Stoke-on-Trent might not be the first place that springs to mind when thinking about areas of natural beauty, but you’ll find there are many beautiful parks and gardens in and around this Midlands city. See below for some of our top picks for a romantic walk or day out with the kids.
Burslem Park
The perfect place for an afternoon stroll, Burslem Park features a restored Victorian terrace garden, ornamental fountains, a Pulhamite rockery, children’s play area and a lake. There’s some lovely public art too, with a mayfly sculpture by Andy Edwards and Philip Hardaker, and a heritage mosaic designed by Rob Turner with the help of local schools.
Park Hall Country Park
Considered one of the city’s most important natural sites, this park was declared as Stoke-on-Trent’s only National Nature Reserve in 2002. There are sandstone canyons which have an impressive geological significance, as well as a mix of paths offering easy and more challenging walks. A great spot for nature lovers, there are also four pools which attract plenty of birds and insects.
Westport Lake
Soak up the natural surroundings by the edge of this peaceful lake, which provides a haven for a range of wetland birds and local wildlife. Walk the one mile trail to see how many animals you can spot before enjoying lunch or a drink in the cafe.
Hem Heath Nature Reserve
Providing an urban oasis on the edge of Stoke-on-Trent, this woodland is made up of four separate wooded areas; The Oaks, Newstead Wood, Newpark Plantation and Hem Heath.
There are plenty of different tree species to spot, including oak, cherry, beech and holly, and the woods are home to plenty of wildlife like badgers, foxes and even birds of prey. If you’re feeling energetic or love walking, try the 9.5 mile trail through all four areas.
Longton Park
Also known as Queens Park, this Grade II heritage park has plenty to enjoy, including three bowling pavilions, a bandstand and two children’s play areas – one for toddlers and one for juniors. There are also interactive electronic games, two full sized football pitches and the opportunity to fish courtesy of Fenton and District Anglers. If that wasn’t enough, work began in July 2018 to turn one of the abandoned pavilions into a cafe, selling hot drinks, sandwiches and cakes to visitors.
At Cherry Hill Waste we value areas of natural beauty and want to help keep them that way. Based in Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme, we provide expert reliable skip hire and green waste recycling services to help reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill. For domestic or commercial skip hire and more information about our recycling, don’t hesitate to visit our website today.