Still a great park with resurfaced tennis courts,new cafe and rock garden now open April-Sept…read more(except in bad weather) BUT Animal World closed in 2014 as part of Council economies

This is one of Bolton's most popular parks -- apparently there are over half a million visits a…read moreyear here. It's also one of Bolton's biggest, covering over 34 hectares. There are plenty of things to do -- a limited miniature railway offers train rides in the summer, there are some pleasant gardens (although they never seem to be in tip-top shape) and there is also an Animal World and Butterfly House -- effectively a free zoo! The kids' playground has kept our two (aged 3 and 5) amused for many an hour over the years. Parking is a bit limited -- if you can't get in the first car park there's a lesser-known one round the back (follow the road round to Barrow Bridge, a pretty little village worth a visit in its own right). All in all, a great place for the kids to let off steam.

Our two kids (aged 3 and 5) enjoy coming here for a walk, particularly in the Autumn when there can…read morebe a lot of blackberries around (particularly at the end away from the car park). It's a really pleasant place for a walk -- there's a riverside path (well, a stream-side path really) and quite a few open fields to run around in and explore. There's a bridge over the river/stream that's a great place for playing pooh-sticks. Occasionally there seem to be big equestrian events there but even when there are you can still do all the walks etc. The only thing it lacks really is a kids' playground. An active Friends group seems to have a real passion for the place so it's usually very well looked after. I'm not sure it's really big enough to merit its Country Park tag (I always think of Country Parks as being altogether bigger) but all in all it's a great place for a Sunday afternoon stroll.

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 small children's play area off Wigan Road…read more There's a very good playground there: Bolton Council have recently invested some money in their children's play facilities, and they have put in quite a bit of new equipment here. As a consequence it's a really good facility with plenty to keep the kids amused and to help them burn of some energy. Apart from the playground, though, there's not much here! And the parking isn't great either -- you have to park on Wigan Road itself really. But all in all, it's a decent resource to have in the neighbourhood -- we certainly like it!

One of our favourite local parks. There's plenty of parking and the lake is a decent enough size to…read moremake a stroll around it a decent enough walk for our kids (now aged 3 and 5). There's a great playground for them too -- substantially refurbished in the summer of 2008 -- and there are some quality Special Events arranged for most holiday seasons. The park itself is big; exploring it fully could well take the best part of a day. All in all, a great place for a family day (or half-day) out: well worth the visit.

Today, 31 May 2019, I visited Moses Gate Country Park with my mum and grandmother and their three…read moredogs. We had not been there long when a man approached my dogs. They backed away and growled. He swore at me a few times - think of the worst expletives in the English language. I said "There's no need for that." The next thing I know he's moved across the 4 metres separating us and he punched me in the nose and mouth so hard I was lifted off my feet and found myself staring at the sky. My glasses were a few metres behind me in the dirt. The man did this without cause or warning in front of my 88 year old grandmother and 67 year old mother. I'm a 45 year old woman. I was, and am, very shaken up by this. I phoned the police and followed the man at a distance. He walked along the grass by the side of the road into the park. When he reached Hall Lane he turned towards Little Lever and crossed the road. He turned into a little lane that I now know leads to a permanent gypsy camp. The man was mid to late 50s with a swarthy complexion and close cropped white hair. He was around 5 foot 10 or 5 foot 11. His build was stocky. He wore a black heavy metal style T-shirt, a denim jacket and a pair of denim jeans slightly darker than the jacket. This assault was unprovoked and I cannot understand why it happened. If a woman aged 45 cannot walk her dogs peacefully in Moses Gate Country Park without a middle aged man punching her so hard she was flung to the ground I don't think the park is safe for anyone. Please inform people of this and be vigilant for this man. What really disturbs me is the police said they would send an ambulance and patrol car then another police man rang me back to say there were no patrols in the area. I asked about the ambulance. He almost laughed and was quite dismissive. He said "You've been punched. We aren't going to send an ambulance for that!" He asked if I wanted to make a report. I said yes and he told me to drive two miles to Burnham Park station. When i arrived there I was so upset I could barely speak. The lady was nice but said there wasn't anyone available. She said they'd visit me at home later. An hour later they phoned to say they didn't have anyone available and they would phone me next week to make an appointment for me to visit the station to make a report. Please be careful going to this park. You will not receive help if you are attacked. This happened at 4.30pm with lots of people in the park.

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.

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.

As picturesque as it gets in Bolton, the Jumbles is a firm favourite for locals and outsiders…read morealike. This was at full testimony on my last walk (Sunday) when the weather had perked up a little as almost half of Bolton had decided to do the same! That could sound quite negative but it's definitely not, theres room and space for all. Most would say it's better when the sun is shining and you don't need to wrap up like you're about to tackle an blizzard on Snowdon, but sometimes it's just as beautiful to walk round when it's bitterly cold and the trees are frosting in stead of blooming. I'm very lucky to have this on my doorstep although I don't utilise it enough. If you're looking for a new walking route or a different reservoir to explore, make the Jumbles your next stop - and call in at my house for a cuppa on your way out!

I've spent many hours on the mighty Old Station Park, getting up to wholesome and, well, not so…read morewholesome hi-jinx. Old Station Park is the place for dreamers. You have your first illicit fag or stolen cheek-reddening kiss on these hallowed grounds that once was a hub of railway activity. The last train has long pulled out of this particular bit of Horwich, and so many jobs went with it. Seen as an act of hope-filling civic pride, this park was a beacon for a former community bond. However, once the jobs went, the alcoholism and heroin rolled into town, which, when the moon comes up, seeps into the folds of this fine park. Basically, in the daylight hours, this is a really fun place with a couple of playgrounds, some ornamental train wheels (to act as a reminder of what went before and, alas, the keeper of some of my more un-wholesome secrets... to which, I apologise to that man walking his dog. I was unseasonably warm and I'd been drinking) and the like and, come the night, the scallies mooch about, bored and S shaped, shooting up and passing out on grass verges. I dearly love this place though and it is great in the summer. A place filled with children making rubbish dams in Pearl Brook and people offering to play in skins on the nearby astroturf. Old Station Park - I love you... provided you don't tell me mum what I used to get up to with you.

As its name would suggest, this park is built on what used to be Horwich Station. The trains have…read morelong gone, but they've been replaced by a very good little park. There's plenty of space for the kids to let off steam, and there's been significant recent investment in the playground too, with the result that the swings and slides on offer are now very good. There are paths to explore (up to the local swimming pool, for example), a small stream that runs through the park, and some half-decent sports facilities too. The biggest downside, perhaps, is the car park, which is small and only accessible by way of some back-streets. But all in all, a good place for a run around.

A great community park. Our kids (aged 3 and 5) love going there -- the play facilities are really…read moregood. Indeed, they call it Big Slide Park because of one particular climbing-frame/slide construction. We like going there too because the children who play there always seem really helpful -- if our 3-year-old is struggling to get to the top of the Big Slide they will happily help him up there. There are other facilities on site too -- a big enclosed 5-a-side area, and Heywood Playworld -- but we've not used those so can't really comment. Car parking (on Peabody Street) is conveniently close by. All in all -- one of Bolton's friendlier parks.