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!

The Jungle Parc is an absolutely amazing place for kids, and not too bad for adults too. I never…read moreeven knew this place existed until I was searching the net and then came across this place. I would strongly recommend this for age 7 - 10 though smaller ones are able to come along too, height restrictions do apply to certain parts of the adventure courses, so to avoid disappointed I would recommend you go onto their website and check first. This place is all about fun and fitness for the whole family. They have a massive high wire forest adventure course; which is set within the countryside and developed to encourage you to get moving, and trust me by the end you the adventure a good cuppa and sleep is what you'll need, though if it is for the family then keeping the kids active by getting them tired then Jungle Parc is the place to bring them. It is a very safe environment and with all the proper equipment it is very enjoyable. The X-plorer course is for anyone over 1.35m in height and the Adventurer course is for children from 4 years old and with minimum height of 1.05m. The Jungle Parc is situated in Croxteth Country Park which is only 10 minutes from the city centre.

The Jungle Parc which (like Gemma) I also never knew existed until I came across a flyer, is based…read moreat Croxteth Country Park. The site is generally an incredible place for outdoor activities for those looking to burn off more than a bit of energy (adults and children alike). The premises consists of two different courses: X-Plorer course and Adventurer course (for the little ones). Each course is ideally designed with a practical element, almost like an assault course but with the fun involved. There are 40 amazing activities to enjoy as you glide through trees on rope bridges, zip lines and cargo! It definitely sounds exciting as it really is. Adults are just £20 and Juniors £15. Prices include full training and all equipment to make sure you are fully prepared and safe. Not bad at all for an adventourous day in jungle like surroundings.

Across the fields and the car parks of Otterspool Promenade (yes, the fields that are perpetually…read morescattered with people flying kites) lies a tranquil, wooded area called Otterspool Park. There's a railway bridge and a weird tunnel cutting through and although some parts of it look like they're harbouring axe murders, on a sunny day at least it can be a good place to walk off a hangover. Much better than the prom itself. Too many people there looking at you with concern. As a kid, these woods used to be home to the Greatest Swing in the World™. I say 'used to' because after that time I fell off and tumbled down the hillside through broken glass, it kind of lost its appeal.

Stanley Park, situated between Liverpool's two football clubs: Liverpool and Everton, is huge-over…read more100acres-and so beautiful. During the recent regeneration of the park ,over 50 species of trees and shrubs were planted to provide year-round colour, paths were resurfaced, the Victorian pavilions and bandstand resurrected and the magnificent Gladstone Conservatory salvaged and restored. As well as this the children's play area was revived and lighting and security systems installed. The outcome is fantastic and provides yet another glorious park space for the people of Liverpool to escape the chaos of city life and just relax

Being a Liverpudlian, its suprising that I had never actually visited Stanley Park before. This…read morepark does not look much from the outside when you're viewing from the main road at its enclosed gates. However, upon first impression I caught a glimpse of the park's beauty almost instantly. There is plenty of trees and foliage around that provides a cool shade, plus many benches for you to take a rest bite. Moreover, I was delighted to see the lake inhabited by many species of birds and ducks. On the other hand, it was failry clear that the lake was infested with litter and appeared filthy with murk. Incredible how wildlife lives there. On the more positive side, there are beautiful overhead walking bridges that take you from the Everton side of the lake (Yaay!) to the Liverpool side (Booo!). Further down the park is a glass house called Isla Gladstone Conservatory and a children's playing area with several obstacles to keep the kids occupied. The Conservatory (as Tina has already mentioned) has been revived and always worth a visit whilst you're at the park. Stanley Park is a pleasant getaway from the busy traffic that surrounds. It has many lovely features that you shouldn't miss.

You could walk around Sefton Park every day for a century and not see it in the same way twice. I…read moredon't know what would be so special about that 36,501st day but that'd be the one you get bored on. A mighty, verdant wonderland of precise landscape design, the park has everything- a lake, a cricket club, a cafe, tennis courts, an obelisk, a grotto, a dingly dell, a palm house, a nature reserve, an iron bridge, a swing park, a bowling green, fountains and a bandstand. Once upon a time, there was also an aviary, an open-air theatre and even a freaking pirate ship. Nowadays it plays host to the jangly joy of the Africa Oyé festival, as well as whatever circus has thundered into town from across the eastern horizon. Opened in 1872 by Prince Arthur (Queen Victoria's son) who dedicated it "for the health and enjoyment of the townspeople", the park received a vital face-lift in 2009. The lake was cleaned, sloppy grass banks were resculpted, signposts erected, statues polished and view-blocking trees were sliced down, somehow making the vast park seem even more open and welcoming. Oh yeah, I forgot ducks off that list before. It has ducks. Ooh and grass.

