Phoenix Park sits between Castlefields and Windmill Hill in Runcorn, and Halton Council calls it one of the area's most popular parks. It holds a Green Flag, and the council's tourism site lists nature activities, outdoor play equipment and multi-use games areas. The play area was refurbished in 2018 for £111,000 with children of all abilities in mind: a play unit with ramped access, swings with a range of seats, a flush-floor roundabout, a see-saw with supportive seats, a ground-level trampoline and a sensory play train.
The other draw arrived in 2019, a £62,000 BMX pump track. That's a circuit of rollers and banked turns you ride by pumping your body up and down rather than pedalling, and it gives an older child something to do while a younger one works the swings. Entry is free. The council's pages don't mention a cafe, toilets or parking, so take snacks and treat it as a park you visit properly prepared, not one you drift round with a flat white.
What it costs: Free. The council's pages give no parking details.
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One email a week: what is on this weekend within a sensible drive, and the places worth booking before they go.