When the Queensway Tunnel was dug beneath the river, the subsequent rubbish pulled from the ground…read morewas dumped and landscaped into what is now Otterspool Prom. Here you can do everything there is to possibly do on a riverside promenade; things such as walk, ride a bike, look at the water and...um...well that's about it. I suppose you could rollerblade if you wanted. If it's a warm day and you don't mind the style your hair will be sculpted into by the blustering gales, you can follow the prom and its interconnecting paths right up to the Pier Head. If you don't fancy that, try and unearth the ruins of the 1984 Garden Festival, which lies hidden by tree trunks and weeds. You don't know how overtly creepy something is until you accidentally stumble across a kid's overgrown swing park. I still have nightmares.

What a spectacular view. Did you ever see such a coastline? Especially when the waves are choppy…read moreand the wind blustery. I absolutely love the promenade; walking along beside the river with the breathtaking view of the Welsh hills in the background is really relaxing, there's lots of cyclists and dog-walkers around and it's a lovely environment on a clear sunny day. The park which was renovated through the 'Pride in our Proms' project is Amazing. It's a mini world of Big Kid heaven... for me anyway I regressed about 10 years and was on the swings, seesaw and monkey bars, and when we'd totally worn ourselves out running around and taking cool scenic pictures of the sunset we went for a well earned pint from the Otterspool pub which is handily a hop skip and a cartwheel across the park. Go fly a kite, see the sights, play on the park and grab a pint!

A park I've visited many, many times, ever since I was a kid. Now when we're up visiting family…read moreit's where I take the nephews as there's so much to do here (as long as it isn't raining - Wacky Warehouse further down the promenade is our go-to place for those days). In recent years it's had a major refurb with new facilities (which was long overdue). So alongside the historically well-maintained flowerbeds and woodland walks, there's a great crazy golf course (the old one was well past its best), swing boats, a play area for younger children, trampolines, merry-go-round, tennis and basketball courts, aqua play area, miniature train and a large 'natural' adventure playground. There's a cafe near the crazy golf which sells Lewis's Ice Cream which is fantastic. A lovely place for a stroll on a nice day, with lots of different activities for the nippers (just remember to bring a pocket-full of pound coins - they'll want a go on everything!).

On the whole, Bowland Wild Boar Park is an enjoyable day out, especially for children under the age…read moreof 10. It is open everyday 10.30am - 5.30pm, is very reasonably priced and the owners are genuinely enthusiastic and friendly, with bigger and better ideas for the future. It has come on in leaps and bounds since I first visited (roughly 6 years ago), when it was home to just a few small animals and several stinky cattle sheds. All the animals here do appear to be well cared for, have adequate room to roam and have plenty of food and water available. The drive to the park is an adventure in itself. It really is out in the sticks! If you start questioning whether you've gone the right way, you're probably on the right road, so don't worry. When you do arrive at the park, chances are you'll be greeted by one of the family members that own the park, and/or a peacock. Entry into the park is payable by cash or cheque only. Once you've paid for admission, the park areas and children's play activities are free. If no-one is at the gates to greet you, there is an "honesty box" for you pay into. Adults £4.50 Children (2 years and above) £3.50 Family ticket (2 adults + 2 children) - £14.00 OAP's - £3.50 Children under 2 years - free The wild boar in the park actually tend to be the least most favourite attraction. Most kiddies just want to bottle feed the lambs and hold the chicks, which they can do at set times during the summer months. Lamb feeding is at 11am, 2pm, 4.30pm Chick handling - 11am, 2pm, 5pm. The park's owners bring them out and then allow all the children who want to have a go, to have a turn. Nobody is pushed out or missed because they get everyone in one big circle to make sure. On top of that, baby wipes are freely available for anyone who happens to get pooped on by a fluffy cute little chick! When the lambs and chicks aren't out, there are lots of other animals to see around the park including red deer, reindeer, donkeys, goats, llama's, skunks, wallabies, owls, pigs, rabbits, guinea pigs, etc. Visitors can hand feed many of these as well as go into the open pens of the smaller animals. Animal feed is available for visitors to use, for which they like you to make a donation of about 25p. When you have finished feeding, there are lots of small wash basins, hand soap and towels for you to use and clean up with after. Obviously, there are some animals which you cannot feed and must not attempt to get near, (the wild boar for a start). Notices are clearly displayed and animals which can be particularly nasty are behind fences and secured safely. Tractor trailer / barrel rides run throughout the day, with the park's owner simply jumping into his tractor and taking kids and adults alike, on a sightseeing tour of the area. These are £1.00 per person and last about 15 mins. The park has an adventure playground which is excellent. Along with the usual swings and slides, it has a zip wire and a sand pit, complete with spades and a ride-on digger. There are smaller pedal tractors available for younger kiddies to play on and a large "rabbit warren" is just outside the adventure playground, with large adjoining tunnels for the kids to crawl through and meet each other at end the end. What does seem to be particularly fun for the kids is a very large barn filled with nothing but hay bales. The bales are tied securely and stacked to make deep tunnels, bunkers and steps which are great for playing army or hide and seek. Also on site is a large education centre which is used for school and group bookings, and a small touring caravan area / children's birthday party can be arranged as well, but I don't know what these are like or how much they are; you'd need to contact the park directly. The park is very pleasing on the eye, with several gorgeous woodland walks and lots of picnic tables, some of which are right beside the river Hodder. You're likely to see lots of wild birds and animals if you walk round the outer areas of the park. In spring, the woods look superbly colourful; even more so at Easter when children can take part in an Easter egg treasure hunt. Wear comfortable stuff - preferably hiking boots or wellies. As its mainly grassy area, the chances are that you'll get muddy. Also, the footpaths can be uneven and in some areas are pretty steep. All visitors are given a map with info about the different routes to take though, so you won't get caught out. Toilets are available and have always been clean and tidy when I've visited. There is a small cafe and shop as well which sells the usual tea, coffee, soft drinks and even its own meat produce. (This grosses me out just a bit actually) The small gift shop sells predictable but nevertheless, nice little things such as key rings, pencils, soft toys etc. The one fault I have with this park is that there is very little in the way of shelter if the weather is poor, so ensure you pack up warm gear if

