Acres of pathways connecting Salford, Prestwich, Clifton, & Whitefield. Want to go further? No…read moreproblem just carry on walking towards the motorway bridge and pop over to the Outwood Trail to head into Radcliffe or follow the Irwell Sculpture Trail as far as you can manage! Drinkwater is great for dog walks, runners & cyclists with lots of muddy cycle paths specifically made for that purpose! There's a lake for fishing too as well as open fields & football pitches. Horses are welcome too!

Drinkwater Park at the southern end on the Salford/Prestwich borders is home to Bury Amateurs…read moreFootball Club, around 3 adult pitches and some junior pitches are there and matches are played throughout the season on a weekend. Always be aware of this when walking your dogs please, I know most of you are.

A last minute decision on a damp, drizzly winter Sunday, but a good one. Forgot how vast this place…read moreis! Walked down the hill past the hall and round the lake, slowing to admire the signets and stop the dog munching all the food left for the birds! Round the other side of the lake, the woods are incredibly quiet; it's easy to forget you're right on the edge of such a large city and the motorway is about a mile away. This is the highest point in the city and the views are amazing.

Fancy a picnic in Manchester? Don't look at me like I've escaped from a mental unit, there's plenty…read moreof places to take a basket, blanket and a punnet of Scotch eggs in the city. If you don't believe me, you've clearly never seen the rural idyll that is Heaton Park. Easily accessible by the Metrolink from the city centre, Heaton Park in Prestwich is historical, green and gorgeous. It's home to a golf course as well as Heaton Hall, a beautiful manor which you can view by partaking in guided tours, the exciting kind where people wear costumes. There is literally far too much going on here for me to include in this little introduction but some noteworthy events include Oasis's huge homecoming gigs where they decked Heaton Park out like a festival. Technologically it was a nightmare, but good old Noel Gallagher promised refunds if they didn't get the sound sorted. Another thing you must, MUST do in Heaton Park is try and catch an open air Shakespeare production. They make the most incredible use of the surroundings, but an insider's tip is to bring a mackintosh, umbrella and perhaps even a flask and foldable chair. The former two are obviously due to the inclement Manchester weather, the latter... well, we all need our home comforts. Actually, add some kind of chewy sweets to that list, you choose your favourites. Just don't rub it in, the poor actors have to do this in all climates and are probably dying for one of your Skittles. Anything more I can add? Relay races for dogs (I'm totally serious, it's an opportunity for dog owners to meet and interact), health walks, horse riding, learning activities... the list goes on and on, and look out for the festivals and music performances. Heaton Park is a buzzing, thriving community all its own, so if you fancy some fresh air and culture, hop on the tram and bring sensible shoes. You'll love it here.

Victoria Park in Swinton used to be occupied by the now extinct Swinton Old Hall. Interestingly,…read morenot far from the park there is a private house that used to be a part of the estate. I doubt they let casual visitors in; as for me, I was lucky enough to visit the house with a friend of mine. The dining room downstairs preserves the original wooden beams and a bit of decor that dates back to the first half of 18th c. The land was purchased by the Borough of Swinton and Pendlebury and converted into a park in 1897. An impressive bandstand commemorates the 60th anniversary of the reign of Queen Victoria. These days there are tennis courts and children's playground. Close to the part is a private nursery, and it is easily accessible on foot from Swinton Shopping Precinct, or by buses 12, 36, and 37 (among a few others). The park is by no means huge, but is a lovely place to walk on a lazy afternoon.

It's a good park if you choose the right day. Go after school or work on a hot day with the kids…read morethen it is just absolutely packed with some kids being older and not paying attention at all to younger kids so i give up after 5 minutes and go elsewhere. Why it hasn't been expanded I don't know as there's plenty of room down the side of the tennis courts to allow space for the kids to play. Ice cream lady is great though!!!