Wow, on a sunny day people sure do know how to kick back and relax! The best place to do this in…read moreliverpool has to be Sefton Park. Out of the city and into the countryside, or so it would seem! Big open fields, winding tree-lined paths, a boating lake (not that I've ever seen a boat on there), greenery galore. The Palm House is beautiful and having seen it in the midst of a deep snowy winter and it's reflective crystal maze esque glory of summer, it's always amazing. Today, we were strolling around the lake and there wasn't just one swan or two, but a whole family with their little cute baby signets just catchin' the sun on the path and people were just sitting watching them, almost cooing in appreciation at them they were so gorgeous. The park has also opened up a little cafe that serves yum stuff like rum and raisin and mint choc chip (my fave!) icecreams, coffees teas and lollies etc from a little glass pod on the edge of the lake, the seating outside gives a great view of the park to enjoy your surroundings and relax! So pack a picnic or a barbie, throw down a tartan rug and soak up the sun in one of the most mesmerising parks in the world! (Well, in our lovely little Liverpool bubble anyway!)

Calderstones is one of my favourite parks in Liverpool, mainly because of all of it's different…read more"sections". It's a fab place to walk around on a sunny day, one of my favourite places to chill out under the blossom trees. I went along to the tennis last week, which Calderstones has been home to since 2002. It was my first experience of professional tennis, and it was fab.. chillin' out in Caldy's with a cold diet coke, watching Martina Hingis. It's great for the city and I hope it continues to grow.

Calderstones Park is cheating. The areas surrounding it are all so lush and verdant (at least in…read morethe summertime) that the park doesn't really get a chance to outshine anything else. Sometimes it can be difficult to tell where it actually starts. Walking past you tend to just be absorbed into it, like liquid into the kidney. Named after the Calderstones, six neolithic sandstones that sit beneath a glasshouse, the park gets full star ratings for the way it sublimely achieves a sense of infinity. Strolling beneath a canopy twittering with feathered things or past the lake splattered with goose crap, it feels like you'll never actually reach one of the park's boundaries. It's huge. Another historical landmark is the Allerton Oak, an ancient tree that is reputedly a millennium old. Its state of decrepitude is said to be the result of an 1864 explosion of the gunpowder ship Lotty Sleigh three miles away on the Mersey. The fact its peppered with fascinating nuggets of history and is larger than both of our houses put together means Calderstones Park is a great place to pretend to know where you're going.

This public park on Woolton Road is one with a very misleading name. Firstly, it sounds like Alton…read moreTowers. Secondly, it's not really near Allerton Road. Thirdly, it isn't dominated by a cloud-impregnating series of jagged towers, as I was hoping when I first came here as a wee nipper. This name in fact comes from the opulent Victorian mansion that once stood on the grounds before dry rot forced it to be torn down in the thirties. Nowadays, the park is scattered with remnants of the estate- the lodge, stables, former laundry and part of the orangery still stand. Also, England's best climbing tree is still here from my childhood although when I found it the other day I got tired just looking at it. Tree- One, Dave- Nil.

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.

TL;DR - Fantastic place for a day out with great walking options and facilities on site…read more We came here for some exercise on a hot day, figuring that the trees would give us some respite from the heat. Having never visited before we weren't quite sure what to expect but were pleasantly surprised. There's ample parking at the main site plus a couple of other car parks nearby which are connected to the main site via walking routes. The main site also has a large cafe with plenty of outside seating, a visitor information centre and large, clean toilet facilities. When we went there were also a couple of ice cream stalls set up which had some really nice flavours on offer. There are multiple walking routes you can do here, and part of what we loved is that many of them are circular, meaning you can get your steps in and then be back at your car (or the loo!). We walked from a remote car park to the main site, then did climbed up Old Pale. It's a bit more exposed up there, but well worth it because at the top you can view seven counties all at the same time - there are large stones indicating which county is in which direction, but also brass plaques on the floor which indicate specific landmarks. The view really is impressive - you can see Jodrell Bank in one direction and Liverpool's cathedrals in the other. We then did another walk through the forest before returning to the car. There's a short walk for children featuring a Grufallo trail but we opted for a much longer one which was nice and quiet. Some of the trails could have been marked a little bit more clearly but with a map in hand we managed quite easily.

In this day and age it would be mad to even suspect a place isn't being looked after round the…read moreclock by teams of environmentalists. They're probably tidying around you as you read this. Trudging through Delamere Forest though, the idea tends to seem less ludicrous. I'm not saying the place is a tip or anything, rather I'm hinting at the overgrown primeval mass of trunk and branch that constitutes the forest. For starters, it's huge, the largest in Cheshire. It's not difficult to imagine a bear lumbering out of the greenery towards you, or the Nazgul. A glacier scraping its way through the area during the ice age left enough room for wetlands to bubble up out of the ground and gurgle. Blakemere Moss is such a lake in the forest, about a kilometre across and reputedly drained by Napoleonic prisoners. Although it was only refilled in 1998, it feels eerily prehistoric. Every time a duck flies over your head you end up flinching in case it's a pterodactyl. They still exist, right? In short, this is a fantastic place to stumble around if you're not in the mood for civilisation. Provided your dog doesn't get stolen like mine once did here you'll be fine. Don't worry though, they gave him back. What rubbish crims.

Beautiful park in the heart of the Sefton Park neighborhood. Lots of serene walking paths, and a…read morerange of birds to be seen.

Brilliant, beautiful park! Fun to scoot around! Saw a few ducks and a few caves. Will be going…read moreback! Can't wait.