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Camperdown Park (Dundee)
by MagdaDH Camperdown Country Park is the largest park in Dundee and within its boundaries has managed parkland as well as wilder woods. The park forms a venue for many city events, from the Dundee Flower and Food Festival to dog shows and Race for Life. Facilities include large adventure playpark for children of various ages, boating lake, water ... sports facilities at Clatto Reservoir, golf course, picnic areas and a network of paths and walks. The Leisure Park area has a cinema and an ice rink as well as a few eating places, while the Camperdown Wildlife Centre is Dundee's zoo. In the centre of the Park stands Camperdown House, a neo-classical mansion. Although called a ''country park'', Camperdown is really a suburban city park, easily accessible from the city and sitting just beyond its main dual-carriageway bypass (Kingsway). It's a good park with plenty of open grass spaces, quite a few magnificent, old trees and areas to run about, walk and exercise dogs. The mansion, called Camperdown House (after which the whole park was named) is a severe Neo-Classical building which houses some displays relating to Dundee's maritime and military history, as well as function rooms. In addition to an extensive landscaped grounds in the Camperdown Park proper, there is also a small zoo (with bears, and otters and a few other mammalian and bird species) as well as a large adventure playpark divided into several areas suited to different ages, each surrounded by a fence to keep the dogs off and lined with soft, clean sand. There are climbing frames, ropes, slides, castles to play in, ships and bouncy spring-based horses and motorbikes. In the same part of the Camperdown park there is a pavilion with toilets and a basic cafe that serves burgers, sandwiches and hot and cold drinks. Nearby, a large but shallow boating pond offers pedalos and electric bikes for kids to ride round a small track (there is a charge for these and they don't operate in the winter). It can get very busy in the children's areas in the summer, school holidays or on sunny weekends, but the parkland area is large enough to afford enough breathing space to everybody, and even more so in the Templeton Woods area across the Coupar Angus road. ** Camperdown Wildlife Centre is a small zoo located in Dundee's Camperdown Country Park, a large park just outside the Dundee core urban area. It has just acquired a new Visitors' Centre building - quite a good looking one, with an education room and a proper café as well as bit more spacious facilities for staff I suppose. The zoo itself has a small collection of mostly mammal and bird species, largely from temperate climates, and a visit makes for a reasonable hour or so (unless you Hate Zoos on Principle), especially if you have children with you. The animals mostly live in fairly large enclosures and appear reasonably content, though I always doubt the humanitarian aspect of keeping large birds of prey in such captivity: at least in all kinds of raptor centres they have the opportunity to fly, albeit in a controlled manner, during the displays. Here the magnificent owls (they have a good selection of those) sit in cages - large, but still cages - and so do eagles and (less cringe-inducingly) storks. Still, an opportunity to see all those owls in the Camperdown zoo is certainly interesting. Mammal species include the usual goats, deer, wallabies and lemurs (ALL zoos and animal parks everywhere appear to have goats, wallabies and ring-tailed lemurs) as well as a few (usually invisible) native species like wildcats and pine martens and several more interesting ones. The latter include wolves, porcupines (invariably asleep under the infra-red lamps), bats (viewed from a dark viewing shed) and most of all, otters and bears. The last two species are definitely the highlight of the Centre for me. Otters have a large enclosure with ponds and several sets and can be seen running about, playing and swimming quite frequently. There are also cameras in the hide that theoretically allow you to view them when at home, but we never had any luck (though we usually manage to spot them frolicking about). These are graceful animals that are fun to watch and worth spending some time with. The zoo also boasts two European Brown Bears, magnificent specimens of that species. There is a tradition of keeping bears in the Dundee zoo, I remember seeing one in a small cage about 15 years ago, but the current enclosure is very spacious and with several dens (aka hiding places). We didn't see the bears on our last visit, but we did see them before and when they deign to come out and play they are a delight to watch: it might be my Polish ancestral memories, but I have a lot of respect for bears', the seemingly clumsy creatures who can, in an instance, change into embodiments of graceful power. Entrance tickets cost 3.50 GBP for adults and 10 GBP for a family (up to 3 kids) so a visit is not likely to break the bank (the prices in the café are more likely to, so it's better to bring the picnic or utilise the greasy spoon caff by the playpark and the boating pond nearby). Parking is plentiful nearby. Read the complete review |
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Stanwick Lakes (Nene Valley, Northamptonshire)