Hahaha..laughter at Sophie's review, her list of ten things...well, almost there, think i'll omit…read morethe White Lightning one from my life story, but i did do dares with the roundabout, lie underneath and have people spin around on it sorta dares...gawd i hope my mother isn't reading this. What i do remember fondly about St Mary's Park is that it was one of the first parks in the area that had loads of stuff to do in it, in the way of climbing frames and swings and slides and roundabouts, and just stuff. Plus there was lots of greenery to have a picnic, and read a book and just generally relax and have a good time on a rare nice day. By night i would avoid, but any self respecting parent isn't going to drive by with their kids and play in the park at night...noooo we leave that up to the Chavneys to desecrate the greenery, but once green patrol have been around it's a lovely little park with plenty to keep the kids entertained.

One of our favourite local parks. There's plenty of parking and the lake is a decent enough size to…read moremake a stroll around it a decent enough walk for our kids (now aged 3 and 5). There's a great playground for them too -- substantially refurbished in the summer of 2008 -- and there are some quality Special Events arranged for most holiday seasons. The park itself is big; exploring it fully could well take the best part of a day. All in all, a great place for a family day (or half-day) out: well worth the visit.

Today, 31 May 2019, I visited Moses Gate Country Park with my mum and grandmother and their three…read moredogs. We had not been there long when a man approached my dogs. They backed away and growled. He swore at me a few times - think of the worst expletives in the English language. I said "There's no need for that." The next thing I know he's moved across the 4 metres separating us and he punched me in the nose and mouth so hard I was lifted off my feet and found myself staring at the sky. My glasses were a few metres behind me in the dirt. The man did this without cause or warning in front of my 88 year old grandmother and 67 year old mother. I'm a 45 year old woman. I was, and am, very shaken up by this. I phoned the police and followed the man at a distance. He walked along the grass by the side of the road into the park. When he reached Hall Lane he turned towards Little Lever and crossed the road. He turned into a little lane that I now know leads to a permanent gypsy camp. The man was mid to late 50s with a swarthy complexion and close cropped white hair. He was around 5 foot 10 or 5 foot 11. His build was stocky. He wore a black heavy metal style T-shirt, a denim jacket and a pair of denim jeans slightly darker than the jacket. This assault was unprovoked and I cannot understand why it happened. If a woman aged 45 cannot walk her dogs peacefully in Moses Gate Country Park without a middle aged man punching her so hard she was flung to the ground I don't think the park is safe for anyone. Please inform people of this and be vigilant for this man. What really disturbs me is the police said they would send an ambulance and patrol car then another police man rang me back to say there were no patrols in the area. I asked about the ambulance. He almost laughed and was quite dismissive. He said "You've been punched. We aren't going to send an ambulance for that!" He asked if I wanted to make a report. I said yes and he told me to drive two miles to Burnham Park station. When i arrived there I was so upset I could barely speak. The lady was nice but said there wasn't anyone available. She said they'd visit me at home later. An hour later they phoned to say they didn't have anyone available and they would phone me next week to make an appointment for me to visit the station to make a report. Please be careful going to this park. You will not receive help if you are attacked. This happened at 4.30pm with lots of people in the park.

Queen's Park was somewhere my family used to head to on occasion throughout my childhood. There was…read morea time a good few years ago when it fell into a serious state of disrepair and neglect and was no longer family-friendly, but after a sizeable injection of lottery funding and refurbishment it went on to win the national 'People's Choice Green Flag Park' award in 2010 and has held 'the Flag' each year since then. The park is Grade II listed and still has some of the original buildings and structures from the 1870s including the Lodge House and Victoria Fountain. It was presented to the people of Heywood by Queen Victoria in 1879. The green spaces are well maintained and there are plenty of pathways to wander along. It's probably in need of a little TLC in some parts, especially around the Boating Lake, but the vast majority of the amenities are being looked after. Speaking of which, there are plenty of things for families to do here, from the tennis courts (they're on asphalt), children's play areas, crown green bowling greens, outdoor gym and café. There's also a large BMX course which had been constructed in the last couple of years next to Heywood Cricket Club. Tip: there is a large free car park opposite the Park on Queen's Park Road.

Crumpsall is a green space in the heavily built up area of Crumpsall, as implied by its name,…read moreCrumpsall Park. Its really just a little park for dog walking, running, cycling and that kind of thing, with no notable characteristics whatsoever. Nonetheless, its one of very few green spaces in the area, so it provides a welcome relief. Also, they do quite a few annual events there including a carnival and some summer activities, though I have never seen any of these so you'll have to take a risk!