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.

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!

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.

The linear park is a lovely place for a short walk, or dog walk…read more There is also an equestrian path for horse riders. There's a rangers cabin and they sometimes arrange activities such a planting. The linear park runs along a disused railway line and the main bridge by the car park usually has lots of owl droppings under it. Its completely free, even the parking and is a lovely place to have a walk or walk the dog.

Some really nice walk a park for the little ones, a place to feed the ducks. Icecream van and…read moreburger van, toilets, grass areas for picnics, picnic benchs , we thoroughly enjoyed our day here.

Plenty for the children , feeding ducks then they're is a park also very good for dog walking…read more Spacious car parking looks like they are on for improving as there is work going on.

Just had a lovely half hour with our two spaniels. It was very hot but the dogs found shady places…read moreunder the trees. Lovely meadow, well fenced in. Easy parking. Will definitely book again.

There are many Fairy Glens in the country and this is a beautiful example. Basically it just a…read moresmall woods surrounding a stream but there is a lovely wood walk there and in the spring the bluebells are stunning, If you listen very hard you may even hear the Fairies playing in the woods. Just down the road from Parbold Hill and the Wiggin Tree easy to get to and a nice walk for the dog.

Another great free park in Warrington…read more Forest Park is a lovely place for a wander, dog walking or a picnic. There are several hydes for bird watchers and a tower that looks out towards Trafford and Manchester. The little pond seems much smaller to me now that it did when I was younger but this is a lovely nature area and you can often see dragon flies and other insects and animals around the park. Theres a lot of peet around so some of the ground maybe a little springy. Theres a visitors centre with some information available and lovely clean modern toilets. There are also benches and picnic areas in the Park. Theres a good sized car park with plenty of shadey parts for you to park in. Its free and pretty so pay a visit!!!

This is a quaint little nature reserve just outside the centre of Warrington. If you dont drive you…read morecan get there by taking a bus from Warrington town centre to Hag Fold, the bus itself stops right outside the park gates which is very handy! If your unsure about the stop as the driver who will be more than happy to oblige. Birchwood Forest Park is part of a larger linear network of walks and cycleways which link together all over the Birchwood district of Warrington. You can get to Hag Fold, Birchwood Shopping Centre and Risley Moss to name but 3 locations. So its worth spending some time exploring! Be sure to call into the Rangers office as they have free maps of the area so you can follow them and see where all the paths go incase you get lost! Apart from offering information the Rangers office also have the all important public toilets which are also wheelchair accessable. The park itself has lots of pathways to explore, many of which have proper cover surfaces which again are perfect for those in wheelchairs or for those with pushchairs or prams. There is a large bird hide which you can climb up and see for miles! Theres some stunning views to be seen and of course lots of wildlife and birds too. You will need to take your own drinks and refreshments as there are no facilities here but there are plenty of picnic tables which is handy.

A great place for a walk, especially in autumn. There's a small car park at the end of Hindley Mill…read moreLane, and if this place was better known I suspect the car park would often be full. Happily, Borsdane Wood is a 'hidden gem'! There are paths through the woods, and a stream running through it too; there's plenty to explore and acres of space for hide-and-seek or walking the dog or cycling or jogging or whatever takes your fancy. In short, it's a wonderful place to exercise -- why so few people seem to know about it is a mystery to me.