A little know gem of Warrington with bucket loads of history attached. It's got 2 main areas, open…read moregrass land and the willow marshes. Great dog walking area.

This is a wonderful, natural environment. Excellent for those who like to walk away from all the…read moretraffic and noise, but still be in contact with civilisation. It can be accessed from Farrell Street or Manchester Road (via Peacock Avenue) and has some pathways laid out, suitable for wheelchairs or buggies. Once again, it is often necessary to watch out for bicyclists, but most are very courteous here. The odd kids on stolen and/or illegal motorcycles are not. Contrary to popular knowledge of the law, these are not legal on what used to be called common land and still need a license, tax and insurance - none of which they have. Rant over! Just off the laid paths is a quite large area which is the actual twiggery - water and marshland completely enclosed in shrubbery which is more akin to jungle than parkland. The authorities have had built raised, wooden walkways throughout this area without destroying the natural aspects - it is possible to see all manner of animal and birdlife if one is quiet enough. I have watched heron fishing in the pond near the entrance as well as kingfishers and wagtails. On St George's Day, we usually manage to pick enough dandelions for the next year's dandelion wine - more than two gallons some years.

The Jungle Parc is an absolutely amazing place for kids, and not too bad for adults too. I never…read moreeven knew this place existed until I was searching the net and then came across this place. I would strongly recommend this for age 7 - 10 though smaller ones are able to come along too, height restrictions do apply to certain parts of the adventure courses, so to avoid disappointed I would recommend you go onto their website and check first. This place is all about fun and fitness for the whole family. They have a massive high wire forest adventure course; which is set within the countryside and developed to encourage you to get moving, and trust me by the end you the adventure a good cuppa and sleep is what you'll need, though if it is for the family then keeping the kids active by getting them tired then Jungle Parc is the place to bring them. It is a very safe environment and with all the proper equipment it is very enjoyable. The X-plorer course is for anyone over 1.35m in height and the Adventurer course is for children from 4 years old and with minimum height of 1.05m. The Jungle Parc is situated in Croxteth Country Park which is only 10 minutes from the city centre.

The Jungle Parc which (like Gemma) I also never knew existed until I came across a flyer, is based…read moreat Croxteth Country Park. The site is generally an incredible place for outdoor activities for those looking to burn off more than a bit of energy (adults and children alike). The premises consists of two different courses: X-Plorer course and Adventurer course (for the little ones). Each course is ideally designed with a practical element, almost like an assault course but with the fun involved. There are 40 amazing activities to enjoy as you glide through trees on rope bridges, zip lines and cargo! It definitely sounds exciting as it really is. Adults are just £20 and Juniors £15. Prices include full training and all equipment to make sure you are fully prepared and safe. Not bad at all for an adventourous day in jungle like surroundings.

Hesketh Park is one of the largest parks in southport. It dates back to the 1800s. The park has…read morerecently celebrated its 140th birthday. There were lots of celebrations during its birthday. There are lots of places to walk around. Many nature trails lead off from the main path. There is a beautiful rose garden, with weaping willows in it too. This is ideal on a hot summers day to go and sit, or lay on the grass. In the park is a HUGE duck pond. No matter what time of day you go, there's always ducks or geese waiting for bread. At the top of the duck pond is a water fountain, which has just been rebuilt in the same style it was 140 years ago. There are many ways to walk around the duck pond, with walls to climb or steps leading off to other parts. The play area is great for children. There is a wide range of things to do for many different ages. Next to the play area is a crazy golf course, although this is only open during the Summer. There is also a lovely gcafe situated right next to the play area. It sells lots of food, soft drinks, tea and coffee. It's perfect for parents to sit in whilst the children play on the slide. As well as all of this there is many more! An Aviary, which doesn't have many birds left, great for in Spring time when the chicks are born. A huge conservatory boasting many different plants and flowers blooming. An Observatory, which isn't open that much. A giant flower clock that tells the time, which is over 50 years old! In my opinion this is the best park in Southport, as it's very spacious and safe. My 2 year old loves it, we try and go at least twice a week.

