Foundry Wood describes itself as a 'managed community woodland'. It is one of Leamington Spa's…read morehidden gems. Located off Prince's Drive (just opposite the public waste disposal tip), in a triangle of what was unused woodland bordered on its other 2 sides by 2 railway tracks, it is a magical place to go, particularly if, like me, you're able to go there on a summers evening and sing with your local community choir (you don't get much better than 'Songlines' either for friendship and community fun). Anyway, Foundry Wood by day hosts lots of activities for children and adults all focus sing on nature, natural well being activities etc. Details, including opening hours, are on the Foundry Wood website. If you haven't been there, it's worth a trip. Parking is free in the Victoria Park carpark almost next door.

Great local facility. Teaming with wildlife. There's a two mike walk around the reservoir, ideal…read morefor dogs, provided you're prepared for bath time afterwards in the winter. There's a little cafe and a reasonable amount of paid for parking.

Very nice park this is…read more There is a large play park for the kids to play in including swings, slides, climbing frames, bouncing toys etc And of course the lake which is very big and full of ducks and swans. There are toilets and a reasonably priced cafe! Its a really nice day out, but unless you are prepared for rain make it on a sunny day as there is little shelter!

Beautiful views of the water wherever you stop to look at the water with plenty of amenities in…read moreterms of fishing,sailing,wind surfing,bird watching,running (A full Rutland Water lap is 23 miles which includes the peninsular,17 miles without,which is ideal for those of you that are training for large running events,such as The London Marathon or similar events. I used to trot around here as part of my training when I competed in the London Marathon - highly recommend,gets you in a great head space as you take in all the different views of the water. Walking,cycling & dog walking are other activities you can do,to name just a few,there is also *depending on the seasons a Rutland Water Aqua Park - but make sure you pre book as this is very popular. Normanton Park Church is a tourist hot spot as well as a Zoo! & a man made beach. There are plenty of cafes & children's play areas,with rock climbing (Rock Block). Hambleton peninsula is worth a visit with local pubs dotted around Rutland Water. We live near here & I think most Rutlanders will admit that they don't use the area as much as they should. Although we will be taking a wander to take a look at the new Sea Dragon which has just been unearthed

Great well conserved park…read more This is basically a large man made resevoir, underneath which is a village that was covered over with water when they made the resevoir. Great place for canoing and other water Sports. Many people hire cycles out or bring there own to go around the water, it quite a ride but makes a nice day out. Also great for walks, feeding the ducks, there is also a marina area and in the summer there are boat trips. Food is expensive so better to bring a picnic or packed lunch

You know those amazingly warm and sunny weekends? Well we don't get them too often and when they…read morehappen I get the urge to do something quintessentially English. So last one day recently saw a much needed drive out of Brum and into the countryside. I'm not a National Trust member but I am starting to wonder why? Our visit to Packwood House was fantastic. You can go into the house and even have a tour but we wanted to experience the gardens, herbaceous borders and huge yew topiaries up close. The house is originally 16th century and features several gorgeous blue and gold sun dials - so check your watch against them and see which are still set to GMT. The gardens are beautiful and kept in stunning condition. Mostly they are comprised of some very distinct and large yew topiaries. The highlight has to be walking up the helter skelter style border to reach the top of The Mound which is adorned with a large yew tree. From there you can take in the views, enjoy the cool shade and benefit from some much needed peace. The rest of the gardens are a mix of wild and wonderful plants and the look must change considerably throughout the year. Don't miss out on walking around the back of the house to catch the very unique sun dial monument. A great day out even if you are not a National Trust member - stunning!

Packwood is another National Trust property right on the doorstep and one that makes me so glad…read morethat we got membership for a Chrismas present. The gardens are the usual lovely mixture of more formal with some stunning yew trees to admire, plus the broader park land. The formal area is very children friendly and there's a lovely little raised mound right at the back that's lots of fun to run up. The pak land has a great walk and there's a large pond/small lake with ducks. It's a good place to explore and there's the usual wooded area to wander around too. The National Trust is so much better at welcoming families and Packwood now has so much more to offer children such as outdoor games and family activities during holidays. Picnics are welcome too. There isn't a cafe or restaurant although you can get coffee and snacks from the reception area. The toilets are in the car park.

