Love Parks Week

This flipbook provides a comprehensive overview of the parks located in London, Cambridge, Ipswich, and Norwich. Each city offers a unique selection of green spaces that cater to various interests and preferences. Whether you're a nature enthusiast, a fitness enthusiast, or simply looking for a peaceful retreat, these parks have something for everyone.

August 2023 LOVE PARKS WEEK

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The truth is that even the smallest physical activities such as a stroll in the park can benefit our mental and physical health. Generally the research tells us that when people are exposed to the natural environment and natural features, they tend to have a reduced stress response. When you are out in nature you have lower blood pressure, better heart rate variability and better mood. Any amount of physical activity can help us lead a healthier and happier life.

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The LAG U Board has put together a list of parks you can branch out to so you have no reason not to start today and reap the benefits of the simple joys!

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HOLLAND PARK

Holland Park is a beautiful and well-known park located in the heart of London, United Kingdom. It covers an area of 54 acres and is known for its peaceful atmosphere, stunning gardens, and impressive architecture. The park is also home to a wide variety of flora and fauna, including peacocks, squirrels, and a large number of species of trees and plants. The park has several gardens, including Kyoto Garden, a Japanese-style garden with a large pond, a waterfall, and a stunning array of plants and flowers. Other notable features of the park include a large playground for children, a sports field, and a cafe where visitors can relax and enjoy a snack or a drink. Holland Park is a popular destination for locals and tourists alike, and it’s easy to see why – its natural beauty, peaceful atmosphere, and rich history make it a must-visit location in London.

Visit Holland Park

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THAMES BARRIER PARK

Thames Barrier Park is a beautiful public park situated in the eastern part of London. It is located on the north bank of the River Thames and covers an area of approximately 22 acres. The park features a stunning landscape, including formal gardens, wildflower meadows, and a range of sculptures. It also boasts some of the best views of the River Thames and the iconic Thames Barrier. Visitors to the park can enjoy a range of activities, including walking and cycling. There are also plenty of picnic areas, as well as a children’s play area. The park is a great place to relax and unwind, away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

One of the unique features of the Thames Barrier Park is its design. The park was created as part of the Thames Barrier flood defense system, which was built to protect London from flooding. The park’s landscape was specifically designed to act as a buffer against tidal surges, making it both beautiful and functional. Overall, Thames Barrier Park is a wonderful place to visit, whether you’re a local or a tourist. With its stunning views, beautiful landscape, and unique design, it’s a must-see attraction in London.

Visit Thames Barrier Park

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LEE VALLEY REGIONAL PARK

There are also several cycling and walking trails that cover the park, including the Lee Valley Walk, which runs for 50 miles from Waltham Abbey to the Thames. The park also has a number of campsites and caravan parks for those who want to stay overnight and enjoy the park’s activities. Overall, Lee Valley Regional Park is a wonderful escape from the hustle and bustle of London, offering a vast array of outdoor activities for people of all ages and interests.

Lee Valley Lee Valley Regional Park is a 10,000-acre park located in south-eastern England, stretching over 26 miles along the River Lee. It was created in 1967 as a green space for Londoners to enjoy a variety of outdoor activities, including cycling, walking, and boating. The park offers a wide range of attractions, from nature reserves and bird-watching sites to world-class sports facilities. There are several lakes and ponds that are home to a variety of wildlife, including otters, kingfishers, and dragonflies. One of the park’s most popular attractions is the Lee Valley White Water Centre, which was built for the 2012 London Olympics. It offers white water rafting, kayaking, and canoeing for all levels of experience. The centre also has a café and a gift shop.

Visit Lee Valley Regional Park

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KEW GARDENS

BATTERSEA PARK

Have a fun day out at Battersea Park. This huge south London park boasts plenty of play areas and the Battersea Children’s Zoo. You can stroll along the grand riverside promenade, admire the magnificent fountains, the Peace Pagoda and even rent boats on the lake in the summer.Situated in the heart of Battersea Park, Putt in the Park offers an experience like no other, whether you are a seasoned pro or a newbie. Expertly designed to accommodate all ages you’ll slalom your way through sidewinding slopes, cascades and rockeries as tree-top adventures weave through the canopy above. Push yourself further than ever with Battersea Park Treetop Challenge! Be ready to tackle high rope perils such as the Zigzag Bridge, Stepping Stones and Tibetan Bridge. Then enjoy a thrilling zip wire flight down to another platform. Whether looking for a fresh and exciting experience with your friends, or a solo experience to clear your mind among the leafy heights, you’ll certainly leave with a sense of achievement and a huge dose of satisfaction.

