This is a beautiful well kept park with plenty of facilities for all ages. There is a lovely kids…read moreplay park, a large duck pond and an aviary with some very pretty birds. For the sporty type there is an athletics track marked during the better months and pitches for cricket and football. There are also a number of tennis courts and a bowling green. This is also where my local Saturday morning 5k park run is held with about 300 runners attending most weeks. If you just fancy a lovely walk Ward Park is the place to go with numerous paths to choose around the pond and lots to see on the way.

Ward park is a great place for all the family to enjoy . If you want a leisurely stroll with the…read morekids and dog this is the place to go. With an adventure play park for the kids and the ability to feed the ducks and geese as you walk along beside the stream. The setting is very tranquil and you can forget that you are only a stones throw from Bangor town centre. For those who are actively sporty there are tennis courts and a bowling green It is an ideal place to appreciate all the seasons of the year.

A great park in the centre of Lisburn. It has quite a large play area for kids with loads of…read moredifferent pieces of equipment for them to climb and swing about on, including a zip line. There's also a small basketball court next to the play area. In addition to the play area, the park has some of the best indoor tennis courts which can be used throughout most of the year. These are situated within a large dome. There's also a cricket pitch; an outdoor gym; specific cycle lanes around the paths and a duck pond. Can get very busy on nice summer days or when an event is held in the park but still a lovely park to visit:)

I love this park...it's a bit away from me, but I love going here with the kiddies…read moreThe actual park has many aspects like cricket pitch, football pitch, tennis court, outdoor gym, walks & cycle tracks, toilets (so handy with kids!)duck pond and of course the kid park! But...the thing I love most about it is the fact that once you get parked and begin the walk from the entrance, it reminds me of Narnia! The old fashioned lamp-posts peeking out between ancient trees lining the edge of the path right along the length of the park always have me squealing inside in a very much fangirl way lol! I love it all year round, but especially in Autumn...when the leaves literally blanket the whole ground...it's almost magical...and there's nothing better than kicking up the leaves with the kids in our wellies with a nice hot choc from the coffee cart...absolute bliss!

We took our toddler here today for a day in victoria park and I'm impressed by how it has changed,…read moreit looks a lot tidier and there's a lot of work has been put into the park making it great park to go to. Theres a automatic toilet unit which is 20p to get in, it self cleans as I waiting on the door to open it said wait self cleaning, pretty cool for a toilet. The toilet has a baby changing table and automatic soap dispenser, water and air and automatic flush. Also the voice inside reminds you to lock the door and to bring all your belongings with you. Handy toilet. I think you have a 15 minute time allowance in the toilet as I saw a timer display for 15 minutes. The children's park has been changed and its way better theres a massive climbing frame, baby swings, slides and spinning seats. Really good park most of the ground around the slides etc have rubber flooring which is handy if baby falls. Theres also a picnic table in the play area. This park is great for a walk or a run theres also outdoor gym equipment for adults placed around the park in different areas.

I love this park. Must be the best if not one of the best around…read more The work they have done on it over the last few years is awesome. Great wide flat path that is easy walking /cycling/wheeling for all. There is also a more sort of nature trail on the outside bank and on the inside islands. Views of Harland and Wolff are great. Also the airport to see the planes. The inside island has has outdoor gym equipment and grass pitches. They have a great kids park and also a basketball court beside it. There is a bmx track next to it. There's plenty of ducks etc to see. The parking is good also. My face thing about the park is that there is no way you can get lost as it's an easy loop to follow. There's also a gate with walking access at 2 points to the Sydenham bypass. There's another entrance via the new Sam Thompson bridge over by the docks.

