Every year in the middle of July, a part of the gardens is the place to be, because of the art…read morefestival: Art in Action, it takes place on the grasfields, in the house, between the apple orchards. Waterperry Gardens is more than only a place to buy your plants and to drink a cup of tea. You can walk arround in the different kind of gardens. Also they have a place where you can just come to your self. O and a great church, open to visit. I just love to be here. Walking a round and think, enjoy and be wonderd about all the different short of gardens.

A good place to take your granny or for a family day out with well-behaved children. It's nice to…read moreescape the hustle and bustle of Oxford to the countryside tranquility of these gardens. Normally I don't like structured gardens too much, but these are more about preserving plants than topiary and fountains. And you can walk on the grass. Good stuff. There's an arboretum, although the trees are just saplings at the moment, so not very interesting. If you're into your moutains, have a look at the rare alpine flowers in the alpine garden, or if you prefer your formal gardens, there's the obligatory area complete with statues. There are lots of borders of fruit trees and herbaceous plants, which bring lots of colour in summer. There isn't much information on anything outside, so I think it's more for a peaceful day out or people who know their plants. However, there is a museum of rural life, which is much more informative, and a Saxon church. All in all it makes a good half day out - a nice Sunday afternoon destination. Entry costs: Adults £4.95 £3.50 OAP £3.95 £3.50 Children 10-16 years £3.30 Free Children under 10 years Free Free

I can't rate the leisure centre in Maidenhead enough! I moved to Maidenhead from London about 9…read moreyears ago and have visited the leisure centre many times and for such different activities! Not only do they have a large swimming pool which caters for adults and children, they have squash courts, badminton courts, a great gym and tennis/netball courts. However I have also visited the leisure centre for evening events such as comedy nights- what a great venue!

I have been living in Maidenhead since a young girl and the Magnet Leisure Centre has been a…read moreregular entertainment venue for myself and many family and friends. Run by the borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, many of the staff have been working here for such a long time that there is a very welcoming and comfortable feel even if visiting alone or for the first time. They offer a swimming pool, tennis, badminton and squash courts, trampolining, a well equipped gymnasium, fitness classes, a children's soft play area - Cheeky Charlie's, a creche, children's party facilities and much more. Entrance fees are affordable for a whole family and they even offer 'Advantage Card' discounts with the Advantage Card being a multi-discount card issued by the borough. A pleasant and clean leisure centre which is recommended for all leisure and fitness fans!

We enjoyed a nice visit to the garden. They offer timed tickets you can pre book which makes it…read morequick to get in. There is a large garden you can walk through to see the plants and trees and also some glass houses that contained interesting plants such as poisonous plants, cactus, and more. Most plants were labeled. There were a number of trees and some seating that was in the shade. It was a pleasant place to spend a couple of hours.

What a beautiful place to walk and listen to the birds as you walk your breakfast off…read more Really peaceful and despite not having all the flowers and trees in bloom, it was such a lovely couple hours spent here. I can just imagine what it would be like in summer. I really liked the green houses as well. Our favorite was the rainforest one. A small gift shop at the entrance/exit. The staff was really friendly and helpful but that's just all the people in Oxford so far.

Yes, it's a college with a deer park. Posh or not, it's a lovely little snippet of tranquil…read morecountryside and a good escape from the bustle of Oxford life. Entrance is included in the college entry fee: Adults £4 Concessions: £3 Oxford students/alumni/Oxford residents: free The deer park is basically a big meadow in the North West of Magdalen's grounds. In winter and spring there is a herd of deer there, which have been the subject of poems, works of art and student pranks for years. It's nice to observe animals close up in your own time and space without the pressure that comes from trying to fit everything in at a zoo or the hassle of driving round a safari park. If you look back you can see the dreamy spires of Oxford and Magdalen's Grove Quad; look forward and you can see Magdalen meadow and gardens. In the Civil War, a regiment of the King's army camped here and used the trees for fuel. It used to be a grand display of elm trees, which were subsequently replaced by newer trees after the spread of Dutch elm disease. This is the absolute best place to come if it snows.

