The castle is lovely and grounds are absolutely stunning. Although the structure and landscaping…read moreare lovely, our tour guide felt the need to weave her strong political views into most topics. Examples would be regarding a pitcher/jug that is displayed in one of the glass cases. She said the pitcher "should not be here" and if she had her way "it would be returned" because it was "stolen from a masque." She also said when referring to Dr. Edward Jenner being the first to develop a successful vaccination for small pox that "it really is a question if he were the first." She said he barely beat Africa and Turkey in this world altering vaccine. To which doctors to whom was she referring to in Africa or Turkey? She made a comment of, " My grandfather always said, 'Whatever horrible acts done have been done have been done by the English first.' and I firmly believe this." She was also railing against the decisions of the monarchs before the addition of the parliament. Then she went on to say she wished she could get rid of the current government. A guide should concentrate on the facts and remove biases. It is quite distracting and unnecessary.

What can you say about one of the oldest inhabited castles in the world which is still owned by the…read moresame family from 900 years ago. You have to go. Its where Edward II was murdered with a red hot poker up his fundament .

If you have a few moments to spare and need a breath of fresh air why not go for a walk around…read moreBarnwood arboritum. Originally part of the landscaped grounds of the old Barnwood House Hospital (famous Gloucestershire poet Ivor Gurney was once a resident) there is a stream running through the park with ducks so dog owners please keep your dogs on a lead. Barnwood Arboretum buzzes with wildlife and the Friends of Barnwood Arboretumare busily creating habitats to encourage even more into their little wilderness. Birds visiting the space include sparrowhawks, jays, buzzards, various woodpeckers, goldcrests and kingfishers During the autumn and winter months the area is grazed by rare breed sheep to to mow the grass. For the more energectic the park is also home to a gym located in the church.

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.

Lovely park with beautiful flowers in a quaint little town. We had a fun girls day walking around…read moreexploring. Very clean, safe and beautiful. Restaurants nearby. Dog friendly.

This is a lovely little garden to wander around. The flowers are well kept and it reminds you of…read morewalking around a stately home gardens. Obvious really well looked after by some dedicated gardeners. The plants themselves are really varied and demonstrate loads of natural colours. Have a look at the pictures I took to see more!

dis place is awsome cuz .. works der bt now they Moved to town oposite the park and ROund the backread more

Nice park for a leisurely walk or coffee. Good cafe with outdoor seating, coffee, tea, cakes and…read moresuch,sandwiches, soup, ice cream, etc. It gets busy when the weather is good

Streamleaze road park is great for the little ones ,some swings ,a slide , rope climb etc all…read moreenclosed and gated