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!

A park I've visited many, many times, ever since I was a kid. Now when we're up visiting family…read moreit's where I take the nephews as there's so much to do here (as long as it isn't raining - Wacky Warehouse further down the promenade is our go-to place for those days). In recent years it's had a major refurb with new facilities (which was long overdue). So alongside the historically well-maintained flowerbeds and woodland walks, there's a great crazy golf course (the old one was well past its best), swing boats, a play area for younger children, trampolines, merry-go-round, tennis and basketball courts, aqua play area, miniature train and a large 'natural' adventure playground. There's a cafe near the crazy golf which sells Lewis's Ice Cream which is fantastic. A lovely place for a stroll on a nice day, with lots of different activities for the nippers (just remember to bring a pocket-full of pound coins - they'll want a go on everything!).

I absolutely fell in love with Grizedale Forest over the past weekend. Looking for somewhere new to…read moreexplore when we visited the other half's parents, they suggested heading to the forest. Cue some very windy roads and a few moments of "are you sure this is the right way?" - but we found it! We headed to the visitor centre to take a look at which walk to take. They have both cycling and walking routes, so make sure you're looking at the right map...! We decided on the white route, and the helpful member of staff explained that you simply follow the coloured markers - if you lose the colour, it's time to retrace your steps. Our walk took about 2 hours overall and was described as moderate, and it's worth pointing out that it wasn't wheelchair/pushchair friendly, so a quick chat with a staff member would be needed to find an accessible route. The reason I fell in love was a) because of the absolutely stunning weather we experienced and b) the selection of sculptures that can be found on each route. The large keys in trees which played music if you wound them fast enough were a personal favourite, following by the huge stone fox, which actually provided a nice place to rest and admire the valley view. I feel the downsides sit with the shop, which was overpriced and didn't seem to stock any drinks (very odd considering the length of some of the walks), and the parking payment. It's all done automatically by registration plate when you drive in, then you enter it at a paypoint - best have some cash on you as noone has quite thought through that no phone signal = no card reader signal. There's bike rental available and the Go Ape course if you need something to keep more active members of your group entertained. Recommended!

A huge area of woodland to explore in the Lake District, either on foot or by mountain bike - it's…read morea spectacular place to get away from it all for the day. There are several colour-coded waymarked footpaths, in varying lengths and levels of difficulty (from easy to strenuous) as well as dozens of others paths and bridleways crisscrossing the landscape so you can either buy a map for £1.50 or just see where a route takes you. Go Ape (an aerial assault course) has a site here, and as well as a visitors' centre there's a children's playground, education centre, café and shop so plenty of things for families to do. For our group it was all about the walking; the forest has hosted a sculpture trail since the 1970s, so we were on the look out for exhibits whilst we wandered through the trees. It has to be said there were a few times we were wondering if we were looking at art or some forestry equipment...or a pylon! The car parking was really straightforward and rather cutting edge - a number plate reader registers your vehicle when you arrive and you pay when you leave by typing your number plate on the screen. It was a bargain too at about £4 for several hours. If you're a lover of the great outdoors, then you can't get much better than this.

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!

Went for walk around this reserve this afternoon. Not being a bird/animal watcher was nice &…read morerelaxing. Lots of wild life to be seen even on a bright winters day. There is a small car park with a visitors centre. It cost £2.50 to park the car, payable in the shop. The walk around the lake (2km) is a well made footpath suitable for wheel chairs with a number of well built hides perched around the lake & other wetland areas, all accessible to wheel chairs also. Well worth a visit, ideal for children. Dogs allowed but kept on lead.

great place to visit, hope they keep up the good work to keeping this open!…read morenice to see reserves like this for the widlife and help them to survive, wish there was more..

Beautiful place, great for any age. Dog friendly. Lots for the children to do. Lovely cafe with…read moregreat food.

This park is still well maintained and beautiful to visit with family. Especially during school…read moreholidays. Its ideal place to wear out the kids for the day. Take sandwiches, crisps and pop! Then a few games (google them) 'hidey', 'tag'. 'Chuck stones' Do you remember 'kick the tin'! Hours of fun and running about but also keeping close enough not to worry. It can be made into a really rememberable day with a little thought and dry weather ;)... enjoy your day

Great park. Nicer than the main Royton park. Quieter, more spacious and it doesn't seem like your…read morein Royton A good play area to kids, great for riding bikes, jogging etc. Great for picnics as well, however on the downside is there is no toilets.

This is a fantastic park and one of my favourite spots in Newcastle-also the oldest green space in…read morethe city! The main attraction is definitely the beautiful and secluded lake that provides a lovely walk and ample benches for soaking up the sunshine. This also proves popular with runners and fisherman! Great for wildlife but be careful of the birds as they can be overly protective when they have chicks. If you're looking for a tranquil haven away from the city centre then this is perfect. Multiple green spaces for lounging around or having a barbecue as well as having tennis courts,a basketball court and a bowling green. It is usually the venue of choice for certain summer events too like gay pride and the Newcastle green festival.

Wonderful park! When I first saw this place, I was amazed right away!…read more If you want peaceful, there are areas for that. This is where I always stay every time I wish to unwind. This park is very popular for runners. There are four tennis courts and a basketball court. There is a playground for children as well, which makes it popular for families. The best feature of this park is the pond.

One of our favourite Bolton parks -- small but perfectly formed, as they say. There's an excellent…read morechildren's playground: the Council have recently spent a huge amount of money updating the swings, slides and so on and it's been money well spent. Our kids (aged 3 and 5) love going there and letting off some steam. Apart from the playground there's a bowling green and plenty of grass to play football/cricket/whatever -- although to be honest that's about it. It's just over the road from a local secondary school so it may be best avoided at certain times of the week, but during the holidays and at weekends it's a good place to visit.

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.