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!

This is a lovely park, and one that I certainly had no idea was here until I stumbled upon it…read morewhilst walking in to Kirkby town centre. It's a good piece of green with a paved walking/biking trail, and a fair bit of wild brush, trees, and general natural growth still flourishing around the edges. It would make a nice place for a quiet picnic or to sit and read a book on a mild summer day.

Balls Wood is the hidden gem of Maghull for those who love parks and the great outdoors in general…read more You could walk right by this park and not notice it--in fact I did at first. Through this camouflaged archway lies a hidden little patch of green. If you long for green and trees and fresh air as much as I do, this is a great place to walk, sit, breath, and drink in the natural world around you. I was taken aback, actually, because it reminded me a little bit of the fields across the road from my grandparents' old stone house back in the USA. As you walk through the arch you have trees on both sides of the mown grass, and you have to walk quite a ways before you come to the open clearing. Apparently this patch of land is home to a bit of wildlife as well so if you're lucky and you time it right, you might spot some cunning and adorable critters.

Coronation Park is a fairly small piece of land in the centre of Ormskirk and is suprisingly a…read morequiet getaway from the noisy traffic that surrounds its borders. There are several trees, velvety lawn and flowerbeds that are well taken care of as you sit down and just watch the world go by. I find this a fantastic place to relax on a sunny day. It is a brilliant place to be with family and friends whether it's for a picnic or a gentle stroll. There are a number of benches where you can just laze and perhaps read a book whilst you escape the thoughts of everyday life, albeit in a pleasant and untroubled area.

During a recent trip to Ormskirk, I was walking past the area where Coronation Park is and realised…read morethat I'd never actually properly noticed it before. I've been to Ormskirk regularly for several years but mainly in the town centre area and so consequently had kind of forgotten Coronation Park even existed. Perhaps it was just because it was a particularly nice day, but the park was buzzing with many people either lazing on the grass or playing football in the sun. The park itself is fairly large and manages to fit in both large grassy areas and lovely garden areas filled with plants and benches. There is also a bandstand halfway down the park which often hosts bands and a small skate park at the far end, making it a perfect stop off for young skateboarders. Due to my experiences with Formby parks, I usually only associate parks with underage drinking and mouthy youths but Coronation Park managed to show me that they can be a lovely place to go and relax in the sun (on the odd occasion that happens).

This is a pretty, well kept and landscaped little park across the way from St Chad's church…read more This is more of a city park in that you'll find lots of little benches, a few well placed shade trees, flower beds, and lots of fairly smiley looking people sitting about eating their lunches and reading their newspapers. I love the weeping willows. :) It's a pleasant little park and I'd definitely swing by here again if I were in the area.

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.

Walton Hall Park is not the biggest of parks in Liverpool but large enough to say the least! On a…read moresunny day, it is a wonderful place to spend the day with family and friends. If you fancy a picnic, there is plenty of open field space where you can't be noticed or noticed if you wish. The park has one main lake and a smaller pond where you can enjoy fishing or feeding ducks, swans or geese. Having said it is a great day to spend on a sunny day, it is also a great day to spend on a snowy day; back in January's snow flurry, the park had a magnificent white display with lakes turning into an ice rink. The place was beautiful to walk through but naturally hazardous for children and animals. Occasions like this are rare but when the opportunity arises, I would recommend a visit whether sunny or snowy!

I used to live fairly close to this park. It's pretty good sized, and provides a nice place to…read morewalk, play with your dog, take the kids for a picnic, etc. There's a paved track that runs all around the grassy area. I'm not sure how long the track is--possibly a fourth of a mile. Around the edges there are some trees that provide nice shade in the summer months. All in all a clean and pleasant park. :)

I love Stanley Park. After spending a summer living in Blackpool in my University days i became…read morevery familiar with Stanley Park, which is a haven for dog walkers, young families and couples alike. There's a huge boating lake and many opportunities to feed the ducks! There's an excellent park for children as well as a skate park for the older kids. Fields as long as football pitches to let your dog have a good run around and there's some quieter woodland areas which make a popular running route.

Stanley Park is a great recreational area just next to Blackpool Zoo. As well as many play areas…read morethere is also football pitches, a lake with boat hire, crazy golf and a sit on train ride to keep your children amused. A recent addition is the high ropes attraction which is basically a giant climbing frame. A great day out and inexpensive if you pack a lunch.

One of our favourite Bolton parks -- small but perfectly formed, as they say. There's an excellent…read morechildren's playground: the Council have recently spent a huge amount of money updating the swings, slides and so on and it's been money well spent. Our kids (aged 3 and 5) love going there and letting off some steam. Apart from the playground there's a bowling green and plenty of grass to play football/cricket/whatever -- although to be honest that's about it. It's just over the road from a local secondary school so it may be best avoided at certain times of the week, but during the holidays and at weekends it's a good place to visit.

There are many Fairy Glens in the country and this is a beautiful example. Basically it just a…read moresmall woods surrounding a stream but there is a lovely wood walk there and in the spring the bluebells are stunning, If you listen very hard you may even hear the Fairies playing in the woods. Just down the road from Parbold Hill and the Wiggin Tree easy to get to and a nice walk for the dog.