Parks and Playgrounds

BALDOCK

Avenue Park, Baldock - accessed via Letchworth Road or West Avenue.  Lovely big park with large playground, sandpit, paddling pool in summer and tennis courts.

 

HITCHIN

Bancroft Gardens Playground. At the north (Nightingale Road) end of Bancroft. Really nice modern playground with good equipment, great for kids from 1-5.

Broadmead/Oakfield Playground. Recreation ground situated between Broadmead and Oakfield Avenue with entrances from both roads at the Ninesprings Way end. Features a variety of play equipment and a large field for ball games. Close to the Ninesprings shops if you wanted to buy an ice-cream on the way home!

Icknield Walk between Ickleford and Pirton is beautiful.  There are no roads, just wide paths and a stream.   You can walk from the Priory School, crossing and leaving the road just before the Ickleford roundabout.

Ransom's Recreation Ground, entrances off Nightingale Road and Grove Road, Hitchin. Car park next to the petrol station on Nightingale Road. Has a good play area (the tractor-shaped climbing frame especially appeals to boys). There is also an area next to the playground which is great for riding bikes or scooters.

Walsworth Common. Free car parking at the church on corner of Woolgrove Road / Cambridge Road. Enclosed children's playground and large grassy areas for ball games etc.  A lovely area for picnics and walks along the River Purwell to see the ducks!

Wymondley Road Playground. There is a small playground just off Wymondley Road , accessed via a track next to the railway bridge at the St Michael's Road end. Especially good for pre-school children as it has baby swings, rockers and a small climbing frame with slide. Children also love to see the trains passing over the railway bridge. There is a very pleasant rural walk that runs from Wymondley Road to Whitehill Road and you can also walk through the fields.

 

LETCHWORTH

Baldock Road, playing fields (opposite Herts County Football Ground). Free car parking. Toddler playground and climbing frames for older children at the far end, plus masses of space for ball games, running around, riding bikes and tricycles etc.

The Greenway near the Grange estate has a good park, and the greenway path there is nice and flat for cycling along. The fact that there is no traffic is a huge bonus.

Howard Gardens, Norton Way South, Letchworth. Fantastic playground with play equipment, sandpit and paddling pool in summer. Easily accessible from town centre. There is an adjacent car park which is pay & display

Broadway Gardens, located on Broadway, is a relatively open space which is great for letting the children burn off their energy after a visit to the Library (just off the Broadway). Great for picnics and football.

Norton Common is a great place to go with young children.  It is a large area of green common land near Letchworth town centre.  Best car access is off the junction between Norton Way North and Icknield Way.  There is a car park here next to the outdoor swimming pool.  Near this car park is a children's play area with swings and a climbing frame.  Skateboard ramp for older kids. The rest of the common is parkland and woodland.  It is great fun to walk through the wooded areas and on paths next to streams. 

Radwell Meadows is a great facility with paths for walking or cycling (some are not suitable for pushchairs), a huge pond, usually with lots and lots of ducks, swans and geese. There is also a playground and picnic tables and fixed barbecues (take your own fuel). Situated on Nortonbury Lane , near Norton village and within a few minutes drive of the A507 Arlesey-Stotfold by-pass and A1(M) Junction 10.

The Wilbury on Wilbury Road, Letchworth is a family pub with Pirate Pete's Indoor Playden and an outdoor play area.

 

STEVENAGE

Fairlands Valley Park , Six Hills Way, Stevenage. Telephone (01438) 353241. A lovely open space with a boating lake, children's play area and café. Website www.stevenage-leisure.co.uk/fairlands.

Serpentine Park, Serpentine Close in Great Ashby. There's a largish playground, a huge grassy expanse to run around and play football on as well as a wooded area to have a walk. There's also a car park but unfortunately no toilets or cafe.

 

FURTHER AFIELD

Chequers pub on Queen Street in Stotfold has an amazing beer garden. While Mum and Dad enjoy a drink and/or lunch, the children can make the most of the play area which has climbing frames, swings, slides, Wendy house, trikes and ride-ons and a sand-pit complete with diggers.

The Fox and Duck at Stotfold has trampolines and all types of bouncy castles for the cost of a soft drink.  The pub is on your right hand side as you come into Stotfold from the Arlesey roundabout (plenty of parking)

Knebworth House and Park, just off Junction 7 of the A1. Telephone (01438) 812661. Although the house and gardens might not interest your toddler, there is a big play area ( Fort Knebworth ) and a miniature train. There is an admission charge for this park. Website   www.knebworthhouse.com

Old Warden Park , just up the A1 near Biggleswade. Old Warden Park is home to the Shuttleworth Collection of cars and aeroplanes, a Birds of Prey Centre and the Swiss Garden but also has the Jubilee Play Centre with a wide range of climbing frames, slides and obstacle courses. Not very much there for very small children but great for age three up. You have to pay to see the Shuttleworth Collection, Birds of Prey or the Swiss Garden but under 16s go free and the play area is free for anyone visiting the other attractions. The play area isn't open on event days or when there are seminars running. Website www.shuttleworth.org.

Stanborough Park and Lakes, nr WGC just off Junction 4 of the A1. A 126-acre community park with nature reserve, children's play area, cafe and restaurant, boating lake, watersports, fishing, nature trail etc. Telephone: (01707) 327655. www.finesseleisure.com