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!

On the whole, Bowland Wild Boar Park is an enjoyable day out, especially for children under the age…read moreof 10. It is open everyday 10.30am - 5.30pm, is very reasonably priced and the owners are genuinely enthusiastic and friendly, with bigger and better ideas for the future. It has come on in leaps and bounds since I first visited (roughly 6 years ago), when it was home to just a few small animals and several stinky cattle sheds. All the animals here do appear to be well cared for, have adequate room to roam and have plenty of food and water available. The drive to the park is an adventure in itself. It really is out in the sticks! If you start questioning whether you've gone the right way, you're probably on the right road, so don't worry. When you do arrive at the park, chances are you'll be greeted by one of the family members that own the park, and/or a peacock. Entry into the park is payable by cash or cheque only. Once you've paid for admission, the park areas and children's play activities are free. If no-one is at the gates to greet you, there is an "honesty box" for you pay into. Adults £4.50 Children (2 years and above) £3.50 Family ticket (2 adults + 2 children) - £14.00 OAP's - £3.50 Children under 2 years - free The wild boar in the park actually tend to be the least most favourite attraction. Most kiddies just want to bottle feed the lambs and hold the chicks, which they can do at set times during the summer months. Lamb feeding is at 11am, 2pm, 4.30pm Chick handling - 11am, 2pm, 5pm. The park's owners bring them out and then allow all the children who want to have a go, to have a turn. Nobody is pushed out or missed because they get everyone in one big circle to make sure. On top of that, baby wipes are freely available for anyone who happens to get pooped on by a fluffy cute little chick! When the lambs and chicks aren't out, there are lots of other animals to see around the park including red deer, reindeer, donkeys, goats, llama's, skunks, wallabies, owls, pigs, rabbits, guinea pigs, etc. Visitors can hand feed many of these as well as go into the open pens of the smaller animals. Animal feed is available for visitors to use, for which they like you to make a donation of about 25p. When you have finished feeding, there are lots of small wash basins, hand soap and towels for you to use and clean up with after. Obviously, there are some animals which you cannot feed and must not attempt to get near, (the wild boar for a start). Notices are clearly displayed and animals which can be particularly nasty are behind fences and secured safely. Tractor trailer / barrel rides run throughout the day, with the park's owner simply jumping into his tractor and taking kids and adults alike, on a sightseeing tour of the area. These are £1.00 per person and last about 15 mins. The park has an adventure playground which is excellent. Along with the usual swings and slides, it has a zip wire and a sand pit, complete with spades and a ride-on digger. There are smaller pedal tractors available for younger kiddies to play on and a large "rabbit warren" is just outside the adventure playground, with large adjoining tunnels for the kids to crawl through and meet each other at end the end. What does seem to be particularly fun for the kids is a very large barn filled with nothing but hay bales. The bales are tied securely and stacked to make deep tunnels, bunkers and steps which are great for playing army or hide and seek. Also on site is a large education centre which is used for school and group bookings, and a small touring caravan area / children's birthday party can be arranged as well, but I don't know what these are like or how much they are; you'd need to contact the park directly. The park is very pleasing on the eye, with several gorgeous woodland walks and lots of picnic tables, some of which are right beside the river Hodder. You're likely to see lots of wild birds and animals if you walk round the outer areas of the park. In spring, the woods look superbly colourful; even more so at Easter when children can take part in an Easter egg treasure hunt. Wear comfortable stuff - preferably hiking boots or wellies. As its mainly grassy area, the chances are that you'll get muddy. Also, the footpaths can be uneven and in some areas are pretty steep. All visitors are given a map with info about the different routes to take though, so you won't get caught out. Toilets are available and have always been clean and tidy when I've visited. There is a small cafe and shop as well which sells the usual tea, coffee, soft drinks and even its own meat produce. (This grosses me out just a bit actually) The small gift shop sells predictable but nevertheless, nice little things such as key rings, pencils, soft toys etc. The one fault I have with this park is that there is very little in the way of shelter if the weather is poor, so ensure you pack up warm gear if

Lovely little trail. As we were staying at the Falls Caravan park, we were already at the top of…read morethe trail and had a lovley meander down into Ingleton. A little more challenging on the way back with some steep climbs, but take it easy at your own pace and the sense of achievement at the end is worth the effort.

This would be one of the main reasons to visit this quaint little town in the heart of North…read moreYorkshire. The Ingleton Waterfalls Trail is an utter delight, and quite the walk, but well worth the visitors fee - which I believe was something like £5-8. The folks at the gate weren't massively welcoming, but you literally pay your fee, park up and get on foot so it's not too bad. (And of course, we can assume the fee goes toward the upkeep of this place of natural beauty.) A word of warning -the car park is laid out in the most bizarre way, with tiny tiny spaces, and it seems a popular spot for caravans so I'd advise getting there early to ensure a space. Or give in to a good fifteen minutes of adjusting the frustrating labyrinth it can become. Anyway. The walk itself is several miles long, and can take up to four hours depending on your speed, but you'd be hard pressed for a more beauteous journey. With gorgeous copper water flowing the whole route around, due to the peet, the walk is lush with greenery. You'll be clambering up steep rock steps, ascending the hills, traversing across the mountainous dales, and view five incredible waterfalls along the way. There's even a cafe at about a third of the way along, for a coffee stop, and if you're spritely like me you can make it in two and a half hours-even stopping to photograph everything. Essentially, it's what I love about this country the most. England's pastures green, and all that. My favourite spot is the little Oak copse about half way home. Being autumn when I was there, it was exquisite and resplendent in orange hue, and so peaceful with the water roaring in the background, the birds, and the air. You'll feel right, when you're here, and without a care in the world. Outstanding.

