In the heart of Sunderland is Mowbray Park – one of the oldest parks in the North East of England. This beautiful park is wonderfully Victorian, being carefully designed to allow for a pleasant walk and fresh air in the centre of the city, while showing you plans from across the world.

Finchale Priory, three miles North East of Durham, is a wonderful peaceful spot that can be found fifteen minutes away from Durham city centre.

Next to Bishop Auckland is the refurbished Auckland project which is now internationally famous for Kynren and the Spanish Gallery, but also has a grand and pleasant park attached to the Castle.

With more than three hundred and fifty years of history Old Durham Gardens, less than a mile from the historic city centre of Durham, is a popular location for pleasant walks and relaxation.

A two miles from Durham city and off the historic Great North Road is Low Burnhall – sixty eight hectares of stunning natural beauty; a wonderful natural woodland that ranges from newly planted trees through to ancient British woodlands.

Frankland Park is a linear walk though some of the most beautiful ancient woodland in County Durham. Found to the East of Durham on the banks of the River Wear, this walk takes you from the medieval religious house of Kepier Hospital through to the industrial viaduct that brought the trains to Durham.

Found to the North of Durham, Aykley Wood is a nature reserve. Situated next to local housing estates the woods have protected an area of ancient British woodlands in county Durham and ensured that these can be enjoyed by locals and visitors alike.

Just behind Durham’s Train station is Wharton Park. The park was created after William Lloyd Wharton inherited the land and decided that Durham needed a public park alongside the railway station.

The Botanical Gardens are a short distance from the city centre and cover ten hectares of land, taking you across the world and introducing you to the beautiful diversity of plants.

Easily accessible from the city centre the Riverside Walk is best joined from either Elvet or Framwellgate Bridge and then takes you on a circular walk beside the River Wear. Perfect on a sunny day, the riverside is covered in woodland and is cool even on the warmest days providing a cool breeze and the smell of trees and plants that is evocative of native British woodlands.

Found in the east end of Newcastle, Heaton Park offers fantastic opportunities to explore with woods, beautifully maintained flowerbeds, and wooded areas all in the same park. It is fantastically connected to both Armstrong Park and Jesmond Dene, for those looking to extend their walk around the other parks locally.

Near Heaton you can find Armstrong Park, which connects Heaton Park with Jesmond Dean. This is one of the smaller parks in Newcastle but has its own beauty and pleasure to it.