A great place to spend a beautiful sunny spring day! I'm amazed that I've been living in London for…read more3 years and somehow managed not to find this place until now even though I've driven to Stansted at least half a dozen times. D'oh! Parking costs a £5 for the day and about half that if you're arriving after 5pm. It's free for National Trust members. Don't worry if you've forgotten your sticker, just show them your card at the gate and you'll be issued with a little paper ticket. There are at least 3 car parks I can think of off the top of my head. One right at the entrance, one near the lake and one by the cafe. I'd drive right in and stop by the cafe as it offers the most central location, allowing easy access to all parts of the forest. There are lots of trails, open fields as well as forested areas so a bit of everything. I saw quite a few signs of bushcraft so if you're into that then this is a great place to put in some shelter building practice.

A great day out, couldn't recommend it highly enough…read more Lots for kids of all ages to do here, there's a large lake for fishing, an area for feeding geese and ducks, loads of tree's to climb, plenty of wildlife, and best of all LOADS OF SPACE! Great to ride to and around on a bike, the cafe does a great range of homemade pies that really are worth the trip alone. There's numerous sturdy picnic benches that seat up to 8, and at easter/xmas that do a little treasure hunt for the young uns, which my lot love. Get down there pronto, but if you are going to drive, please have the decency to pay to enter the car park. For years there have been loads of people parking on the road and entering for free, so finally double yello lines have been painted on. Sad but necessary.

Beautiful views of the water wherever you stop to look at the water with plenty of amenities in…read moreterms of fishing,sailing,wind surfing,bird watching,running (A full Rutland Water lap is 23 miles which includes the peninsular,17 miles without,which is ideal for those of you that are training for large running events,such as The London Marathon or similar events. I used to trot around here as part of my training when I competed in the London Marathon - highly recommend,gets you in a great head space as you take in all the different views of the water. Walking,cycling & dog walking are other activities you can do,to name just a few,there is also *depending on the seasons a Rutland Water Aqua Park - but make sure you pre book as this is very popular. Normanton Park Church is a tourist hot spot as well as a Zoo! & a man made beach. There are plenty of cafes & children's play areas,with rock climbing (Rock Block). Hambleton peninsula is worth a visit with local pubs dotted around Rutland Water. We live near here & I think most Rutlanders will admit that they don't use the area as much as they should. Although we will be taking a wander to take a look at the new Sea Dragon which has just been unearthed

Great well conserved park…read more This is basically a large man made resevoir, underneath which is a village that was covered over with water when they made the resevoir. Great place for canoing and other water Sports. Many people hire cycles out or bring there own to go around the water, it quite a ride but makes a nice day out. Also great for walks, feeding the ducks, there is also a marina area and in the summer there are boat trips. Food is expensive so better to bring a picnic or packed lunch

Newly remodelled and busy with lots of kids. Toddler area is fenced. Jesus Green stretches around…read morefor good running and playing. There's a skate park nearby too. Daddy need to play too? The Fort St. George pub is just down river.

Best park around. Has a little cafe with excellent and bacon baps (ham on a bun) for a walk around…read morethe park. It has swans, geese, ducks, seagulls and coots that you can feed. A former quarry, if you're lucky you can spy a kingfisher or a heron. Bathrooms and parking are here, with playground for kids if you have any.

5 hectares of lakes, riverbank and meadows to explore, close to the historic market town of Oundle…read more With three way marked waterside trails, numerous picnic spots, a wealth of wildlife and facilities, Barnwell Country Park is a great place for a family day out.

Great place to see beautiful butterflies. Open may to october monday to saturday, closed on a…read moresunday. 5000 sq feet of a jungle like environment, with many varietys of butterflies and some exotic birds. Kids love it here, theres so much visual stimulus. They accomodate school and group bookings. They also have some great lizards and rather large snails.

Who needs beautiful weather to have a good walk? My parents, better half and I wanted to walk off…read moresome of the huge amounts of Christmas food...so drove over to Irchester country park in the pouring rain. We hoped it would stop raining for a bit...and it did although we did still get soaked during most of our walk! Despite the rain, the waterlogged paths and the grey skies, we still had a pleasant walk. This park used to be an ironstone quarry, so there are pretty trails through the mixed woodland...with large peaks and troughs where people have dug up iron over the centuries. I really want to come back with my nephew and niece...they would love it! Other awesome-ness * We found some fake dinosaurs along one of the trail (!) * There is a railway museum (only open once a week on a Sunday, but apparently it's brilliant for train-loving kids) * There is a fun looking playground for kids, as well as rope bridges, zip lines and cargo nets for big kids * It costs £2.50 to park, but there is no entrance fee. If it is a rainy day, take some wellington boots and a rain coat...you'll love it.

Nice place to go for walks. Lots of grass for running about,playing and picnics. A burger van is…read moreoften there. Can't remember fully but I think toilets are avalible. Big car park. Not enough for a whole day out but would make a nice afternoon out for all and a nice summer evening out for all.

I have walked and fished here for a good few years now and even now with COVID-19 it's been a place…read moreto go and just take a walk for a while

Emberton offers a great family day out! It has on site parking (which is charged for the up keep of…read morethe park and lakes) There is charge for walking on to the lakes only if you are driving. there is fishing available if you get the right permit etc. Also there is a area for camping and caravans at the back of the lake. There are a couple of parks with in the lakes and the kids love them, one has a big slide that comes through the trees which is great fun for them. There are some lovely walks around the lake and a path so its great for bike rides. There is lots of nice areas which are great for picnics in the summer. there is a cafe which is open at busy times so you can get some lunch or a coffee after your walk. Also in the summer there is ice cream available. this is a really fun family day out.

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.