A good little country park -- attractively laid-out with some well-marked walks, and with good…read morefacilities too. There is, of course, a Visitor Centre where the wardens hang out, we have always found them to be helpful and friendly, and the occasional special event we've attended (for the kids) have been extremely well organised. Children aged between 3 and 10 particularly enjoy the adventure playground it's not your normal swings-and-slides setup, it's a series of wobbly wooden bridges and balancing runs all thoughtfully designed to complement its woodland setting. Car parking is more than adequate and apart from one occasion last November when we witnessed some low-level anti-social behaviour involving fireworks we've always enjoyed our visits!

A good little country park -- attractively laid-out with some well-marked walks, and with good…read morefacilities too. There is, of course, a Visitors' Centre where the wardens hang out -- we've always found them to be helpful and friendly, and the occasional special event we've attended (for the kids) has been extremely well organised. Our two are aged 3 and 5 and they particularly enjoy the adventure playground: it's not your normal swings-and-slides set-up, it's a series of wobbly wooden bridges and balancing runs all thoughtfully designed to complement its woodland setting. Car parking is more than adequate and apart from one occasion last November when we witnessed some low-level anti-social behaviour involving fireworks we've always enjoyed our visits.

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!

Our two kids (aged 3 and 5) enjoy coming here for a walk, particularly in the Autumn when there can…read morebe a lot of blackberries around (particularly at the end away from the car park). It's a really pleasant place for a walk -- there's a riverside path (well, a stream-side path really) and quite a few open fields to run around in and explore. There's a bridge over the river/stream that's a great place for playing pooh-sticks. Occasionally there seem to be big equestrian events there but even when there are you can still do all the walks etc. The only thing it lacks really is a kids' playground. An active Friends group seems to have a real passion for the place so it's usually very well looked after. I'm not sure it's really big enough to merit its Country Park tag (I always think of Country Parks as being altogether bigger) but all in all it's a great place for a Sunday afternoon stroll.

Victoria Park in Swinton used to be occupied by the now extinct Swinton Old Hall. Interestingly,…read morenot far from the park there is a private house that used to be a part of the estate. I doubt they let casual visitors in; as for me, I was lucky enough to visit the house with a friend of mine. The dining room downstairs preserves the original wooden beams and a bit of decor that dates back to the first half of 18th c. The land was purchased by the Borough of Swinton and Pendlebury and converted into a park in 1897. An impressive bandstand commemorates the 60th anniversary of the reign of Queen Victoria. These days there are tennis courts and children's playground. Close to the part is a private nursery, and it is easily accessible on foot from Swinton Shopping Precinct, or by buses 12, 36, and 37 (among a few others). The park is by no means huge, but is a lovely place to walk on a lazy afternoon.

A great community park. Our kids (aged 3 and 5) love going there -- the play facilities are really…read moregood. Indeed, they call it Big Slide Park because of one particular climbing-frame/slide construction. We like going there too because the children who play there always seem really helpful -- if our 3-year-old is struggling to get to the top of the Big Slide they will happily help him up there. There are other facilities on site too -- a big enclosed 5-a-side area, and Heywood Playworld -- but we've not used those so can't really comment. Car parking (on Peabody Street) is conveniently close by. All in all -- one of Bolton's friendlier parks.

Still a great park with resurfaced tennis courts,new cafe and rock garden now open April-Sept…read more(except in bad weather) BUT Animal World closed in 2014 as part of Council economies

This is one of Bolton's most popular parks -- apparently there are over half a million visits a…read moreyear here. It's also one of Bolton's biggest, covering over 34 hectares. There are plenty of things to do -- a limited miniature railway offers train rides in the summer, there are some pleasant gardens (although they never seem to be in tip-top shape) and there is also an Animal World and Butterfly House -- effectively a free zoo! The kids' playground has kept our two (aged 3 and 5) amused for many an hour over the years. Parking is a bit limited -- if you can't get in the first car park there's a lesser-known one round the back (follow the road round to Barrow Bridge, a pretty little village worth a visit in its own right). All in all, a great place for the kids to let off steam.

This park is deeply rooted in the Daubhill area of town and is a much appreciated green space for…read morelocal children and residents. Unfortunately a recent spate of vandalism has led to the removal of the skate ramps and play park for safety reasons, but there is still a large area of park space which is popular with joggers, dog walkers and children from the local primary school who are brought here on a regular basis during their playtimes and lunchtimes. One can only hope that the council will act swiftly to restore the features of this park and bring the space back to its full potential.