This knocks the socks off Botanic Gardens any day. It's massive, wilder, nowhere near as crowded…read moreand just lovely. I used to take my spaniel Tiko here every day and he loved it - OK, dogs love anywhere they can run about, but he really did share my love of this park, as there's loads of undergrowth he could and did snuffle into and lots of space to run around. (And if the poor girl whose lunchtime Subway sandwich he scarfed is reading this, I can only apologise yet again.) I haven't been back to Ormeau Park since he died, because, well, I just don't want to at the mo, but some of my happiest memories of him are at this park and it''s probably my favourite outdoor spot in all of Belfast. I love walking past the house in the middle of it and dreaming someday of living there. I'd even give up my Melbourne yearning for that... This is a stellar spot for walking, cycling or skating, and I even saw a mini orchestra happily playing near the bandstand once as well. There are bowling greens, a basketball/netball court and tennis courts, at which I would marvel at healthy types playing vigorously there at 10am on a Sunday, as Tiko and I lurched past. (And if the poor guy whose tennis ball he neatly nipped in and stole is reading this, I can only apologise yet again.) A beautiful park that's a bit bittersweet for me at the moment, but hopefully will become a regular chilling out place for me again. Perfect.

Ormeau Park, the underrated green space of Belfast. I love this place its a little emerald in the…read moregrey concrete of the city. Well cultivated and kept with its grandiose gates and lots of little walks and trails, great for a little peace of mind walk or a wee day out for kids at the pretty awesome play park. My only negative is that I think there could be more done here events wise. It always seems botanic has the monopoly on those. Maybe a winter wonderland like they do at Hyde Park in London and a few Summer events to make use of the bandstand and nice open spaces.

Well worth a visit…read more On 19 May 1928, the Governor of Northern Ireland the Duke of Abercorn laid the Foundation Stone for Parliament Buildings ( Front Pillars), The building was offically opened for business with a grand opening, On 16 November 1932, The Prince of Wales, Edward Windsor, opened Parliament Buildings. Architect Sir Arnold Thornely of Liverpool designed Parliament Buildings to be 365ft wide, representing one foot for every day of the year. Representing the number of counties in Northern Ireland, Parliament Buildings has six floors and there are six pillars at the entrance to the building. To camouflage Parliament Buildings during World War II, the building's Portland stone was painted with a mixture of cow manure and bitumen. Removing the paint after the war was a huge challenge with the mixture having stained the stonework. The paint mixture took seven years to remove and the exterior façade never regained its original white colour. It is one mile from the gates at the bottom of Prince of Wales Avenue to the front steps of Parliament Buildings. The avenue leading up to Parliament Buildings is lined with 305 red-twigged lime trees which have survived since they were first planted in the 1920s. Parliament Buildings is a Grade-B listed building, designed in Greek Classical tradition.

You know you're getting old when you're scouring Belfast looking for new dog walking destinations!…read more After suggesting Stormont Park would be a nice walk with the dog for the last few weeks we finally paid it a visit. It was a mild Saturday afternoon and there wasn't a cloud in the sky and to be fair the weather plays a big part in how you view this park. In the rain the trails would be muddy and the view over Belfast would be unclear but yesterday it was just perfect. The main features of the estate are; - Carson's mile - even if you don't like what goes on in parliament building you can't deny it's a pretty spectacular building and view from the gates. - the country trails through wooded land - the random excersise points - these are installed for joggers to break up their cardio with pull ups, press ups and various other activities. - the grounds are really well kept, cut grass, maintained flower beds and bins every 100 yards! There were also loads of other dogs and kids playing in the grounds and park making it a really nice atmosphere. All in all a really nice walk, could maybe do with a designated car park but apart from that it's top notch!

Not to be confused with Ward Park (my sister couldn't comprehend that the two were separate),…read moreCastle Park is essentially the grounds of Bangor Castle, hence the name. Bet you didn't see that one coming... Unlike Ward Park, it lacks a playground, ducks and tennis courts, but it is mainly focused on a couple of pretty walks through the grounds. These were a fond favourite of mine when it came to conker season, as not only were there plenty of horse chestnuts about, but the two different available walks had two different colours, depending on whether you wanted to do the short or long one. My favourite part was running onto the next post to see what colour it was, in order to make sure we were on the right path (literally). It's been a few years since I've been up to the gardens for a proper walk, but it is still as stunning as ever, with beautiful views over Bangor and out towards the sea. The large variety of trees make for a pleasant woodland stroll, and there are also pretty flower beds dotted around the park, as well as a large amount of open space to sit and watch the world go by. Definitely one of my favourite parks in and around Belfast. I was thinking of excuses to return, but it's nearly Autumn, and therefore conker fetching season...yippeeeee!

