I thought it would be nice to do a short piece on a couple of my local parks! The photos below were all taken in the winter, however, I may take some more later in the year so that you can see these parks in a slightly different light (late spring/early summer and autumn are particularly beautiful here in the UK). In the interests of online personal safety, I won’t be naming these… I do however hope that you will enjoy the photos, and feel the same sense of calm and serenity that I often feel on my walks here!

Park no. 1

Mostly consisting of open fields lined with trees, this park is also home to numerous sports and leisure facilities, including tennis courts and football pitches. It also has an old, charming country house hotel within its grounds, which you can see in the background of one of the photos below. I have good memories of this park, stemming back to childhood, and have returned here ever since. These photos were taken on a rare sunny winter’s day here, which makes the place just look extra special!

I haven’t visited the hotel at this park, since I already live so close by! It is supposedly a quality venue, and one that caters to diners, afternoon tea partakers, Christmas parties and weddings. When I was in my teens I made good use of the tennis courts with family and friends. Back then, the courts were relatively run down in comparison to the modern, newly refurbished courts that reside here today. It was easy to just turn up and play a few games, as the courts were usually left open. Unfortunately, these days they are more formally run, and their access restricted. Perhaps I will try the “new” courts here one day, at least to relive past memories!

Park no. 2

This is more of a woodland than an open fields park akin to the above, however; a large field and a children’s playground can also be found here – some variety in scenery! A myriad of different species of wildlife can be found at this park, from bats, to foxes, to deer, and everything in-between. As of the winter of 2024, we have also had a pair of red kites nesting in one of the trees here. In the winters when it (rarely!) snows enough, the hill on the field here is used as a sledging ground for the local kids. In the absence of a proper sledge, I have slid down this hill on a serving tray in times gone past!

I also have fond memories of this park, from playing with friends here as a kid, to helping out with some coppicing (a traditional form of woodland management) in my adult years. The tree cover in this park is dense, which makes it a great place to visit in the heat of the summertime (especially for the poor doggo, who suffers in the heat!) In the spring and winters, this park is best for taking in the sights of the beautiful snowdrops and bluebells in bloom, and taking cold bracing walks up through the tree lined paths and across the frosty field. A park for real nature lovers – it will always hold a special place in my heart.

All that remains now is to ask… which park do you prefer the look of?! Let me know whether you would like to see similar content on UK parks and nature in the future! If there is an interest, I would be happy to showcase more places 🙂