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!

I have been a couple of times now it is a hidden gem! it has a nice cafe that does a great breaky…read moreand propper coffee's too! they have just started doing a sunday roast. The lakes are well maintained and the staff are friendly and best of all the place is dog friendly!

it is a good place to fish and some days will fish very well and some not i find the bend of the…read morecarp lake is a good peg i have cought plenty from that peg

grumpy gits went to go fishing and wouldnt let us fish saying we had the wrong stuff claiming they…read morewould steal are car and rod if we didnt leave i would advise not to go here very bad and rude staff. The people claimed we needed aload of certrain liceneces etc but even tho its pay 10 pound for a permet for the dat. The person in charge (Thomas Marshal) does not like kids at all and kicked us out as soon as we was outside having fun. Especially when adults complain we don't go out enough and as a KID he probably went fishing (without a permit or and licences rods environment rods or even a fishing licence) Claimed we caught a load of fish to kill and eat even though we was going to realise it EVEN THOUGH WE DIDNT EVEN CATCH A THING HIGHLY DISAPOINTED!!!!!!!!!

From the owner: Birkwood Farm Fisheries was established in 1996. Originally a single lake run by Dick and Sandra it…read moresoon evolved into the complex it is today; 5 lakes with river and canal fishing. Supported by Chris and Sharon this is a family run business. At Birkwood we aim to offer anglers a great fishing experience which is safe, clean, tidy and welcoming.

A great adventure playground that will keep all but the most fussy of kids entertained, be warned…read morethough it can get a bit muddy. The grounds of the estate have miles of paths to explore/walk the dog and alarge lake give ample oppurtunity to feed the ducks/fish.

Although not exactly in the middle of the countryside, St Ives lets you get away from the…read morerelatively busy hustle and bustle of nearby Bingley and offers beautiful woodland walks, tasty food and a bit of something for everyone. St Ives boasts it's own golf course so if you are that way inclined you can while away a few hours hitting balls into holes (can you tell I'm not a fan!) It also has a beautiful lake with a lovely walk around it which is ideal if you have youngsters who will enjoy feeding the various ducks and other wildlife. They recently introduced a wildlife viewing area where you can sit and watch squirrels and various birds eating from conveniently placed feeding tables. There are lots of paths and walks you can enjoy around the estate, including one which takes you through a large woodland area with many large carved statues for you to discover - the dragon is our favourite! Extra points if you can find the massive carved wooden chain (hint: it's in a tree somewhere near the lake!) There are several large car parks and a children's playground and also tearooms to enjoy, so there really is something for everyone. Definitely a place where you can go have fun with your family, or even relax and get away from it all.

I am from the United States but often visit my family up in Wakefield, so I often end up taking a…read moregood stroll through here. It is a lovely walk! It's short but too short so it's great to take the young ones and dogs! The pubs nearby are great! The park itself is quite clean and free from litter, unlike the local parks back in California. The one problem that did cost a star though, are the toilets. THEY ARE FILTHY! I hear they you have to pay to get in now, which I can totally understand! First of all, they are metal and have no seats. But to be honest, they'd be in pieces if they were porcelain XD. There is graffiti all over the walls. Every time I've gone the floor is a lake of urine. However, that's really the only problem

As the previous reviewer said, this is a real gem. There are a number of walks of various lengths…read morebased around the dam, and all are very picturesque. Kids will love playing in the surrounding woodland and feeding the ducks in the dam, and at least two of the walks are wheelchair friendly, as we used to take my brother there in his. It's easy to get to and a nice afternoon out (especially as there are an ice cream van and plenty of pubs nearby!) I'm not sure how much the car park costs, but there are buses from Wakefield town centre and obviously, the walk is free!

A bittersweet experience was had on my first ever visit to Chorlton water park. Driving here is a…read morelittle strange with it being situated in such a densely populated area. You get the feeling your Satnav is taking you to the wrong place. Don't worry it's not. An old reservoir was transformed into a huge lake a while back and that's the park's main feature. A mile radius around the lake acts as a perfect biking/ hiking trail which isn't too strenuous and is littered with relaxing spots with great views. There's an icecream van to cater for all your refreshment needs and does a lot of business on a hot summer's afternoon. It's a perfect venue to have a picnic and for young families (There's a large play area for kids) All in all a lovely green space in a heavily populated urban area. My only beef with the place was the unsafe nature of the car park. Make sure you park in an area that's camera visible. I returned after a pleasent afternoon to find my windscreen cracked quite badly. I hadn't parked under a tree, falling debree was thus out the question so I suspected some sort of foul play. My little trip therefore cost me nearly £150. Perhaps the place is cursed for me, but don't let that put you off.