by helen190390 Pack up the kids in the car, bring a packed lunch, grab some clean clothes and get over to Stanwick Lakes. What is Stanwick Lakes: ======================== Stanwick lakes is full of fun things for children to do. It's not your average nature park. Stanwick Lakes used to be overgrown and a place people would ... walk their dogs. Luckily I lived just a 20 minute walk away and could access it easily without having to park. It has been turned into a haven of free things for children to do. There is also things you can pay to do but we'll get to those later on in the review. Stanwick lakes is situated between Irthlingborough and Stanwick in Northamptonshire. It was mainly used for fishing and is now a place that parents take their children for a nice money free day out. There is a small cost for parking to pay if you are arriving by car. In school holiday there is a charge of £5 for over 3 hours (or the whole day). In off-peak times is £3 at the weekends and £2 on weekdays. If you are a school or arriving by coach, then the charge is £25 for coach parking. Free activities: ======================== Trailing: --------------------------------- Walking is FREE! Stanwick Lakes has brilliant trails to walk along. Throughout the trails there are different pieces of play equiptment to be discovered. I remember walking along and finding a very large tyre swing which me and my friends were playing with for hours. There is also a large climbing rock, a large rope bridge which looks over the water and a zip wire. The paths are quite dusty so I don't reccommend going there in sandles or flip flops. Wear sensible shoes and make sure to pack towels and socks in your car and some play parts are covered in sand. The best thing about Stanwick Lakes is there is no admissions fees. You can play here all day just for just parking charges. Assault Course: ---------------------------------- The army style assault course is the best part about Stanwick Lakes. It's fun to watch all the bigger kids scramble through the nets, over the large wooden climbing frames, then seeing the older men follow. Most adults will find their inner child whilst visiting here. There is so much to do and a lot of it has been built to take the weight of adults. Fresh Air: ------------------------------- The beautiful thing about having Stanwick lakes so close to me is that I could take my daughter round there for some much needed fresh air. It's so peaceful and full of nature that small babies and children will soon fall asleep as you push them around. Sometimes it's best to go somewhere which doesn't involve a cost. Play area: -------------------------------- The best and biggest play area i've ever come across. It has been made from mostly wood and a few metal slides. It has been built very well for adults to be able to play too. There is a smaller area for the toddlers to play on as this part can get crowded and quite overactive. There are picnic areas around for the adults to sit whilst the children are running riot. If you have trouble getting your energetic children to bed at nights, this is the place to come to get them tired out. Bird Watching: -------------------------------- Due to stanwick lakes being known for its wildlife, they have build two birdwatching huts for both children and adults to spot different wildlife and have a rest from the walking trails. If your interested, bring along some binoculars. There is seating inside the huts for you to sit and have a pit stop if your not there to birdwatch. Cycling: ----------------------------- Rack your bikes to the car and travel around the 7 miles of cycling tracks that Stanwick Lakes has to offer you. If you haven't got the option to bring your own bikes, then fear not. There is also a place to hire bikes for the day onsite which they get through a local cyclist retailers. The hire is only available on weekends and school term time holidays. Horse Riding Routes: -------------------------------------- Between Irthlingborough and Thrapston is an old railway line which serves as a brilliant horse riding trail. It is approximately 6 miles long but you'll need a permit to ride which you can actually download on the stanwick lakes website. I'm not sure on what the rules are in regards to parking a horse trailer but you can always find out by phoning them. Grass Amphitheatre: -------------------------------------- If your lucky enough to visit on a day of a play or production, often in the holiday periods there will be performances going on. You can also rent this space if you want to put your own performances on if you are involved in a theatre company. Eating: ----------------------------------- Throughout the park there are benches and picnic tables to sit at to enjoy your homemade lunches. There is also lots of grassed areas to sit at if you prefer to throw a blanket down and relax while the kids play football. If you prefer to buy food onsite, there is Café solar to dine at. The sell hot and cold food and best of all it's shaded inside so if your visiting on a very warm summer day, it might be nice to step into the shade and order a nice cold drink or hot cup of tea. BBQ area: ------------------------------- If you prefer to have something a bit more filling for lunch, there is a grass and picnic area in the park for you to BBQ. You can bring your own meat and buns and a disposable BBQ and sit in the sun with a burger. Saves paying the prices around the park. There are supermarkets and other small shops around the area if you are bringing your own things to cook. Just don't forget to pack it all in a cool bag as if its warm, you'll be cooking it in the boot of the car. Dog walking: ---------------------------- A great place to take your dogs on a hot day for a paddle but do not let them swim in the lakes alone. You must keep them on their leads at all times as there will be other dogs and children around. Fun for all: ------------------------ You don't need to have children to visit Stanwick Lakes. There is so much to do there for all types of people you'll never be bored. If your a couple who like to walk or one who loves natures there is always something to do. For the boys there is lakes for fishing if you have permits and it's in the quieter areas of the park too. There is also cycling, walking or even just taking a blanket down to do some sun bathing. With all that open space and reflection from the lakes, you'll have the perfect place to catch a tan. Photography: ------------------------------------- The views and nature are so beautiful at Stanwick Lakes, for those budding