We took our Rabbit here for a walk Was perfect as it was…read morevery peaceful with no other animals to chase our bunny A sublime place to visit

Having seen the review, I visited these little gardens as I am often nearby at Didsbury Cricket…read moreClub. Its a lovely little spot for a park lunch, and a very brief stroll as the gardens are pretty small. You'll often be the only person there, which makes it perfect for a romantic picnic or suchlike rubbish that I never partake in. Also, you can visit the Fletcher Moss Park in the same swoop, and there are plenty of pubs nearby to stop for a beautiful beer, in which I do often partake. Also, go on the weekends during cricket season and you can sit around the cricket pitch at Didsbury Cricket Club and watch the game. You can almost make a day of this little leafy/puby area.

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.

Sandhills is one of the small parks near to where I live that I love to have a wonder about on a…read moresunny Sunday. It's part of the Irk Valley redevelopment project. It actually used to be a quarry, 's just a pleasant sweeping field of lush, green grass. It's perfect for walking the dog or for having a short stroll. Exactly what a park should be good for. Obviously at night time it's a place for young 'uns to have a drink from a plastic bottle of cider, but during the day it's a nice place to get some fresh air. This park isn't suitable for football though - it's on a big hill!

Actually quite a nice big park. Mature trees, and lots of…read moredifferent segments to wonder around when the weather allows. There's also a duck pond with a variety of birdlife, and their offspring. I was super surprised to find parrots in the trees around the pond! Probably at least 5 or 6 of them too. One day some enterprising music promoter will hold a small music festival in the old band stand. Or so I hope.

A pleasant park for a sunny day. I came to Fog Lane Park when some mates invited me to play…read morecricket (for the first time in my life). It was one of those rare sunny weekends in Manchester where everyone was out and the city was crowded. Having spent Saturday morning in city centre, I figured it'd be even more packed at the parks, seeing as how when the sun's out most spaces of green are covered with blankets and barbecues. Shockingly, Fog Lane remained fairly empty - seems most people stick closer to the centre of town or at Platt Fields. A fairly large park, this place has a bit for everyone looking to do something outdoorsy. There are a handful of tennis courts and a basketball court (broken backboards, but meh), a little skateboarding area, playground equipment for the kiddos, a bocce ball field, a huge open field for assorted sport, and several winding pathways leading through scenic regions of various flora if you're just looking for a stroll. That being said, that's only what I've seen, and I doubt I even saw half of this place. It's huge! Getting there from city centre is fairly easy - just take the magic bus down and walk a few streets over to get to the park. The surrounding neighbourhoods look nice, too - feels like a very family friendly sort of place.

Unfortunately I've never been able to see Oasis or The Stone Roses perform here…read more However, I've had the pleasure of strolling the grounds of this historic park. It is so big and it has so much! A huge playground, bowling greens, football (soccer) pitches, etc. There's a lake with ducks. You can rent a boat to row on the lake. There are cafes. There's an animal section. Lots and lots of places to picnic. Can't forget Heaton Hall! A wonderful way to spend the day.

A last minute decision on a damp, drizzly winter Sunday, but a good one. Forgot how vast this place…read moreis! Walked down the hill past the hall and round the lake, slowing to admire the signets and stop the dog munching all the food left for the birds! Round the other side of the lake, the woods are incredibly quiet; it's easy to forget you're right on the edge of such a large city and the motorway is about a mile away. This is the highest point in the city and the views are amazing.

The epitome of a hidden gem. Located just off parsonage road in Didsbury, the Marie Louise Gardens…read moreare the loveliest little green space in the area. The gardens have a poignant history as they were given to the citizens of Manchester in 1903 by Josephine Silkenstädt, in memory of her daughter who died at the age of only twenty-six. There is actually a website of their own for all this stuff, so check that at (as listed above) for more information. In this instance the council description of the gardens as a '3.4 hectare oasis' is not an embellishment, as the rest of their park propaganda seems to be. These are a lovely little green area perfect for a walk or picnic, and they are always very quiet, often giving the feel that you have your own little private garden space. There's also a lovely little pagoda thingamajig. Excellent place, well worth a visit. Check out the photos I've added, some of which date back to the early 20th century, documenting the history of this lovely space.

I shall refrain from using the cliché 'hidden gem' to describe these gardens, but they do receive…read moresurprisingly few visitors to say that they are located a short walk away from East Didsbury, West Didsbury and Northenden. In fact, in the spring and summer, I'd say that humans are outnumbered by grey squirrels by at least 20 to 1. A few years ago there was talk of part of the gardens being sold to developers (who are currently busy building flats on the land next door) but as with Chorlton Meadows, this is a story of people power. The Friends of Marie Louise Gardens successfully campaigned to prevent this development and have now secured funding for restoration of the gardens. Some people call squirrels rats with tails but I, for one, am glad that the Friends were successful and that the squirrels have plenty of space to safely bury their nuts for winter. At all times of year these gardens are a beautiful place for a walk or to sit on a bench and contemplate and philosophise. Bring some monkey nuts if you're not afraid of the extremely tame squirrels coming to eat them out of your hand.

Lovely and surprisingly large park south of Manchester - a great place for an early morning run…read more On Saturdays there is a park run held here. There is a nice pond home to plenty of ducks and those evil geese that chase you in spring.

A great open green space in South Manchester, where you can feed the ducks. Play tennis , cycle ,…read morerelax and walk around the grounds take part in Saturday's park run hosted by Chorlton Runners free to everyone. Platt fields is home to Manchester dress museum , you can have a coffee and a slice of home made cake in the cafe based in platt hall . Watch the men sail their model Boats on Sunday's-whilst enjoying an ice cream. Take your children to the play arras. Bbq on the hill . Platt is home to Bmf boot camp. The annual Mega Mela, summer fair. A Russian Circus in January. Host one of the largest bonfires in south Manchester. There is so much to do here . My self I like to walk the park run a lest three times a week where over the years I have enjoyed all the features of changing seasons. Not for getting my BMF. Children can also use the BMX track which is very popular along with basketball, tennis and football.

Gorgeous spot staffed by dedicated volunteers. So grateful to the National Trust for spots like…read morethis. And be prepared to dress up in Regency clothing when you get to that part of the house. It's a lot of fun. :-)

Great place to explore, dress up and experience a bygone age…read more House and downstairs tour recommended. Very informative volunteers in all the rooms.