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 park offers a great area to get away for many occasions…read more In the center of the park is Summerhouse Lake with ducks and swans gracing the water. The southern end of the park is predominately open fields and the northern half is forested. Throughout the reserve are gates that are designed to not allow cattle to pass through as during certain times of year sheep and cows use some of the areas. In the northeast corner lies a private deer park which can be accessed via the main paved path that runs north to south. There are tens of fallow deer here. On a sunny February day many of them were lined up at the fence to receive the food offerings brough by various children and their parents. They seemed to really enjoy the carrots. If you drive to the park from the stanmore side you may find a place to park off of Old Lodge Way. This park also connects to Harrow Weald Common from the northwest corner. At the top of the Hill lies the the Bentley Priory buildings. The whole park makes a great place to take family for a walk and give the children a chance to really stretch out there legs. http://www.travelnwork.info/2008/02/bentley-priory-nature-reserve-walk-in.html Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZqgStu8OMY

Since moving to the area three months ago, I have made several excursions to the Nature Reserve,…read moreusing bus services to (or from) Stanmore. The most useful was the 142 route (a long route from Brent Cross in the south to Watford Junction in the north). I have tried the Aylmer Drive entrance (twice), the Embury Way gate, the Old Lodge Way entrance, and the Bentley Way Gate. For the Deer Park I initially found the route via Aylmer Drive to be the most interesting as it went through woods and suddenly arrived at the corner of the Deer Park that the deers seemed to find most popular, probably because it was where most visitors congregated to feed them On my second attempt, however, I landed mysefl in a lot of trouble as the ground was very waterlogged and boggy. One reason why my rating dropped a star was because there is a notable lack of signage in the reserve. Although all the maps I have seen show a clear path from Aylmer Drive to the Deer Park, there is no sign to warn walkers that the path may be impassable. Perhaps I took the wrong route, or the true path had become overgrown, but when I tried to find alternative routes back to the main Deer Walk, they all terminated in boggy ground. that small criticism apart, however, I anticipate returning to Bentley Priory Nature Reserve many more times in the future and thoroughly recommend a visit with children who will enjoy both the deers and the walks.

Scratchwood has a bad rap because a lot of Gay men like to come here to dog. I never saw anyone…read morehaving sex in the bushes here .If this is your thing, I've just given you an inside tip. Don't say you heard it here. :) I just liked to have a wander around the old woodlands. This is proper woods. Moat Mount is has a big lake where you can see tadpoles. I was very excited by this being from New York. Once, the girlfriend dropped her car keys here and came at 6 AM to find them and did successfully. This is the real deal, scary if lost in the dark woods. Forget what you've heard. This is a good place.

Pinner Memorial Park has a duck pond, a rose garden, a playground, a wooded area with tall trees, a…read morelarge playing field area, an aviary of budgerigars and an ornamental Peace garden with a big pond and a lovely bunch of ducks. I find the aviary a bit depressing and used to dream of releasing the birds into the sky, but I guess they have been through a few generations now and think that the world comes with bars attached. West House in the park was lived in by Admiral Nelson's daughter Horatia, and it is being turn it into a museum about the work of Heath Robinson, the artist who lived nearby and was best known for his drawings of eccentric machines. a permanent home for the Books of Remembrance to residents of Pinner who lost their lives in the Wars. Local events have been hosted in the park - fun days and cultural celebrations, and it's great to come and sit out in on a sunny afternoon.

Watford needs and deserves a nice park and Cassiobury hits the spot. As well as the plethora of…read morefootball pitches (none seem that big mind), tennis courts, netball courts and cafes there is a really cute miniature railway that the kids will love. The path around the park will take you through some nicer parts and out to the Grand Union Canal where you can watch various people struggle with the locks. If you a right at the toe path you can also wander the 1km or so down to The Grove Hotel which is worth checking out. Every year the park is also host to Watford's Firework display which is free and of a generally high standard.