photographers, you might want to go down to experience it. The best time to capture photos is when the sun is setting and the water on the lakes shimmers a beautiful orange. Toilets: ---------------------------- There are toilets situated at the visitor centre and behind the kiosk. There is also baby changing facilities and disabled toilets. Make sure to take some baby wipes for messy hands too. The activities which you'll need to pay for: ================================== There are a few activities which involve a payment cost. If you're there for the day, it's definitely worth thinking about. Boat Hire: -------------------- Close by to Stanwick Lakes is a camp called the Fronteir Centre where children go in term times or summer to stay. They have come together and now offer their boats for people to hire. -£5 for a solo Kayak. -£7 for a two person Kayak. -£10 for a 4 person Kanoe. Bike Hire: ---------------------- As i said before, there are bikes avaliable to hire to ride the cycle trails around Stanwick lakes. These have been provided by a cycle shop in Rushden, Northamptonshire. Café solar: -------------------------- As well as grabbing lunch or just a snack in the Cafés dining area, there is also an indoor play facility for children whilst the parents are having something to eat. The hideaway indoor play centre can also be hired out for birthday parties. There is also an upper desk which is great for looking out at the view. There is also some historical facts for you to look at. There is a Kiosk outside which sells cold drinks and snacks and also an icecream van which is onsite during the holiday periods. Gift Shop: -------------------------- There is a gift shop at inside the visitor centre to buy a small sovenier of your trip. They also sell local honey which is made onsite and also around the local area. Conclusion: ========================= Stanwick Lakes is a place where the best things are free. It's not often you find a place which can give you a days worth of entertainment for just the price of parking. If you are going as a family, it is the perfect place for relaxing as well as excercising. If like me, you want to do things with your children which aren't going to cost the earth, then a place like this is great. There might be similar places to this in your area if it's too far to travel from your area. If you want to visit here there is places around with hotel facilities to stop overnight. There are so many things you can do here, and if you have your own bikes and Kanoes they are welcome at the park. The majority of the trails are suitable for wheelchairs and buggies to no need to worry about getting your children or persons with disabilities. You can book schools to go there or big groups of people. There are a few rules you need to abide by when visiting the park: Keep dogs on leads Clean up after your dog BBQs are not permitted, except in the outdoor theatre Do not feed the birds Do not light fires Do not swim in the lakes or river Overnight camping is not permitted. Opening times ============================= March to October 7am til 9pm November to February 7am til 5pm. To contact the park to find out any information you require they have a website: www.stanwicklakes.org.uk or email info@rftrust.org.uk Thanks for reading my review! Helen190390 Read the complete review |
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Queen Elizabeth Country Park (Hampshire))
by frangliz On an unusually mild Saturday afternoon in January, when there was even a little sunshine, we decided to visit Queen Elizabeth Country Park, not far south of the Hampshire town of Petersfield. The park covers around 1,400 acres of downland and woodland within the South Downs National Park. It opened in 1976, although I can well remember ... going for walks on Butser Hill and through the forests of Holt Down and War Down as a child, and they now make up the main areas of the park. Situated right beside the A3 Portsmouth to London road and clearly sign-posted, the country park is not difficult to find. At about 2pm it was easy to find a space in the car park, but bear in mind that this was January. In warmer weather it might be advisable to arrive earlier to find a space. We were intending to follow one of the woodland trails but decided to stop at the cafe and have a hot drink first. They serve Fair Trade tea, hot chocolate and a variety of coffees, and we were also tempted by their chunky slices of homemade flapjack at £1.50 a piece. They do lunches too and use locally sourced ingredients. We chose to sit indoors, but there are plenty of picnic tables outside as well, and even on that January afternoon quite a few people were enjoying the fresh air there. We didn't linger too long in the cafe as there were only about two hours of full daylight left. Consulting the map near the visitor centre, we decided to follow the shorter of two woodland trails, a distance of 1.9 miles. The map shows how the trails are marked along the routes; the one we chose was indicated every so often by a wooden post with a green footprint painted on it. There are other signposts too, some of them quite a bit older, as the some of the paths form part of the South Downs Way and other longer walks. One or two of the routes are suitable for cars, but most of the trails are footpaths. On the whole they are broad and make for easy walking; there were, however, one or two muddy patches even though the weather had been dry for several days, so you do need to have suitable footwear. Our trail was a little uphill, but stretches of it were on the level. There were no stiles to negotiate or gates to open and shut. Even though we didn't climb to any height and were following a forest trail, there were beautiful views of the surrounding hills of the South Downs, including Windmill Hill. I just had to keep stopping to take photographs. I enjoyed it more than my last visit to the New Forest as I felt there was more variety with the combination