I'm no tree expert, but I still find this sort of place fascinating. Everyone knows about the…read moreBotanic Gardens, but this is quite a well-kept secret. It's a shame you have to pay to get in, but it's understandable, as there are some rare and old trees here, and it's very well maintained. I recommend getting a tour, as otherwise it's easy to see things as 'just another tree', and it seems a bit silly paying to wander around what is really an outdoor museum, when you could have the same experience for free if you're really not bothered about the trees. Even if you think you're not interested, you might be surprised. I also recommend going in summer when everything's in full bloom, although it must be interesting to see the changing seasons. Keep an eye out for peacock feathers!

Owned by Oxford University, Harcourt Arboretum is about five or six miles south of Oxford and is a…read morecollection of trees and shrubs open to the public. Some of the collection is very old - massive old trees dating back to mid 19th century. The layout is very informal with lovely open glades and grassy areas between the specimen trees. There are peacocks and bluebells in spring - it can be quite magical. Especially worth a trip to see the rhodedendrons in Spring which are spectacular. Great place for all ages - kids love to run about (in safety). It's free, apart from parking fee which is £3

As parks go, this one is quite wonderful. Loads of open space, running and bicycle track, exercise…read morestations, and such. There are a great many benches for just sitting and enjoying the sounds, sights, and smells of nature. Sunsets are a special treat here, as the main slope of the park runs toward town away west. It's a beautiful sight, even with the construction cranes in silhouette. Grab a picnic bag or a take out pizza and a few pints, and head there on your next visit to the area. You'll not regret it!

South Park is great for lazing around in summer, picnics, meeting friends and, most importantly,…read morefor building enormous snowmen and snow sculptures in winter. I spent a very happy afteroon here one February building snow slides on the slopes and crunching through frozen leaves. It's surprisingly large despite being surrounded by roads, and although you can always hear the traffic in the background, it's still quite a peaceful experience. The worst bit is that it's quite hard to find an exit as they're quite spaced out, and it has a reputation for not being good for women walking through at night. I've never heard of anything bad happening, but it's worth bearing in mind.

Hinksey is the park I tend to forget about and every time we go to the outdoor pool I think - why…read moredon't we come here more often? The answer is that we live on the other side of the city and Oxford has so many lovely green spaces. On the other hand Hinksey is just outside the centre of Oxford and has things the other parks don't have. There is a small children's play area, a lake on which there used to be pedalos for hire, a lake on which you sometimes see people sailing their radio controlled boats, tennis courts, fishing and the outdoor swimming pool. The paddling pool has been replaced by a free fountain / water feature play area. I've not been to this one at the right time of year but the one in Abingdon is great fun. Remember the fun of running under the hose in the garden? Fountain play areas recreate that experience. I've just looked at the city council website to check out the details for this park and I found out that it is a "Green Flag" winner. I've heard of different coloured flags being awarded to beaches but I didn't know there were flags for parks - I can feel myself just about to waste half an hour looking up other "green flag" parks to see if my other favorite places have won anything. (And I've found out from the website there are fresh water sponges and zebra mussels in the park - who'd have thought it!)

This is as good a park as any, and it's a lovely haven of green and fun. If you live in central…read moreOxford, there are plenty of nearer parks, but if you're young at heart or have kids, and if it's a warm day, this is definitely the place to be. Why? Water! There's a 'Splash' water feature, open from 10am-8pm May to September, but sometimes earlier in the year if it's warm enough. The outdoor swimming pool is brilliant: it's heated, free for under-17s and surrounded by sun-loungers. It's like being on holiday: sun, water and ice-cream, yet only a short drive from home. There's also tennis, fishing and a lake with a myriad of interesting birds (still waiting to catch a glimpse of a kingfisher!) and underwater life. A word of warning: if, like me, you enjoy evening walks with friends or a four-legged companion, watch out because although the park's always open (unlike the University Parks for example), there's no way to get a car in after a certain time. This changes throughout the year, the earliest being aroudn 5pm in winter, I think. Definitely worth checking, but not a disaster if it's shut, as there's plenty of parking nearby.

This centre is the national centre for wheelchair sports and is the home of the National Wheelchair…read moreChampionships. It also has a fantastic training swimming pool, a great well stocked and always busy gym. Badminton courts, football and athletics are some of the other activites you can access there. As a family we use many of the facilities. One moan is that when it is busy the cafe is never open and I feel they miss out on some good custom.