Lilford Park
Fifty-odd acres of Leigh parkland with an inclusive playground, free disc golf through the woods and enough open grass to empty any child. Toilets open at weekends only, courtesy of the volunteers.
Parks & outdoors Leigh
Parks & outdoors in Leigh
Playgrounds, country parks, woodland trails and nature reserves. Most of these cost nothing.
3 in Leigh3 free3 suit under-5s
The toilets at Lilford Park open at weekends only, courtesy of the volunteers, which is worth knowing before you set off with a three year old. Otherwise it is fifty odd acres with an inclusive playground and free disc golf through the woods. Pennington Flash has the big lake, flat paths for scooters, bird hides and a decent play area, and Pennington Hall Park is Leigh's town park proper, handed to the old corporation by local brewers in 1920 and still carrying play areas, four refurbished tennis courts, bowling greens and a bandstand. All three are free.
Parks & outdoors in Leigh
Pennington Flash
A big lake with easy flat paths, bird hides and a decent play area. Free, close, and a good one for scooters and a picnic.
Pennington Hall Park
Leigh's town park, handed to the corporation by local brewers in 1920 and still doing the job: play areas, tennis courts, bowling greens, a bandstand, flower gardens and a community cafe called Caffeina.
Parks & outdoors elsewhere in the North West
Walton Hall & Gardens
The reliable default: gardens, a children's zoo, a big playground and plenty of room to run. Pay for parking, nothing else.
Risley Moss
A peat bog nature reserve with woodland trails, a visitor centre and an observation tower the kids can climb. Free, close and short enough for little legs.
Sherdley Park
St Helens' biggest park. Play areas, open space and a walled garden, and it costs nothing.
Dream, Sutton Manor
A 20-metre white head rising out of a reclaimed colliery, with woodland trails around it. Genuinely strange and memorable for kids, and a short walk rather than a hike.
Sankey Valley Park
A green corridor of canal towpath and parkland running from St Helens down towards Warrington. Flat, traffic-free and ideal if the bikes or scooters are coming.
Speke Hall
A Tudor hall with woodland walks, a maze and a natural play area in the grounds. Free if you have National Trust membership, and the indoor house is a good rain fallback.
What’s on near you, every Friday
One email a week: what is on this weekend within a sensible drive, and the places worth booking before they go.