When I first moved to Chorlton and I heard people talking about this water park I had visions in my…read morehead of chutes and river rapids. Sadly, the water park bears absolutely no resemblance to Stoke-on-Trent's Water World or Florida's Blizzard Beach. Instead it is a large man-made lake with a path around the edge which attracts walkers, joggers and cyclists. The path is well-surfaced and links on to the Mersey Valley trail, which is unsurfaced. However, there is a car park and visitor centre if you don't fancy the trek down from Chorlton or Didsbury. The water park was formed in the 1970s when gravel was dug up from this area to build the M60, and the area was flooded to form the lake. Despite the fact that the water park is surrounded by the M60, the busy Princess Parkway and Chorlton town centre it is a surprisingly peaceful and serene place - so peaceful that it is the place that the hippies flock to for the summer solstice.

This is one of my favourite places to go for a local walk. Its great, at any time of day, and any…read moretime of year. You can stroll round the lake, at an easy pace. The walk is approx. 2.5miles long and can take you anywhere between 45mins to 1 hour+, depending on speed. At the back of the lake, you may get a chance to spot rabbits & bird-life. There are also, a very small cafe, toilets & a small play area for children. There is also, a Visitors Centre, where you can park, on a 'Pay & Display' basis. The centre provides the interested, information on the Lake, Local history, Childrens Activities & there are toilets & a small cafe. You can also, buy souveneirs. There are also, a range of food & drink facilities, in the locality. My suggestion is to try some fresh fish & chips, at 'Mr Thomas's' Fish & Chip shop. I dont think you will be disappointed! :o) For the more avid walker, there are plenty of trails to follow in the surrounding area. Or, if you are a watersport buff - you can partake in an activity, at The Water Sports Activity Centre. Word of Warning: Make sure you park in a legitimate spot, as Traffic Wardens are very keen to make a living! Also, Sunny days/Bank Holidays - it can be a very busy/crowded area to visit.

Hollingworth Lake is a "lake" in Littleborough. It has a lot of history dating back to 1794 when…read morethe Government sanctioned the construction of Rochdale canal and even Matthew Webb trained here, before becoming the first man to swim The English Channel in 1875. Getting here is relatively easy via car or rail links, with it being served by the 455 and 456 buses from Rochdale, as well as being fairly close to the Smithy Bridge and Littleborough rail stations. If you're driving here, you could actually go over the train tracks, and may have to wait for the train to pass. It is a bit rural here, despite the appearance of a few independent cafes and restaurants and houses. As a child I remember coming here to Hollingworth Lake, but now the surrounding areas have changed, for the worse. For example, The Beach which I remember as a nice, friendly pub has had a worse change than Bolton Wanderers FC turning into a messy, rowdy children's dumping ground, where I wouldn't even want to use the toilet, let alone eat! Parking at the lake can be difficult, it is all paid for which could be a few pounds in the beach, other than the few disabled spaces at the front of the lake, which can often be taken up. It really does seem this lake and the surrounding area has gone down-hill, it has changed from somewhere you could spend time around the lake and in the surrounding restaurants, to somewhere you'd struggle to kill half an hour now. It isn't terrible, but still I sadly can't think of a reason to warrant anything over 2 stars now, and this place really needs a revival, otherwise it could end up more like Portsmouth FC.

Jan 2017 - OK, so the lake is now called Queens and is run by Leigh Angling Association. It is not…read moreas well looked after as some venues, but for me this is half the attaction. That it not to say it is not comfortable to fish - it is, it ha gravel most of the way round and comfortable well spaced pegs (about 16-18 of them). It is just the vegetation is slightly overgrowing, though the small venue means that casting never really is an issue anyway. Fish are clearly healthy and not overfed, I have seen all sorts caught - gudgeon, perch, roach, bream, crucians seem to be there in the right proportions. And of course carp - there is a good stock of fish in the 8-14lb region, enough to keep you busy but not overstocked. The biggest I have seen out of there is 17lb, but I have been told that there are 2 20lbs+ there. Tactics - most seem to work, depending on the day. I have noticed that in the summer they seem to go mad fro krill-based boilies and paste. In the winter, I have been very successsful with corn and boilies (not so much maggots for some reason?), with up to 5 carp in a short 5-6 hour session, and only 2 blanks! People - at it's busiest on a summer weekend, I have never seen more than half of the pegs filled. And that was a one-off! average number of taken pegs in busy times is about 4-5. I guess it's not a really challenging water, with no monsters..with Fan Lodge just down the road too! But the people that are there are extremel friendly, polite and respectful. It is also fairly suited to kids as it is so quiet, plus ther are huge bushes full of blackberries which keeps them extremely busy in the summer!