i always visit the park every sunday , i carnt belive its actualy free its like something you see…read moreand think you would have to pay a entrance free , a massive pond for fishing , park for the children , sand pit , slides and swings. i usualy go fishing on the pond with a reasonable price to fish , lovely people and litter free!

So my quite frankly surreal and random love of water is a bit of a problem for someone living in…read moreYorkshire isn't it? Ha, I laugh in the face of your chortles. Of course not. We have water and plenty of it. We've also got electricty and phone lines outside of London too. I know, it's surprising. What I'm talking about is "real" water and what better place to go than Eccup Reservoir. It's a pearler of an area for some real clarity and fresh air. Beautiful walks ahoy then sailor and more natural splendor than you can shake a stick at. They've also invested heavily in preserving the glourious Red Kites and it is now home to over 100 of the bad boys. Great to see them in full flight. So twitchers can have a field day and the rest of us can also enjoy the array of wildlife on offer. There are also rumours and various sightings (not sure if Special Brew was involved) of a mysterious big cat in the area. Personally I don't believe them as the Yeti would've eaten it. A sure fire hit and worth a trip out to Alwoodley for anyone's money.

My boyfriend convinced me to go on a cycling mission to Eccup reservoir recently. He has a knack of…read moremaking a million miles away sound really close and as I was pressed for time I began to whinge part way there when I realised this wasn't the 15 minute bike ride I'd planned for, being about seven miles up hill! Upon arrival I stopped whingeing immediately. The sun was just beginning to set, and the reservoir, which is HUGE looked absolutely breathtaking! We stopped to catch our breath and as we gazed out across the water I couldn't believe we were within cycling distance of home. Before it got too dark to see much we cheekily jumped a couple of gates to get closer to the water. The reservoir was so still and the trees formed silhouettes against the darkening sky as we stood on the pebbly shore. If you feel the urge to get out of the city for some peace, fresh air and beautiful views, Eccup reservoir is the perfect place!

I have been a couple of times now it is a hidden gem! it has a nice cafe that does a great breaky…read moreand propper coffee's too! they have just started doing a sunday roast. The lakes are well maintained and the staff are friendly and best of all the place is dog friendly!

it is a good place to fish and some days will fish very well and some not i find the bend of the…read morecarp lake is a good peg i have cought plenty from that peg

Just 20 minutes by train from Manchester and around 30 minutes from Leeds - sandwiched in the…read morePennines is the glorious Dovestones. Most people walk around the 1st reservoir and enjoy the stroll. You can however walk around as many as 4 reservoirs in total and increase the challenge. If your particularly fit or an experienced Walker then walk to the tops and enjoy some fantastic views. The place changes every day with the weather, and lots of different routes to take so you won't get bored. Always wear good shoes/boots and take your waterproofs just in case. There is ample parking on weekdays, but very busy at weekends.

Our mission to go for at least one walk in the great outdoors each month of 2016 continues - at…read moreDove Stone Reservoir up in the hills of Saddleworth. Hoping lots of folks would have been put off by the cold weather and fallen snow, our group were met by total carmageddon at the official car park (which was full on a Sunday lunchtime and proved difficult to find a space). After a couple of circuits without success, we drove back to the main road, up the hill a few hundred yards and found plenty of room at the Binn Green car park. It's supposed to be pay and display but there were no machines - double winner. We took a stepped path down from this car park (it's a tad muddy in winter so choose appropriate footwear) and then eventually met the main paved/gravelled route around the reservoir. It's pretty flat all the way and there are gorgeous views to be had, so lots of photo opportunities. The shorter circular route is about 3 miles, whereas if you include the route past Yeoman Hey and Greenfield Reservoirs this increases to 5 miles. We were getting hungry by this point so decided to just do the former!

Lovely place this especially on a sunny day. Great to walk around the lake, perhaps even take a…read morepicnic. The parking is now 70p. There is also a caravan park attached if you fancy staying here.

A lovely lake with plenty of ducks, and I couldn't believe how many swans were there. The cafe is…read morelovely, being disabled, Ive never walked around the lake, but I have heard it is a nice walk.

What a great find!…read more Pugney's is just off Jn 39 on the M1 and it has a big lake where you can hire canoes, kayaks, dinghies, windsurfers and even pedaloes. Around the outside of the lake you can take a small train ride (for the younger children), there is an activity park (no swings and slides though) and even places built specifically for bird watching. Today I went on a pedalo with my two children. It only cost £6 for the three of us and it gave my legs some much needed exercise having to do the pedalling for all three of us! Afterwards my eldest went on a kayak (only £3.70), he had never been on one by himself before but he quickly picked it up and really enjoyed himself. The cafe sells paninis, jacket potatoes and sandwiches all at reasonable prices and there are two ice-cream vans ouside. There are also benches outside for people who want to bring their own food. The best thing of all is that there is no gift shop so my children can't pester me to buy them something! Pugney's is overlooked by Sandal Castle and this is only about three minutes drive away and well worth a visit afterwards!

My main memory of Pugney's country park is of dropping my Thornton's turkish delight bar in there…read morewhen I was about eleven, and being grudging and outraged for the rest of the walk. I suppose that wasn't 'Puggy's' fault! In spite of that, it's an attractive local spot and attracts all the water sports enthusiasts and a horde of waterfowl, is a nice spot for a walk and handy for Sandal Castle. (Also known as the spot where the Grand Old Duke of York marched his ten thousand men, up, down and half-way). It is however a bit short of public conveniences and eateries, which might increase tourism in the spot. Just a thought!