of forest and downland. Most of the forest consists of pines, but there are also beech and hazel trees brightened up in winter by areas of yellow gorse. We saw a few other walkers on the way, including one or two with dogs - one extremely large but friendly one (dog, that is)! Again, I have to stress that this was January, and I'm not sure how busy the trails are on warm summer days. When we left the car park we decided to follow Forest Drive, thinking it would be a more scenic way to find our way back to the main road. As it turned out, it wasn't a way out at all but a road up to the top of either Holt Down or War Down, I'm not sure which. I noticed that it was possible to park up there, so anyone who is unable or unwilling to walk can get to the top of one of the downs and enjoy the view. With heights of 801 feet for War Down and 655 feet for Holt Down, these are of course gentle rolling hills, but the countryside is delightful if not spectacular. For those who prefer open downland to woodland trails, a walk up Butser Hill would be the answer. At 889 feet, Butser is the highest point in the South Downs. The hill is a National Nature Reserve and a Site of Specific Scientific Interest. More than thirty species of butterflies have been observed on Butser Hill, as well as over two hundred species of liverwort, lichen and moss. There is a kiosk at the top selling drinks and snacks, and baby-changing facilities and a disabled toilet are also situated there. Queen Elizabeth Country Park is located 4 miles south of Petersfield on the A3 road, and it is open all year round. The cafe opens at 9am and the visitor centre at 10am. Closing time is 4.30pm in winter and 5.30pm in summer. The park has disabled access and three disabled toilets in different locations. Baby-changing facilities are also available. There is pay and display parking for cars and coaches; the fee for cars is £1 for an hour or £2 for a day. The park is situated on a hill, and walks of either 1.9 and 5 miles may be made through woodland. In addition, there is a downland trail 1.7 miles long. It is possible to take part in a guided walk, starting at the visitor centre. Longer walks include Staunton Way to Staunton Country Park, 8.5 miles away, and Hangers Way to Alton, a distance of 21.1 miles. The South Downs Way, a hundred mile walk from Winchester to Eastbourne, passes through the park. There are also two trails suitable for mountain bikes; the trail for novices is 3.7 miles long, while the advanced trail is just over 3 miles. In addition, two ten-mile cycling trails begin in the park but go beyond it. There is a six-mile forest trail for horse riding. On Butser Hill, paragliding, hang-gliding and model gliding can be arranged. There is an outdoor Tots Play Area for children under eight, as well as the Juniper Play Area for older children. Lazer games are available for parties and corporate events. There are meadows where it is possible to hire a hearth with a table for either a picnic or barbecue. Rooms as well as two fields are available for private hire, and one of the rooms has a projector, screen and seating. Inside the visitor centre is a gift shop selling maps, outdoor clothing and sweets among other things. If you rely on public transport, the nearest railway station is Petersfield. From there, the number 37 Stagecoach bus travels past the Queen Elizabeth Country Park. Coming from the south, the 37 bus departs from Havant and travels via Waterlooville, but the bus journey from Havant would be quite a lengthy one. Queen Elizabeth Country Park is well worth a visit, especially as you can choose your level of activity. You might just want to walk the dog or give the children a chance to let off steam in the fresh air. On the other hand, you could set off on an ambitious walk or cycle ride, or perhaps go horse riding. If the heavens open, you can take cover in the cafe with a hot drink or have a browse around the gift shop. As an outdoor attraction, it is among the best that central southern England has to offer. Queen Elizabeth Country Park Gravel Hill Horndean Hampshire PO8 0QE Tel. 23 9259 5040 Read the complete review |
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1 review National Park / Forest Park located in County Down, Northern Ireland |
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1 review National Park / 3,500 acres of woodland just fifteen minutes from Exeter. |
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1 review Location: Bromley Civic Centre, Stockwell Close, Bromley BR1 3UH / National Park / The nature reserve consists of 250 acres of woodland and meadows. |
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1 review Mansfield Road / National Park / Wales Bar / Sheffield / S26 5PQ |
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2 reviews National Park / Address: Dagger Lane, Elstree, Hertfordshire, WD6 3AT. |
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2 reviews Address: Northwich / National Park / Cheshire / England |
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2 reviews Address: Watford / National Park / Hertfordshire / England - Enjoy 190 acres of greenery and woodlot stretching from Watford town centre to the west edge of the town's country side. |
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2 reviews Address: Haigh / National Park / Wigan / Greater Manchester / England - Haigh Hall is nestled amoungst 250 acres of greenery and woodlot. It available for hire and is the perfect venue and backdrop for weddings, business and leisure. |
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1 review Address: Dacre St / National Park / Carlisle / CA3 8UZ / England - For horticulturists, this park is a dream. The beautiful flower beds are vibrant with colour and life! |
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National Park / The park stretches over 33 acres and features a small lake. |
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