Situated about 10 minutes drive from the M42 motorway, this beautiful National Trust property is a…read moredelight, both outside and in. When we arrived, prior to the house opening, we went for a hot drink, and were impressed with the set-up. Currently, their restaurant facilities are being refurbished, so they have an outdoor setup, with a heated marquee. The ladies serving were all really cheerful, despite being outside, and they still offered a full range of drinks, and hot and cold snacks, including hot soup. The marquee was impressively warm. The house itself doesn't take very long to go around, depending on how long you like to take looking at things, and there's plenty to see, and dressing up facilities for the kids, who can also go into the Priests hole (accompanied by an adult...looks like a bit of a tight squeeze, so not for the claustrophobic, I'm sure). The house has been beautifully restored and decorated and there's always a guide on hand to offer you information about the various rooms, They also had a second hand book stall set up in the courtyard where I happily parted with £6.50 for 4 great new books! Outdoors, there's a pleasant 1 3/4 mile walk that you can take from the car park, so plenty of variety to keep you occupied for a few hours!

This place is one of the reasons why we asked for National Trust membership as a Christmas present…read more Over the last 5 years I have seen a noticeable change towards including families with young children and making them feel welcome at the National Trust in general. When I first visited this property 5years ago my very little daughter was 'told off' for walking on the grass. I was outraged to say the least. However, now it couldn't be more different. There are games on the lawn like noughts and crosses, the ubiquitous Jenga, croquet and quoits. Plus, I think I spotted dominoes hiding in one of the wheel barrows holding down the gazebo. Speaking of which, as it was Father's day, they had outdoor activities so my daughter and husband got to make fire and go fishing with a home made rod. They managed to snare a duck (with bread), which was enough for my daughter. There are loads of places to explore, from woodland walks, and exciting bridges to a vegetable garden and parkland. I'm reliably informed by one of the very friendly and helpful garden guides that over the next few weeks there will be an army of scarecrows appearing all dressed in Olympic themes. My daughter can't wait to go back and neither can we. The whole space is clean too (apart from a few rabbit droppings) and my son had a ball covering himself in mud and I was never concerned for his safety. The cafe is well stocked, if a little busy and there's a lovely little second hand bookshop that we enjoyed browsing through. It's an eclectic stock as you might imagine, but has a children's section. We didn't bother with the house this time round, but have enjoyed going round it. Here too, they welcome children and I didn't feel paranoid about what little fingers might touch. If you thought that the National Trust was stuffy, think again and give Baddesley a try.

What a superb day out for the summer…read more On arrival you drive into a large car park facing a long strip of grass that serves as a picnic area. Walk one way and you come to the huge lake full of ducks and Canada geese (please don't feed them, concentrate on the ducks as the geese are highly destructive and helping to lower the population of native species). You can walk along the concrete path on one side of the lake and all the way around through the woods on the other. Nestled on the edge of the woods is the adventure playground. There is a large one for older kids, and a smaller one for toddlers, with lots of picnic benches all around them. On hot days this place is always packed. Behind the playgrounds is a further picnic area, and the fantastic Rare Breeds Farm. There are a selection of endangered or very rare animals from pigs, to goats to chickens and turkeys. They breed them there too and time it right and you can see the babies ambling around. It's a very important and commendable initiative to have in a public country park. I always place a donation in the box. The snack shop sells a variety of food and drink, including ice creams and is fairly reasonably priced for such a place. If you don't fancy eating your picnic near the car park you can walk beyond the lake to the 100 Aker Wood. Supported by Buena Vista a lot of effort has been put into it. Most characters have their houses portrayed and they have been cleverly built around the oak trees that form the focal points of the fields. The kids will spend ages going from house to house, knocking on the doors and peering through the windows. There are two bridges to play poohsticks on, and a stream with rocks that the kids can jump across too. A large open field with long grass is the ideal picnic spot, but there are plenty of trees around the edges if you want some shade. Scare the kids by pretending to be caught in the Heffalump trap too - it's fun! Even children with only a passing interest in Winnie The Pooh will be captivated by the houses, and it's nice to see something so well maintained in a public space. When you sit in the field too, that space seems idyllic. Looking down through the trees it's easy to be at peace and really feel that you are in the countryside. The £4 weekday / £5 weekend and bank holiday car park charge may seem a little steep to some, but when you consider that you can easily spend the whole day here I think it's good value for money compared to some of the more traditional days out. One word of warning though, you have to pay to exit the car park and the machine only takes coins from 5p up to £2 so make sure you have the right money!

