Yeadon Tarn is a lovely place to visit if you have small children or dogs that need walking. With a…read morenice dam to walk around, plenty of ducks and concrete pathway, its a surefire winner. It features a bandstand, childrens park area and even has its own sailing club. The park is open to the public all year round and has exciting views of the aeroplane strip at Leeds Bradford Airport. There are numerous picnic areas and fishing opportunities. I prefer to visit extremely early in the morning to have a run and I must say, it is rather beautiful at sunrise...

This is a great place to stretch your legs on a weekend. No matter what the weather this place…read morealways seems to be busy. The path way around the tarn is suitable for little ones on bikes or wheel chairs. There's a children's play area, band stand, picnic tables, bike track, benches and plenty of parking. I love visiting in the winter when the water is frozen over and the ground is covered in snow. It's beautiful! Just a note: as I am local to the area on my last visit I noticed a fair bit if litter not exactly at the tarn but the surrounding areas.. If we all club together and bin our rubbish or even pick other peoples up and dispose if it we can all help keep this place looking nice for others :-)

Just beyond Adel is Golden Acre Park, a place I've gone to regularly since I was a child, and loved…read moreevery time. You can get to it from the main road out of north-west Leeds, or, like I do, through the woods between Adel and Cookridge. It's perfect for any outdoor time you need - walking, running, dog-strolling or just chilling out and tossing a frisbee around. It's a very well preserved park - there is never any litter or stray dog muck, and the warden and gardeners do a splending job keeping it looking pretty whatever the weather. In the middle of the park there's a huge pond with loads of interesting wildlife to look at - but don't anger the geese (I've been chased by them a few times) by just feeding the ducks. There's ample free parking and a nice little cafe, making it the perfect park.

This is the sort of place that really, I mean *really*, makes me miss being at home in…read moreGloucestershire. It is just so beautiful. I think the fact that we are so lucky here in Leeds so as to have such a well maintained and beautiful green space just on the outskirts of the city centre is a real marvel. I can't imagine many other cities being so lucky! The main deal here is the walking. I won't bore you with more detail than that, I am sure you'll know how to put one foot in front of the other, but this is what we're talking about here. Sunny/crisp days and a lengthy stroll - it's great for the system and great for the soul. Bring your dog, your wife, yourself, your camera. Use your imagination, if you will, there is more fun to be had here and it is all for free. Whether it's the wildlife, the greenery, the air or the escape there are endless reasons to come and see what this place is all about. I heart WY and I heart Golden Acre Park. The end!

A three pond complex, the top pond (Canal pond) is the match lake and contains a lot of silver…read morefish, carp to 10lb, Tench and perch. The middle pond contains larger carp, a cat fish (supposedly around 40lb), lots of roach to around 1lb, bream to around 2lb, small perch, and tench to 5lb. The smaller bottom lake doesn't get fished much and is stocked as per the Canal pond but with a catfish (supposedly around 30lb). Day tickets cost £5 for up to 2 rods, and the money is collected on the bank. The car park reed lined pegs on the middle pond are the most popular and on a weekend you will need to be there 'queueing' well before the gates open to get any of them. The middle pond generally has a 1m depth at a rod length out from the bank with a maximum depth of around 2.5m. There are toilet facilities, and on weekends a 'burger bar' van is resident in the car park between the top and middle ponds. Had huge bags of roach, with tench, perch and several decent carp by fishing alongside reeds about 2m from the bank with a 14 hook fished just over depth and loaded either with 3 red/yellow maggots, or 6mm halibut flavour soft pellets over a carpet of strawberry flavour crushed hard pellet groundbait. Keep loose feeding 6-10 maggots around your float on the 'little and often' principle and I found it was a 'fish a chuck' most of the day.

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!