Kew Gardens is a botanical garden in southwest London, England. It is one of the world’s leading botanical gardens, with over 50,000 different plant species. Kew Gardens is a popular destination for visitors, with attractions such as the Japanese Gateway, Waterlily House and the Palm House. Kew Gardens also hosts a variety of educational and scientific activities, including lectures, workshops and exhibitions. The gardens also play a vital role in preserving plant species, as well as providing a sanctuary for wildlife. During Christmas time, Kew Gardens is transformed with festive lights and decorations, making it the perfect place to celebrate the holidays. Visitors can enjoy a variety of festive activities, such as ice skating, carol singing, and a festive light show. There is also a Christmas market, with a selection of unique gifts, decorations and festive food. Kew Gardens is the perfect festive destination to get into the Christmas spirit!

Visit Battersea Park

Visit Kew Gardens

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GREENWICH PARK

HYDE PARK

Hyde Park is the perfect place to relax, walk, bike, row a boat, or swim in the Serpentine. Whichever way you choose to explore this huge and centrally located park, there’s plenty to see and do. There are thousands of trees, a lake, a meadow, rose gardens and the famous Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain.

Greenwich Park is a beautiful and historic park located in the heart of Greenwich, London. It covers an area of 183 acres and is one of the largest green spaces in the city. The park is known for its stunning views of the River Thames and the city skyline, making it a popular spot for tourists and locals alike. The park has a rich history, having been used as a hunting ground by Henry VIII and later as a royal park. It was also the site of the Royal Observatory, where the Prime Meridian line is located, dividing the Eastern and Western Hemispheres of the Earth. Greenwich Park is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including birds, squirrels, and foxes. The park also has several notable features, including the Queen’s House, a former royal residence that now serves as an art gallery, and the National Maritime

Visitors to Greenwich Park can enjoy a range of activities, including picnicking, jogging, and cycling. The park also has several sports facilities, including tennis courts, a cricket pitch, and a boating lake. In addition to its natural beauty and historic significance, Greenwich Park also hosts a number of events throughout the year, including concerts, festivals, and outdoor cinema screenings. Overall, Greenwich Park is a must-visit destination for anyone visiting London. With its stunning views, rich history, and array of activities, it offers something for everyone.

Visit Greenwich Park

Visit Hyde Park Visit Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain

Museum, which explores the history of Britain’s relationship with the sea.

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REGENT’S PARK

ST JAMES’ PARK

There’s nothing like smelling the roses in Regent’s Park. Renowned architect John Nash designed the park in the 1810s, and it spans 160 hectares (395 acres). Alongside stunning formal gardens, this London park has a boating lake, playgrounds and the largest outdoor sports area in central London. The Open Air Theatre stages plays, comedies and musicals.

Take a walk through St James’ Park to channel your inner royal. Surrounded by three royal palaces, including Buckingham Palace, it’s also next to Horse Guards Parade and the tree-lined Mall. Visit the lake at 2.30pm to see the famous pelicans being fed fresh fish before stopping for a hot drink at St James’s Cafe.

Visit St James’ Park Visit Buckingham Palace Visit Horse Guards Parade Visit St James’s Cafe

Visit Regent’s Park Visit Open Air Theatre

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CRYSTAL PALACE PARK

Located in south London, Crystal Palace Park has a large area home to the national sports centre, a children’s farm, a playground, a maze, an outdoor concert stage and plenty of green space to run about in. At the top of the park is the site where the large glass Crystal Palace exhibition building stood between 1854 and 1935. The park is also home to some full-size dinosaurs – models built by the Victorians which lurk between the trees. You can learn more about the exhibition and dinosaurs at the Crystal Palace museum in the park. The park has a wide range of habitats, including a lake which is valuable for water birds.

Visit Crystal Palace Park

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HAMPSTEAD HEATH

VICTORIA PARK

Explore Victoria Park and be bowled over by its beauty, canals, ponds, and pavilion, the capital’s first public park. Large open green spaces host summer music festivals and offer plenty of space for picnics, sports, and relaxation.

Getting away from the hustle and bustle of central London is easy with a trip to Hampstead Heath Park. Explore the Pergola and Hill Gardens, which feature romantic flower and vine-covered walkways, or climb Parliament Hill for magnificent views. You will find paintings and photographs that span the Heath’s history, read about the books, poems and films inspired by the Heath, and learn about our past. You can also find recommended places to eat and drink, and where the swimming ponds are.

Visit Hampstead Heath Park Paintings and photographs Books, poems and films Eat and drink Swimming ponds

Visit Victoria Park

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BUSHY PARK

Bushy Park is a beautiful royal park located in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Covering an area of 4.2 square kilometers, it is the second largest of London’s Royal Parks. The park has a rich history dating back to the 16th century when it was used as a deer park by Henry VIII. Today, Bushy Park is a popular destination for both locals and tourists alike. Visitors can enjoy a peaceful stroll through the park’s woodlands, gardens, and grasslands. The park is also home to a variety of wildlife, including deer, foxes, and over 320 species of birds.