Aldenham Country Park is really in Elstree ( the map page would only accept Watford)…read moreThis is a beautiful location full of woodland walks, open fields, and lakes. It's easy to park and you pay to get out so make sur you have plenty of £1 coins. There is a lovely animal area that you can walk around. At the exits are sinks with soap and running water. There is a lovely picnic area and a traditional childerns park. There is also an assult course for older children. The best by far is the Winnie-the-Pooh's '100 Aker Wood' trail where you can walk around to see if Winnie-the-Pooh or any of his friends are at home. Each house is made of wood and has a door knocker. The children simply love going from one house to the next. This is a lovely location and perfect for a day out.

This is a picture perfect park. On the early Autumn afternoon when we go, Summer is having another…read morecrack at it. Parents are sat out side the thatched roofed cafe with pots of teas, while children gleefully hop over the stream absently-mindedly letting ice cream cones drip their contents over their bare arms. We just about make the curfew for the Golden Putter crazy golf, which is the purpose of this post-shopping visit. There are a full state-of-the-art 18 holes to play, each one getting progressively harder. My memory of crazy golf is of playing on cracked concrete surfaces, but here your ball will glide over all-weather baize, that gives a realistic green putting experience. There are obstacles, slopes, a version of bunkers to tackle and walls to bounce your ball off, and the experience is kind of like a cross between putting and pool. It's very, very, fun, and at around £3.50 a person you'll get a full hour of casual competitiveness for the price of a pint. If you want a more rough and ready retro crazy golf experience there is an older more ramshackle course as you enter the park, (clubs hired from the cafe.) Ace.

A large open park near the middle of Warwick. Has a good car park (pay the ticket or you'll get a…read morefine) suitable for visiting the park, Warwick Castle and the town itself. Facilities include a sport centre/swimming pool, astroturf pitch and tennis courts. Bike ramps and an off road bike track, play rea with modern swings and things, paddling pool, paid for rides, boat hire on the River avon, mini golf and bowls (probably more but that's not bad going). Cafe and toilets as well.

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I dont remember Cannon Hill park being so beautiful! Visited here recently as part of a food…read morefestival and was taken back by just how lovely the place is! Now my lack of realisation was probably due to the fact I was trying to avoid being bitten by the aggressive ducks that used to roll round the pond like a carte when I was a child.....but i was young.....and about half the size so they seemed a lot more intimidating at the time. I am happy to confirm I walked past them with ease this time around and had more time to enjoy the picturesque surroundings! The park is pretty huge and boasts a nice pond complete with fountain/water feature to impress even the Charlie Dimmock types....swan boats, a theatre, crazy golf and many walkways and paths to enjoy. Perfect for a day out with the kids....or to keep that inner child satisfied. You will find me here a fair bit over the summer I think....get me to the ice cream van...now!

Coombe Country Park in Coventry is a beautiful, historical spot that isn't crowded or touristy…read more There's plenty of parking, and the scenery makes it perfect for romantic rainy-day strolls or sunny picnic dates. The park feels peaceful and well-kept, and it's a lovely place to relax and enjoy nature without the crowds.

I love this park I go there with my family and friends and scouts sometimes . It's a nice place…read morebecause it has a café and a park for bigger children and younger children, which shows that they care for the children . It has a duck pond and a lake and you can feed the ducks however not a lot which is good because it proves they care about the nature . It has a jungle go ape area that has support and pros watching you for your entire experience to ensure your safety but you still have fun .