The past here is chemical, not pastoral. Halton opened this strip of land between the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal as a community park in 2002, it became a local nature reserve in 2004, and it now runs to 57 acres with a Green Flag award to its name. Halton Borough Council lists it among its parks and publishes an accessibility guide for it. What you get is space and water. Paths run out towards the confluence with the ship canal, the birdlife is the main draw for anyone who cares about that sort of thing, and the views take in the Runcorn bridges and a working waterway. On a weekday morning you can walk the whole thing and meet three dog walkers.
There is no play equipment, no cafe and no reliable toilet. That works for a child who is happy walking and looking, and badly for one who needs equipment. Parking is free at the entrance off Astmoor Road. If you want a fuller day, Norton Priory is ten minutes away, and Runcorn Town Park with its free playground and miniature railway is not much further.
What it costs: Free. There is no charge to enter and the car park is free.
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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.