Magnificent old deer park - worth a walk at any time of the year.read more

Good bit of woodland for dog walking!read more

Excellent walk dog friendly tea room. We walked around the lakes, good paths the hills were a…read morelittle steep but the dogs enjoyed it

I take my dogs walking here on a regular basis as it is just round the corner from where we live…read moreand it's a lovely little place. On the top of the hill is cusworth hall which I s magnificent old hall which is open to the public as a museum and a lovely cafe within the building. From the there is a steep hill leading down to 3 large ponds that's full of wildlife ducks and swans etc. the far third pond has a wooded area around it where the dogs can roam free a little and maybe a swim!! (We have two cocker spaniels and they absolutely love the water). Also at the top of the to the side of the hall is a nice kids play area as well as a picnic area. There is ample parking but be warned you do have to pay!

Try this company, your dog will be very happy you did :-)read more

Mediocre dog walking service. They are often walked in the Roundhay Park area through the gorge in…read moregroups of 6-8 dogs and the walkers never clean up after the dogs. The lady that runs the business also provides a home boarding service but I certainly cannot recommend that. I got in touch for two weeks board for my two working dogs. She put me in touch with a lady (very nice though she was) who had a small spaniel. We met at Temple Newsam and the dogs got on well but when I visited her home she was a bag of nerves and my dogs were only looking around. She clearly could not cope with two lively dogs. I have come across much better walking services

It's time to venture north west out of the city and a quick stop off at Horsforth Hall Park…read more Yet another gem of a park with lots to do for all age groups and people. We're not talking massive here but it's a perfectly formed package, just the way I like it. On this occasion I'm not treated to one of the summer bands or cricket matches that take place in the summer months but that gives me the chance to have a wander around the other things available. They've got something they call a trim trail. Now I'm not sure if that means people over a certain weight will be shot if they use it but I'm guessing not. Throw in a Japanese garden too. A big plus for the community is the specially designed outdoor integrated play facility allowing disabled and able bodied children under the age of eight to play together. It's good stuff and pleasing to know there are things out there literally for all. The children have a good playground to go at and the skate park is a popular attraction amongst the older ones. Another classy park and worth a trip out

Count Merlot and I walk here about once a week as it is our nearest park with pathways...so this is…read moreusually when i have forgotten my wellies and hence don't want to walk in the woods! There is lots of parking with access for people in wheelchairs and/or pushchairs. there is a skate park; a japanese garden, bandstand, a few geocaches (although I think they are premium ones) a cricket ground, a garden boules green, an indian restaurant (that must be open in the evenings as i have never seen it open) and my favourite tree. a japanese maple. it is just glorious. This park is lovely in spring with the blossom trees and bluebells; in summer when all the kids are playing (nicely, i might add); autumn when leaves are changing and the need for a more solid than mud pathway is needed and winter when the snowmen spring up like something from a doctor who Christmas special. The only thing i don't like is that there are regular gypsy fairs on. I hate fairs with their unsafe rides and "games" that you can't win. their crazy dogs that bark and bite at everything.

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

Just had a lovely half hour with our two spaniels. It was very hot but the dogs found shady places…read moreunder the trees. Lovely meadow, well fenced in. Easy parking. Will definitely book again.

The older I get the less cool I seem to be able to exude to my friends' kids. This amuses me and…read moreconcerns me in equal measures. I've never really been that fond of kids, but as they get older they grow out of being kids and more into being young adults and then I realise I do have more of a common ground with these young folk and no idea how to reach it. One of my friends suggested I grabbed a couple of the stroppy teens, hauled their butts and their skateboards into the back of the car and took a drive out to Hyde Park Skate Park. It's summat to do for a nice afternoon, and it's not the usual museums I feel obliged to force down their throats, nor the consuming crap that their mothers scorn me for. This seemed like a happy compromise, under the one condition that they promised not to break any of their bones. Deal. Great place for them to roam free, with enough leash room for me to pick a green spot to crack open a book and peer over the edges whilst they practised their moves, and there seems to be a good solid group of people practising their skills and just generally showing off to people seated around the periphery. If the kidlets slash young adults are feeling sociable they'll mutter and mumble over at each other and trade some skills and secrets all trouble free, all in the name of improving their own techniques. There's a steady mix of skills knocking around, from the novices just finding their feet or wheels, to the more confident show boaters ready to perform all what they've got. Either way, if you've got a book to read, you won't get much read.

A Mecca for local kids and students alike, and apparently the coolest place to hang out if you're…read moretoo young to get served in the pub, the Hyde Park Skate Park is also quite good for skating too. It's concrete with metal coping, and has a decent collection of ramps, banks and ledges to keep even the most adventurous extreme sportsmen and women entertained. There's a fairly high concentration of BMXs, and the usual animosity between them and the skaters, but other than that it's a fairly accepting park that, thanks to its location in the heart of studentville, doesn't really pay much attention to new faces.