Such a nice park for kids to play and for me to walk Ricky Martin! So pleased I stumbled across…read morethis park yesterday / lived 10 minutes drive away for 3 years and never noticed it! Apparently decades ago it was a landfill that has now been turned into this large (33 hectares or 70+ acres) park with plenty of room to walk, enjoy nature (including some wetlands) and the views. Ricky Martin and I will definitely be back - often! 1 thumb and 2 paws up!! Review #11 2020

perfect for adults and children!!! nice to have a walk round…read moreor to settle with a picnic and have famil;y time. beautiful to look at all year round and lots of wildlife!

Shipley Country Park is located between Ilkeston and Heanor in Derbyshire, 10 miles to the North…read moreEast of Derby and 11 miles to the West of Nottinghamshire. The Park covers an area of over 600 acres of open Grassland, landscaped Gardens, Lakes and Reservoirs and other recreational areas. Its a great place to get out in the freah air to simply walk the dogs, cycle, run and take in the great British flora and fauna. Also good for fishing- permits required.

If you enjoy walking or cycling in nice scenery you will enjoy this park in Derbyshire.It is…read morepopular with family's having big open spaces to play in and then visit the visitor centre and cafe.The lake is alway's interesting with plenty of wildlife.

Dovedale is a disaster waiting to happen. People climbing the mountains with large rocks nearly…read moremissing people head. Witnessed a small rock hitting a poor young child. Seen delinquents rolling rocks from the top of the mountain. If those rocks hit anyone it's game over for that person. Multiple barbecues being held on site with people smoking shishas. No security on site. No signs of any rangers in site. Litter everywhere. A disaster waiting to happen from what I saw today

Just north of Ashbourne, Dovedale is most peoples first foray into the Peak District. As a result…read moreit can be unbelievably busy on bank holidays and on any nice day in the British summer. It is a lovely place to go walking, picturesque countryside and a straightforward circular walk back to the car park of around 6 miles. Great in the winter to stretch the legs, but the stepping stones that Dovedale are famous for will probably be flooded in the winter, so don't get caught out on the wrong side of the river and have to retrace your steps! Its close proximity to Derby and Ashbourne means that the best time to go to Dovedale is 'off peak', unless you are partial to queueing and crowds.

A beautiful public open space and gardens which surrounds the Castle building and has many facets…read more I grew up visiting the Castle grounds and sadly took it for granted. It was not till I moved away for a number of years that I realised what a wonderful and unique space this actually is. I fed ducks here as a child, revised here as an adolescent and dare I say met 'boys' here too. Many fond memories. The facilities encompass all of the following. A park which has an amazing wooden fort, rope bridge, sand pit, and a 'bouncy' floor (so todays generation do not get the same kind of scars I have on my knees!). This is free and open in daylight hours. A tree-lined Riverside walk makes a welcome distraction from the hustle and bustle of a busy day, and there is much wildlife to be seen including the aforementioned ducks, geese, swans, squirrels, water voles and wild rabbits. Its fab for a bit of peace, to educate children, or for excercise. Many local fishermen also use these banks daily. There is a cute little cafe which serves hot and cold food, and ice creams etc,. where you can eat inside or out. Tennis courts, crazy golf, and tennis courts for those so inclined( at a small fee for equipment). Good toilet/washroom facilities. A bandstand which is 100 plus years old and still in use for singers, windbands and brass bands. Also loads of open space for kids to play football or just burn off a bit of energy. There are picnic benches available for the public and small wooden shelters should the sun not be kind. When the weather is hot the grass is scattered with sun worshippers just catching the rays. The piece de resistance of all of this for me though has to be the 'formal gardens' which are a series of highly colourful raised beds with pathways and steps winding betwixt. The Castle Grounds are often host to local events too, 'Battle of the bands', the local carnival, bank holiday fairs, various arts and music festivals. Probably most famously last year it was honoured with Prince Charles and a huge parade marking the merger of several local regiments to form a new unified'Staffordshire regiment'. Whilst I am not a Royalist I was proud to see event televised and showing our local beauty in a positive light. The best part about all of this is , in the main,its all free!!! No entrance fee. I sometimes think that more could be done with the space available - but possibly its better the devil you know. I think if the council had to spend money developing more attractions it would be in danger of becoming 'commercialised' and lose its essence (along with the free entry too no doubt). There are historical ruins and the like also in the grounds - but I am afraid this is not my forte. For those of you that way inclined the Castle and its grounds would make an interesting and enjoyable day out.

The castle grounds are lovely. It's a wonderful place for walking and enjoying the views with the…read morelocals as opposed to bus loads of tourists. Treat yourself to an ice cream, relax on a bench and watch the world go by.

Ever since I was a wee gal I've been coming to Lickey Hills park - from school geography trips to…read morehuge picnics , it has something for everyone. As soon as you come in, theres a huge park for kids which is actually great fun for the big kids too ;) take my advice for it! And as you go deeper into the park, you realise what an incredible sigh of relief this park is as it gives you a break from the busy, industrial city ; instead offering you serenity and beauty. You wouldn't even think it's in Birmingham! Rolling hills, towering trees and a blanket of green surrounding you; each area is beautiful. Even if you do get drenched by the rain like I did, it's definitely worth it! A must for those seeking an escape!

If you're looking for the best views of Birmingham, Lickey Hills Country Park is the place you…read moreshould go! This very popular landscape, placed between Rednal and Barnt Green areas, is a 524 acres park with a visitor centre, golf, tennis and bowls and also a wonderful view provided from the top of the Beacon Hill, the highest point of Lickey Hills. It's a huge public space that is perfect for walkers not afraid of a bit of adventure and also families that can have a good use of its recreation park. There is a cafe nearby the recreation area and you may need some food and drinks after walking through the park. I have been to Lickey Hills with a group of very enthusiastic friends and I can tell that in the end of the journey to Beacon Hill we were all tired but happy because the perspective we have of some parts of Birmingham from that point is quite impressive. If you thinking about making some walking, make sure you have plenty of water and comfortable trainers to face this hilly walk. We had a lovely picnic up there and it was really a good idea to have some food to compensate all energy spent during the journey. We worth it! There is a free car parking at Lickey Hills. The bus number 62 service from the city centre and the Barn Green train station are the other options to get there.

I love Hanley Park! I walk through it when I'm working in Stoke on Trent and I am always really…read moreimpressed at how well cared for it is and the awesome playground equipment for children of all ages. It's got a lovely combination of tended floral areas and more natural grass/trees.