One of the park’s most notable features is the Diana Fountain, a bronze statue of the Roman goddess of the hunt, which was commissioned by King Charles I in 1637. The park also boasts a number of other historic landmarks, including the Chestnut Avenue, a mile-long avenue lined with over 300 horse chestnut trees, and the Upper Lodge Water Gardens, a 17th-century water garden designed by Sir Christopher Wren. Bushy Park is a great place for outdoor activities such as cycling, horse riding, and fishing in the Longford River. The park also offers a range of sporting facilities, including a cricket pitch, tennis courts, and a golf course.

Visit Bushy Park

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CLARE FELLOWS’ GARDENS

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY BOTANIC GARDEN

Cambridge University Botanic Garden is a beautiful and well-known park located near the heart of Cambridge. It covers a vast area and is known for its peaceful atmosphere, stunning gardens, with a plant collection of over 8,000 species. The Garden provides resources including plant material, horticultural expertise and facilities to research workers and lecturers. The park is also home to Cambridge University, where private events are held for the university students for events At the gardens, many competitions are held such as a Bee summer school adventure, as well as a photography competition too. The gardens are maintained by donations made towards the grounds to help maintain its aesthetics.

Clare Fellows’ Gardens was designed in 1947 by Professor Nevill Willmer, a physiologist and Fellow of Clare from 1936 to his death in 2001. The park is also home to Clare College University of Cambridge, but is also accessible to the public too. The garden is separated into sections, with areas such as fellows garden, the river beds, memorial court etc. At the gardens, you may spot birds and bat boxes to encourage biodiversity in the wooded areas. In addition to this, there is also wildlife that can be spotted such as foxes, Muntjac deer, bees and many more. So for anyone who enjoys wildlife ad long walks with memorial areas this is the place to visit.

Visit Cambridge University Botanic Garden

Visit Clare Fellows’ Gardens

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JESUS GREEN & MIDSUMMER COMMON

MILTON COUNTRY PARK

Milton Country Park is located just a few miles north of the city of Cambridge. Created from old gravel pits the park offers a varied natural habitat with woodland, lakes, and attractive pathways suitable for bicycles and wheelchairs. Dogs are welcome and can be walked off-lead anywhere north of the 13th public drain. There is also a visitors’ centre, café, two children’s playgrounds, and a varied activity and events programme. The park has a combination of woodland, water and grassy meadow habitats which are carefully managed to support and enhance diversity and the natural environment. Throughout the year there is an abundance of wildlife to see and enjoy. Milton Country 5k parkrun is organised weekly. It is free and takes place every Saturday at 9am.

Jesus Green and Midsummer Common are beautiful and well-known parks located north of Cambridge. It covers a vast area and is known for its Jesus Green Lido as well as the city’s only public grass tennis courts. There are also spots to have barbecues, playground, skatepark and a refreshments kiosk too. Jesus Green and Midsummer Common are next to the river Cam, so you can enjoy a walk by the river and spot many House Boats and people enjoying punting.

The Jesus Lido is a pool in Cambridge and one of the longest outdoor pools in the country. Additionally, there is also a group called The Friends of Jesus Green Pool, which sets up and arranges social events at the park and events for patrons of the pool. Midsummer Common is also known for iconic sight of Red Poll cows grazing on the common.

Visit Jesus Green Visit Midsummer Common

Visit Milton Country Park Activity Events

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SHEEP’S GREEN

CHERRY HINTON HALL PARK

The Cherry Hinton Hall park is a beautiful and well-known park located southeast of Cambridge. It is a Grade II listed Victorian Country House. The park is known for its large ponds and trees, which attract a diverse range of wildlife. In addition to this, they also have an interactive tree trail where you get to see a variety of trees and can learn more about them with the use of your phone. Furthermore, there are many community activities that also take place in the 12 hectares ground, so would be a great place to socialise and meet new people as it attracts thousands of visitors every summer.

Sheep’s Green and Coe Fen reserves sit on the south bank of the River Cam, in west Cambridge. Popularly known as traditional grazing sites for sheep and cattle. In wet weather you can see the patterns of ancient streams meandering across Sheep’s Green. The land is a flood plain and is prone to flooding events. You can often see herons, kingfishers and little egrets on the reserves, despite the proximity to the city centre. Water voles are thriving along the riverbanks, and pipistrelle and Daubenton’s bats are both common on the sites at night. The spectacular veteran willow trees provide a nice spot of shade from which to watch the wildlife. There is also a café to visit where you can sit and relax to enjoy the weather when sunny.