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!

It's doing these Yelp reviews in Merseyside's Southport, the go-to for Liverpudlians looking for a…read morebit of seaside fresh air, that makes me realise I spent most of my youth here. The Brunette, my oldest friend, lived in Churchtown during our schooldays and despite the fact that we and our social circle were a bunch of moody teenagers who wore Doc Martens and locked ourselves in our bedrooms listening to Nirvana, we just loved a trip to the Botanic Gardens down the road from her. I have photos still of the times we spent there, and there amongst all that black eyeliner, ripped denim and scowling adolescence, are smiles. We got so inspired by the place that a friend of mine wanted to take romantically inspired photos of us posing with blossom trees and water features in the background. Nothing lifts a mood swing like feeding the ducks. Years later I'm older, wiser, I probably still use too much Kohl but I've certainly curbed my impressions of Kevin the Teenager. 'That's so unfah I HATE you!' *Door slam* Well, we all still have our spoilt brat moments. But one thing that will always remain is the way the Botanic Gardens did and still does brighten my day. Having opened in 1874 they are traditionally Victorian, harbouring incredible floral displays, gorgeous walkpaths, a winding lake that stretches the length of the complex and the potential to take boat trips. The duckies are always great, particularly in spring when the babies come out to play, so take plenty of bread. There are benches for picnics, free parking available, a café if you need to stop to rest or haven't brought a packed lunch, a pottery shop, a gift shop, free admission and even a regular bus that stops at the site directly from Southport's central Lord Street. So even if you're just mooching around the town you've no excuse not to come here. As starkly beautiful in winter as it is Technicolor and gorgeous in summer, don't miss out on this superb attraction.

I wish there were more public gardens like this around. Such a nice place to go when you have a…read morerelaxed day off. Love the birds and animals they have there (they're caged, which is to be expected). Peacocks! Pheasants! All sorts of parrots! Yaaaay... :) They have nice trails. We walked by the pond and fed the ducks. There were so many of them that swarmed us. And seagulls came to try to steal their food. Was good fun. I like the playground as well. Even though I'm not a little kid, I think they actually have some fun swings and things. Lots of families come through (for obvious reasons). Lots of dog walkers as well. They have a cafe, and you can sit down for a drink or go inside to look at their goods. All kitschy stuff, mind, but why not support the botanical gardens when possible? There are a few fun and random things there. And food. The thing about it is that I've heard from those who have lived in this area for a long time that there have been serious cutbacks from the former glories of the botanical gardens? The greenhouses are closed off, the flowers have been removed from some parts of it, and there are cutbacks in staff as well. It's kind of sad because I think it could be a really pretty place if it's maintained. In any case, it's worth going for a visit, even for just a short stroll.

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.

This is an urban Country Park sandwiched between the M6 and M61 to the east of Leyland. It is an…read moreoasis of calm, suitable for a 1-2 hour wander in pleasant wooded paths following the River Lostock. Paths are well laid out and hold up in all weathers. The main area is at the northern end. The Sue Ryder Home is also here and has a pleasant cafe and charity shop for a diversion. Also at this end is a small man made lake. This is probably the most attractive part of the Park, even the roar of the new M65 which can be heard from the slightly elevated position, does not detract too much. The main parking is from the B5256 Sheephill Lane which cuts the north from the south.

Just 20 minutes by train from Manchester and around 30 minutes from Leeds - sandwiched in the…read morePennines is the glorious Dovestones. Most people walk around the 1st reservoir and enjoy the stroll. You can however walk around as many as 4 reservoirs in total and increase the challenge. If your particularly fit or an experienced Walker then walk to the tops and enjoy some fantastic views. The place changes every day with the weather, and lots of different routes to take so you won't get bored. Always wear good shoes/boots and take your waterproofs just in case. There is ample parking on weekdays, but very busy at weekends.

Our mission to go for at least one walk in the great outdoors each month of 2016 continues - at…read moreDove Stone Reservoir up in the hills of Saddleworth. Hoping lots of folks would have been put off by the cold weather and fallen snow, our group were met by total carmageddon at the official car park (which was full on a Sunday lunchtime and proved difficult to find a space). After a couple of circuits without success, we drove back to the main road, up the hill a few hundred yards and found plenty of room at the Binn Green car park. It's supposed to be pay and display but there were no machines - double winner. We took a stepped path down from this car park (it's a tad muddy in winter so choose appropriate footwear) and then eventually met the main paved/gravelled route around the reservoir. It's pretty flat all the way and there are gorgeous views to be had, so lots of photo opportunities. The shorter circular route is about 3 miles, whereas if you include the route past Yeoman Hey and Greenfield Reservoirs this increases to 5 miles. We were getting hungry by this point so decided to just do the former!

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.

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!