A large park in the centre of Paignton. The park has football pitches marked out on the largest…read moreexpanse of grass, it has tennies courts and basketball courts, a children's playground, a stream and a pond, all in the main part of the park. (The pond isn't huge, but it looked that way when I was a kid, and I know for a fact I'm not the only child who fell in and had to walk home squelching wet). Walk through to the back of the park under the railway line that bisects the park, and you enter a smaller, quieter sub park, with a stream and pond and an exit that leads to the sea front. A far better way to get from the town to the beach than making your way through the flocks of tourists along Hyde Road and Torbay Road.

Victoria Park is a real hub at the heart of Paignton. I love the childrens play area in the summer…read more It has good play equipment with swings, climbing frames and roundabouts. When the open air cafe is open it is lovely to sit and watch the children with a drink and perhaps a snack. The women who run the cafe are really friendly and it is good value. If you like trains you can watch the trains coming into Paignton Station and walk under the railway bridge if you want to head towards the beach. Take some bread to feed the ducks but watch out for the seagulls. The park is well kept with grassy areas, tennis courts and skateboard facilities.