Visit The Cherry Hinton Hall park

Visit Sheep’s Green and Coe Fen

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GRANTCHESTER MEADOWS

Grantchester Meadows is an open space in Grantchester, to the south of the city of Cambridge. It is part of the broad green flood plain from the pubs in Grantchester to the Ditton Plough, comprising Grantchester Meadows, The Lammas Land, the Backs, Jesus Green, Midsummer Common, and Stourbridge Common. Grantchester Meadows can be reached by walking across Lammas Land by the River Cam, via the Paradise Local Nature Reserve - a boardwalk through a marsh woodland noted for butterbur and as habitat of the musk beetle, along a residential road (also called Grantchester Meadows), to the river and footpath to Grantchester.

You can also hire a kayak, a canoe, a paddle board or a punt and get to Grantchester from Cambridge by river. In Grantchester Village you can also enjoy Afternoon Tea in The Orchard Tea Garden or explore filming locations as seen in the hit detective drama Grantchester.

Visit Grantchester Meadows Hire a kayak The Orchard Tea Garden

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CHANTRY PARK

The park was designated a Conservation Area in 2005 and contains a County Wildlife Site. The grounds around the ‘Chantry’ Mansion were laid out in an Italianate style and are on the English Heritage register of historic parks and gardens. Plans to restore many of the original features are progressing. It has a variety of habitats including ponds, grassland, native and non-native plants, and woodland - including old and veteran trees. Chantry is noted for the large meadow adjacent to the Beechwater pond. There is a sizeable population of reptiles within the County Wildlife Site.

Chantry Park has played host to several large music events and is a base for several charity fun runs. The Wildlife and Education Rangers hold events such as nature walks, arts and crafts activities, storytelling and trails for children of all ages. The Friends of Chantry Park are working towards developing some smaller events working closely with ActivLives. ActivLives has an open day every Tuesday from 10am where visitors can purchase plants from the nursery.

Visit Chantry Park

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CHRISTCHURCH PARK

ORWELL COUNTRY PARK

Bordered by the Orwell Estuary and the A14, Orwell Country Park is 470-acre site of mixed lowland habitats, including ancient woodland, heathland and mudflats. Orwell Country Park has three main sites – Piper’s Vale, Bridge Wood and Braziers Wood, all of which are the hinterland to the Orwell Estuary.

Christchurch Park was the first public park in Ipswich, opening in 1895. It extends over 33 hectares of picturesque grounds right in the heart of the town. The park was officially ‘re-opened’ in May 2008, after the completion of a £4.5 million restoration project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Ipswich Borough Council. Christchurch Park is a historical area of rolling lawns, wooded areas, and delicately created arboreta close to the town centre in Ipswich, Suffolk. The park hosts various facilities such as a children’s play area, tennis courts, table tennis, bowling greens and outdoor gym equipment.

Visit Orwell Country Park

Visit Christchurch Park

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THE PLANTATION GARDEN

THE BROADS NATIONAL PARK

As one of the UK’s 15 National Parks, the Broads’ beautiful landscape, diverse wildlife and important cultural heritage are all protected – making sure they can be enjoyed for many years to come. National Parks are designated for their unique landscape, wildlife and culture. Each park has its own special characteristics and the Broads is no exception. The Broads National Park is made up of over 60 open areas of water known as Broads and seven rivers, the Ant, Bure, Chet, Thurne, Waveney, Wensum and Yare.

One of Norwich’s great treasures, Plantation Garden is a three acre Grade II English Heritage registered garden established over 100 years ago in an abandoned chalk quarry, 600 yards from the city centre. Also referred to by locals as Norwich’s Secret Garden, it’s an oasis of calm in Norwich city centre. Find a huge gothic fountain, flower beds, lawns, Italianate terrace, ‘Medieval’ terrace wall, woodland walkways, 10 metre long Victorian-style greenhouse and rustic bridge. The garden is heavily wooded and provides a habitat for wildlife, making it a haven of peace and tranquillity and a glimpse into a bygone age.

Visit The Broads National Park

Visit The Plantation Garden

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SHERINGHAM PARK

Famous for its vast collection of rhododendrons and azaleas, you can climb to the top of the two viewing towers at Gazebo to experience breathtaking views of this beautiful landscape, the North Norfolk coast and maybe a steam train passing through. Spend a day here exploring 1000 acres of varying habitat including woodland, parkland and cliff top. Look out for wildlife, three species of deer can be seen alongside a wide variety of birds and butterflies.

Visit Sheringham Park

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

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