next to the crossing. The signpost indicated they were straight ahead – somewhere in the direction of the Nike store but this was not the case. Keep alert if you need to pee at Cheshire Oaks!
FINDING YOUR WAY AROUND
We chose to walk around in a big circle since we weren’t looking for one particular shop, but there are also huge signs with a map of the shopping outlet.
Shops at Cheshire Oaks include:
· La Senza (underwear) · Warners (more underwear – ladies, you can never have too much!) · Mexx (my boyfriend bought some lovely casual trousers & a jumper from here – reasonably priced and very nice) · Nike (lots of Nike sportswear all under one roof – there was even a topless man in here when I went!) · Reebok · Helly Hanson (sports/casual wear) · Levis (hoards of jeans/trousers/tops) · Lee Cooper (bargain jeans wear) · Benetton · Timberland · Joe Bloggs · Gap · Suits You (my boyfriend bought a jacket in their sale. Some nice smart clothes in here) · The Suit Co · Tie Rack · Baron Jon (menswear) · Bed & Bath Works · Thorntons (mmm) · Diesel · Liz Claiborne (ladies wear) · DKNY
And lots more that I can’t remember! Bear in mind, some shops will shut down. Fruit of the Loom had shut down when we visited.
There are plenty of sales/reduced price clothing here – up to 50% off. I would say it’s quite a lot cheaper than the high street and well worth trying for your Christmas shopping.
The set out of Cheshire Oaks is really nice. There are crossing so that you don’t get run over by cars that are entering or leaving the outlet but mostly it is completely pedestrianised and wheelchair/pushchair friendly. There are some steps but also ways to avoid them.
Despite it being a school holiday Cheshire Oaks wasn’t overly busy so overall it was a pleasant shopping experience. If you live in the North West, especially Merseyside or Cheshire, I’d recommend you pay this a visit.
I go to Cheshire Oaks often. I live in South Wales so it takes me a while to get there. I have been several times to the MacArthur Glen in Bridgend, a bit small, and the one in Bicester is awful (no offence) and the 1 near york isn't very good either. By far Cheshire oaks is the best and certainly worth the trip however far you live. A little tip for you. Go round it twice if you've got time, don't buy anything the first time round, you might find things even cheaper in the next shop.
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Advantages: Great choice for you and your family or friends. Disadvantages: Can be pricey and walks between are uncovered so bad weather can leave your dancin shoes a tad wet!
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