From the roundabout at the northern end of Lord Street (by the Fire Station and Law Courts),…read morecontinue straight on along Albert Road, to reach the park entrance, at Park Road. Hesketh Park really is one of my favourite parks since its refurbishment. As you walk around the park you will find ornamental lakes, fountains and at this time of year very colourful flowerbeds. If you are lucky you might even come across a red squirrel - they haven't come out for me yet - but they may for you. The park also features a historic observatory; a conservatory; aviary; waterfalls and cascade; American, herbaceous and mixed flower gardens. There is also a clock garden, where a carefully restored floral cuckoo clock 'calls' the hours. Awesome! There's also a café and large play area for children.

Towering 160m above both what was once the old-money village of Alderly Edge (now a mecca for…read morePremiership footballers and Wags) and the Cheshire Plain in general, the edge has some of the best views of anywhere in the area thanks to the dramatic edge - a steep cliff-like drop. The edge has historic associations with, somewhat incongruously, mining and wizardry, but these days it's a great place to go for a walk with either the kids, the dog, visitors or even a solitary stroll. There are car parks at both the foot of the edge and the top (the latter is the main one) giving the option of a quick trip to the edge itself and back or a longer, more demanding up-and-down walk.

As picturesque as it gets in Bolton, the Jumbles is a firm favourite for locals and outsiders…read morealike. This was at full testimony on my last walk (Sunday) when the weather had perked up a little as almost half of Bolton had decided to do the same! That could sound quite negative but it's definitely not, theres room and space for all. Most would say it's better when the sun is shining and you don't need to wrap up like you're about to tackle an blizzard on Snowdon, but sometimes it's just as beautiful to walk round when it's bitterly cold and the trees are frosting in stead of blooming. I'm very lucky to have this on my doorstep although I don't utilise it enough. If you're looking for a new walking route or a different reservoir to explore, make the Jumbles your next stop - and call in at my house for a cuppa on your way out!

The National Wildflower Centre is an award winning independent charity funded through public…read moresupport. They run a seasonal visitor attraction that showcases wildflowers in a natural environment with lots of ideas that you can replicate at home. As well as this, they provide information and raise awareness about the importance of wildflowers and encourage people to learn about the creation and management of new wildflower habitats (which they call creative conservation). The centre has a mix of refurbished old buildings and new architecture, with courtyards and a walled garden demonstration space where they show seasonal displays of wildflowers. As well as this, there is plenty for children to do such as explore woodland, find minibeasts and burn off some energy on their climbing wall and play equipment. For a plantastic day out, choose the National Wildflower Centre in Knowsley!

Like flowers? Of course you do, you'd have to be the ultimate miserablist not to like flowers…read more Heck, Morrissey's a miserablist and even he likes to swing a bouquet around onstage. So if Moz is in need of more blooms to enhance his performance, you might want to point him in this direction. Certainly the place to appreciate a good plant, the National Wildflower Centre is the work of registered charity Landlife, so get ready to feel good about yourself. A great visitor attraction, the idea behind the centre is to allow people to enjoy the habitats they've created for wildflowers, raise awareness of the importance of foliage and enable wildlife to thrive and multiply. Birds, bugs and animals alike have found the environment perfect for settling down since the centre opened almost ten years ago, and the fact that it's part of Victorian Court Hey Park, a 35 acre attraction in itself, speaks very highly for it. A peaceful ambience and a superb family environment, it's well worth taking the bus ride out of the city centre for. Not only is it good for sightseers, there are also unique conference facilities available if you fancy holding an event with a little bit of pizzazz. You'd have to be very hard of heart not to be inspired by this place, there's no other word for it - it's truly gorgeous. Any money the centre raises goes to the charity so just by visiting you'll certainly make a difference. Do take the time to stop and smell the roses.

Lively little place fir family days out/dog walking. The place is avsolutely huge and fab for…read morepicnics, ball games etc. Their food hut is fantastic it cost about £8 to feed three of us! They also have a maze if you need to keep the kids occupied for a while and little home crafted/art stores if youre early enough in the day to see those I'd highly reccomend it

A huge park in Leyland, and a really good place to take the kids on a summer's day. In addition to…read morethe acres of grass, there's a lot to do: a narrow-gauge steam railway provides cheap rides around the park; there's quite a tricky maze to get lost in; and the playground is large and had plenty of equipment where energy can be expended. There's a large car park (although I'm not 100% certain whether it's large enough to cope at peak times) and the place is well sign-posted from the town centre. It was a bit boggy in places when we visited, but then we did go towards the end of a typically wet British summer. All in all, though, well worth a visit.