Cassiobury Park is a really beautiful place and has something for everyone. There is a lot of open…read morespace with shady trees. In the summer the paddling pools are open and the children can paddle in the pools or splash in the fountains. This area is well staffed an supervised by qualified people. The cafe in this area offers a selection of hot and cold food and drinks at reasonable prices. At the far side of the park is a shallow river/ stream that is teaming with fish. This is simply perfect for children's first fishing experience. There is a miniature train and a traditional play ground with swings and slides. It's a great place to take a picnic. I feel safe going on my own with my young children. The parking and pools are free with a small charge for the train.

I've driven past the edge of Stanmore Common on the way from Stanmore to Watford many times, but on…read morethe warm bright and sunny weekend I finally took the initiative to take the family for walk. It was a winner from the start. The terrain is mildly hilly with a variety of trails depending upon your level of adventure. With three young children we kept mostly to the main paths with a few side diversions. The girls enjoyed chasing after a peacock butterfly, with its fabulous colour display. It seemed to glide across the grasses growing up to soak in the sun. Wearing our sneakers, we were able to avoid most of the mud. However, considering it hadn't rained in some time and still some areas were quite damp, a good pair of boots would certainly be appropriate. There are several small streams that run through the woods and heath with beautiful stone pebbles rounded through time. On one large open grass area we let the children just run and play. What a joy it is to see them picking blades of grass, imagining and even talking to a bumblebee! Then in the distance we spotted a well located and still strong tree swing. We all gave it a go and laughed at ourselves. If you are looking for a day out with the family and the opportunity to relax closer to nature without venturing too far from the city, consider Stanmore Common. We spent about 1 1/2 hours slowly walking the trails. Next time we may bring our lunch and spread a picnic over a grassy area.

My mama lives in Rickmansworth and has been meaning to visit the Croxley Great Barn for a while…read morenow. They only give tours on the last Saturday of the month though. So when both my aunt and I happened to be visiting last weekend, we all decided to go along for a gander. We met our guide and fellow tourists in the car park of St Joan of Ark School, and it was then a nice 10-minute stroll through the school fields on a lovely sunny day to the barn, which is kind of hidden away. It just a big old barn, nothing going on in there, but the guy who showed us around could talk for England and had a lot to tell us about the history of the barn, how it was used, how it was constructed, how people have tried (and sometimes failed) to restore or conserve the building, la la la. I'm afraid I didn't last the whole talk - it was rather long, and I was distracted by a beeootiful pussy cat who passed through. My mum and aunt found the whole talk fascinating though, and I did fall a little bit in love with our guide on account of his superb facial hair, big boots and high-waisted trousers. If you're in the neighbourhood on the last Saturday of the month, worth a peek. Tours are free, but donations are welcome.

Its a small park but i think its lovely. There is a small play area and a reasonably large field…read morearea. Its child friendly and there isnt much litter, which is great, so its quite clean. There are lots of beautiful trees, and the park looks fantastic in the autumn time particularly. there is a pathway which goes right the way through and all in all its a lovely place to spend time at, particularly with children.

In the middle of an enjoyable group cycle ride, we stopped for a break in Garston Park!…read moreI was beholding God creations....lovely green bright grasss, with a beautiful backdrop of trees, that I found out was Bricket common is behind it. Garston Park has picnic tables near the playground which I good for younger kids. It also now has an outdoor gym, which the equipment is as good as an indoor one. You can also have picnics here as well. Garston Park was a delightful discovery basking in the sun and I'm sure I will be back.

This is a lovely little park in the centre of Garston. It is always clean and well-kept, with some…read morelovely flower beds visible in summer. There is a well equipped and enclosed playground for the younger children. There are football goalposts for playing too. For families there are also picnic tables located close to the playground, so that mum and dad can continue their meal while the children play close by. A very nice little park. Recommended.

This is a perfect just after dinner walk off park! It's not…read moremassive by any stretch and doesn't go on for miles. But, it is more than capable for the stick throwing for the pooch and to shift some of that Sunday roast. You see a lot of people with buggies and prams getting their kids off to sleep by walking around the loop. To the right of the park if you enter it shop side there is a well cut out loop. The centre part being kept natural with no pruning or hedge training or cutting so as to encourage the wildlife to live and visit here. It's also a quick cut through to the adjacent houses so that you don't have to walk the whole way around the estate and roads to get to and from the shops but to quickly cut over the park. Perfect for a small pleasant walk around not too far from your front door :)