A bittersweet experience was had on my first ever visit to Chorlton water park. Driving here is a…read morelittle strange with it being situated in such a densely populated area. You get the feeling your Satnav is taking you to the wrong place. Don't worry it's not. An old reservoir was transformed into a huge lake a while back and that's the park's main feature. A mile radius around the lake acts as a perfect biking/ hiking trail which isn't too strenuous and is littered with relaxing spots with great views. There's an icecream van to cater for all your refreshment needs and does a lot of business on a hot summer's afternoon. It's a perfect venue to have a picnic and for young families (There's a large play area for kids) All in all a lovely green space in a heavily populated urban area. My only beef with the place was the unsafe nature of the car park. Make sure you park in an area that's camera visible. I returned after a pleasent afternoon to find my windscreen cracked quite badly. I hadn't parked under a tree, falling debree was thus out the question so I suspected some sort of foul play. My little trip therefore cost me nearly £150. Perhaps the place is cursed for me, but don't let that put you off.

When I first moved to Chorlton and I heard people talking about this water park I had visions in my…read morehead of chutes and river rapids. Sadly, the water park bears absolutely no resemblance to Stoke-on-Trent's Water World or Florida's Blizzard Beach. Instead it is a large man-made lake with a path around the edge which attracts walkers, joggers and cyclists. The path is well-surfaced and links on to the Mersey Valley trail, which is unsurfaced. However, there is a car park and visitor centre if you don't fancy the trek down from Chorlton or Didsbury. The water park was formed in the 1970s when gravel was dug up from this area to build the M60, and the area was flooded to form the lake. Despite the fact that the water park is surrounded by the M60, the busy Princess Parkway and Chorlton town centre it is a surprisingly peaceful and serene place - so peaceful that it is the place that the hippies flock to for the summer solstice.

I am from the United States but often visit my family up in Wakefield, so I often end up taking a…read moregood stroll through here. It is a lovely walk! It's short but too short so it's great to take the young ones and dogs! The pubs nearby are great! The park itself is quite clean and free from litter, unlike the local parks back in California. The one problem that did cost a star though, are the toilets. THEY ARE FILTHY! I hear they you have to pay to get in now, which I can totally understand! First of all, they are metal and have no seats. But to be honest, they'd be in pieces if they were porcelain XD. There is graffiti all over the walls. Every time I've gone the floor is a lake of urine. However, that's really the only problem

As the previous reviewer said, this is a real gem. There are a number of walks of various lengths…read morebased around the dam, and all are very picturesque. Kids will love playing in the surrounding woodland and feeding the ducks in the dam, and at least two of the walks are wheelchair friendly, as we used to take my brother there in his. It's easy to get to and a nice afternoon out (especially as there are an ice cream van and plenty of pubs nearby!) I'm not sure how much the car park costs, but there are buses from Wakefield town centre and obviously, the walk is free!

This is one of my favourite places to go for a local walk. Its great, at any time of day, and any…read moretime of year. You can stroll round the lake, at an easy pace. The walk is approx. 2.5miles long and can take you anywhere between 45mins to 1 hour+, depending on speed. At the back of the lake, you may get a chance to spot rabbits & bird-life. There are also, a very small cafe, toilets & a small play area for children. There is also, a Visitors Centre, where you can park, on a 'Pay & Display' basis. The centre provides the interested, information on the Lake, Local history, Childrens Activities & there are toilets & a small cafe. You can also, buy souveneirs. There are also, a range of food & drink facilities, in the locality. My suggestion is to try some fresh fish & chips, at 'Mr Thomas's' Fish & Chip shop. I dont think you will be disappointed! :o) For the more avid walker, there are plenty of trails to follow in the surrounding area. Or, if you are a watersport buff - you can partake in an activity, at The Water Sports Activity Centre. Word of Warning: Make sure you park in a legitimate spot, as Traffic Wardens are very keen to make a living! Also, Sunny days/Bank Holidays - it can be a very busy/crowded area to visit.

Hollingworth Lake is a "lake" in Littleborough. It has a lot of history dating back to 1794 when…read morethe Government sanctioned the construction of Rochdale canal and even Matthew Webb trained here, before becoming the first man to swim The English Channel in 1875. Getting here is relatively easy via car or rail links, with it being served by the 455 and 456 buses from Rochdale, as well as being fairly close to the Smithy Bridge and Littleborough rail stations. If you're driving here, you could actually go over the train tracks, and may have to wait for the train to pass. It is a bit rural here, despite the appearance of a few independent cafes and restaurants and houses. As a child I remember coming here to Hollingworth Lake, but now the surrounding areas have changed, for the worse. For example, The Beach which I remember as a nice, friendly pub has had a worse change than Bolton Wanderers FC turning into a messy, rowdy children's dumping ground, where I wouldn't even want to use the toilet, let alone eat! Parking at the lake can be difficult, it is all paid for which could be a few pounds in the beach, other than the few disabled spaces at the front of the lake, which can often be taken up. It really does seem this lake and the surrounding area has gone down-hill, it has changed from somewhere you could spend time around the lake and in the surrounding restaurants, to somewhere you'd struggle to kill half an hour now. It isn't terrible, but still I sadly can't think of a reason to warrant anything over 2 stars now, and this place really needs a revival, otherwise it could end up more like Portsmouth FC.

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!