This is a place that I have a whole heap of affection for, I would go as far to say that I am a…read moreCastle Park Tree hugger. Although it also evokes a mix of emotions, let me explain: The park firstly takes me back to my primary school days, searching for acorns and as Lynne said conkers. Walking the different trials and visiting the Heritage Centre. There is even a tree in Castle park where King Billy tied his famous white horse. I am sure that it is fenced off with a plaque, but I can not think where...I will let you discover it. But then I also remember Castle park for more unsavoury reasons, the top end of Castle park near Bangor Abbey is often littered with drunken teenagers and not a very safe place after about 9pm. Overall Castle park by day is one of the best public parks and wooded areas around but I would avoid it at night.

I have known about this place for a long time but this is the first time that I have visited here…read moreand I have to say that I realise that I have been missing out . It is one of the most tranquil parks that I have ever visited there is an air of peace about it which is obvious by the number of people who were sitting reading the paper or just enjoying the peace and quiet..it is also dog friendly and the cafe not only provides refreshments for two legged folk but there are also bowls of water for our four legged friends . The nice thing about this place is that it will be forever changing so that it is impossible to get bored with the scenery. I would certainly recommend a walk round this place as it will truly lift your spirt and even transport you back to a victorian era.

Oh wow. Bangor's Walled Garden is incredibly stunning on a beautiful summer's day. I should know. I…read morevisited it on possibly the best day in August , and was struck by the hard work that had gone into recreating the original Victorian Walled Garden that stood there 170 years. Located, just beside Castle Park, you'll notice the various signs pointing you in the right direction. Should that fail, head up to Castle Park, get onto a path and look and see if there's a yellow spray painted line on the tarmac. We noticed that if you follow it, you'll end up at the Walled Garden...it's almost a case of "Follow the Yellow Brick Road", eh? Once you arrive, you'll be extravagantly greeted by the a carpet of various types of plants and flowers. There's an arched walkway cutting right through the garden, highlighted by an avenue of lime trees. The focal point is a pretty fountain which has a series of benches dotted around it, so you can sit and watch the world go by. Ahhh... There are four separate areas of the garden, the first being a beautifully landscaped flower patch with a variety of colourful blooms laid out in different shapes. The second area is a vegetable garden, with the likes of pumpkins, courgettes, carrots and onions planted in this section. The third and fourth areas are not quite so easy to distinguish (but then I'm not exactly green-fingered...with the exception of my aqua coloured nail varnish), but the leaflet I picked up from the TIC informed me that there's a swamp garden (which I think is beside the greenhouse), and a herb garden (which is just as you come in, though I thought they were weeds...oops!) An absolutely stunning place to come to on a sunny day, and even more beneficial for those of you who know their begonias from their buttercups...

I had heard people talking about Sea park and how lovely it was, but it took me a while to come…read moreaccross it. I was delighted to find it when I first moved to the area. It is the most scenic, relaxing and popular area you could find in Belfast. Getting to the seaside, away from the hustle bustle of the town is therapeutic. You can see right accross to Carrickfergus on a clear day. The beach has clean white powdery sand. When the tide is out you can see the rocky pools and some people forage for cockels/mussels. There is a large grassy area and a good kids playpark. The esplanade runs along from the Dirty Duck right the way to Bangor and beyond. I have rode my bike the full way and it is super, however on parts of the path, bikes are not permittable. I would go in the evening or when I think there will not be many other people around. I took my dog to Seapark on a weekly basis, he loved going for a swim. Great place for a picnic. Seapark has events on from time too time, fireworks at halloween etc. You can find Seapark on you way out of Holywood towards Bangor on the left hand side. Drive under the railway bridge and turn right where you will find a car park. Alternatively park near the Dirty Duck and walk along the esplanade for a nice stroll.

One of my favourite spots for a walk. Seapark is great as it offers a lovely park in and of itself…read morewith play facilities for kids as well as parking (limited when it gets really busy) and can also be used as the starting point for long costal walks. it also offers one of the best seaside views of Belfast Loch and it is good to see the big ships coming and going from the Harbour. On warmer days there is often a decent ice-cream van there too.