The Singing Ringing Tree
A wind-powered steel sculpture on the moor above Burnley that hums when the weather blows, with a view worth the short climb. It is a half-hour stop, not a day out, so pair it with a walk or Towneley Hall.
Thompson Park
Burnley, Lancashire
Lottery money restored Thompson Park properly and it shows: Italian gardens, a boating lake, a big playground and a paddling pool, ten minutes' walk from Burnley bus station. Entry is free; you pay only for the extras, and none of them will hurt. Kayaks are £4, canoes £5 and rowing boats £6 on the lake.
Everything runs to a seaside timetable, so check before promising anything. Boats go out weekends, bank holidays and school holidays from April to October, 11 till 5. The paddling pool is filled on warm weekend and holiday days between April and September. The Boathouse cafe opens weekends and school holidays, 12 till 5. Parking at the Colne Road entrance is £2.50 for the day.
The miniature railway is the sleeper hit, built from scratch by volunteers and running since 2000: Sundays and bank holidays, noon to 4pm, £1 a child and £2 an adult. On a wet Tuesday in November the park is just a nice walk. On a sunny Sunday in July it is the cheapest full day out in East Lancashire.
Know before you go
- Go on a Sunday if the railway matters - it only runs Sundays and bank holidays, noon to 4pm, weather permitting.
- Dogs are not allowed in the park, which is either a selling point or a dealbreaker depending on your household.
Looking for more parks & outdoors near Burnley?
Also in Burnley
Towneley Hall & Park
The hall is back open after its £3.6m restoration, but the park was always the real family day: playgrounds, gardens, woodland trails and a cafe right by the play area. Park free, parking cheap, and kids get into the hall for nothing.