I'm doing it again; I must get to the water. I am a Gremlin. I need to multiply and water is my…read moresavour. In that case I could do a lot worse than Hemsworth Water Park and Play World. Now this badger has two lakes; the largest lake is available for pedalo rides and has sandy beaches; the smallest lake is in a more secluded area to attract wildlife. It's perfect if you want to do a Freddie Flintoff and fool around for a while. It's also ideal to see some great things of interest in this beautiful world we have around us. I'm going all John Lennon on you now. You've also got loads of grassed areas and picnics are no problem either (except the fact it's always freezing and wet in England). Then throw in the Play World bit. This is where I need to fall back and remind myself that I'm not a child any more. For "real" kids though it's got with a tower slide, climbing frames, a toddler's sandpit area and a miniature railway. Toot toot. Once again I've found you a corking day out with a difference but do check what is open if you go before the Easter holidays. You have been warned.

I find myself in something of a quandary. I value the provision of these islands of nature greatly…read moreand will always defend them from the encroaching urban sprawl but I find that I cannot get very excited about Hemsworth Water Park, Nice enough lakes and the ducks were very duck-like, the grass was probably just as green as any other park and the children's play area as clean and well maintained as the best of them but the other play area which is rather grandly called Playworld was locked up thereby saving us a few quid for an experience we could get for free in any half decent public park. I left with the feeling that I had wasted fuel driving to Hemsworth as there are better parks much nearer to where I live.

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

A great adventure playground that will keep all but the most fussy of kids entertained, be warned…read morethough it can get a bit muddy. The grounds of the estate have miles of paths to explore/walk the dog and alarge lake give ample oppurtunity to feed the ducks/fish.

Although not exactly in the middle of the countryside, St Ives lets you get away from the…read morerelatively busy hustle and bustle of nearby Bingley and offers beautiful woodland walks, tasty food and a bit of something for everyone. St Ives boasts it's own golf course so if you are that way inclined you can while away a few hours hitting balls into holes (can you tell I'm not a fan!) It also has a beautiful lake with a lovely walk around it which is ideal if you have youngsters who will enjoy feeding the various ducks and other wildlife. They recently introduced a wildlife viewing area where you can sit and watch squirrels and various birds eating from conveniently placed feeding tables. There are lots of paths and walks you can enjoy around the estate, including one which takes you through a large woodland area with many large carved statues for you to discover - the dragon is our favourite! Extra points if you can find the massive carved wooden chain (hint: it's in a tree somewhere near the lake!) There are several large car parks and a children's playground and also tearooms to enjoy, so there really is something for everyone. Definitely a place where you can go have fun with your family, or even relax and get away from it all.

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!

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!

When I'm stressed, unimpressed, or my head's in need of rest, Beckett Park is my playground. I'm so…read morefortunate in that I'm a stone's throw away from it and can go for a walk/cross march whenever I need to clear my head. Considering that Beckett Park is literally slap-bang next to Leeds uni Headingley campus, it's hardly ever packed with people. I find it odd if I see more than 3 joggers whenever I go for an amble. I take the route via Churchwood Avenue into a thick arch of towering trees, the sky above stained with lush green leaves. it's easy to see why this was the childhood haven of many Leeds dwellers. I can just see the myriad games of Robin Hood / Manhunt / Hide and seek that must've gone down here. Biking through this strip of woodland must be very liberating! This park is beautiful at any time of the year, so if you're looking for a scenic setting to your morning jog you could do alot worse!

I realise my review may be somewhat tainted by the arrival of the snows but, when stripped of such…read moreexciting weather, I think Beckett's Park will still offer up plenty of fun and games. Literally ten minutes from Headingley you can walk straight up St. Anne's Road and you will have arrived at Beckett's Park. To the left there is the option to go for a mini woodland walk, in the midst of the suburban Headingley area, or you can carry on and in front of you to the park area itself. It might not be the largest space but it's big enough for a decent game of rounders/football and is surrounded by picturesque trees and greenery. Lots of fun! There's also a cute little bench, perfect for a sandwich and a light read. In terms of snow related fun I have been snow boarding - using a wheel-less mountain board as a snow board - down the hills of Beckett's Park! It is like, totally awesome. Be warned though, snowboard at your own risk - injuries are very possible - I have come away with a sprained posterior. You may laugh now but it's not great walking around with a limp and having to explain exactly where it hurts...