Flying Start marks: 10/10

Conclusion: More than just a park – a fantastic, affordable and fun packed day out for all the family.

A beautiful, breathtaking, large, immaculately kept park featuring an amazing children’s play area, ride on steam model railway, hedge maze, arts and craft centre, coffee shop, walk, gardens and more. No wonder this historic park has held the Green Flag Award since the scheme launched in 1996.

Review: Family memories that will last forever. You will never forget the first time your child experienced their first ride on the model steam trains, or the time they got lost in the hedge maze! This park is outstanding, which is why it attracts over 1/4 million visitors each year. Worden parks 60 hectares of meadows, woodlands and playing fields are home to an array of family attractions, including a lawn tennis court and 11 football pitches within its grounds. The Play area (which is currently closed until June 2011 for refurbishment) boasts 22 pieces of equipment for children 0-6  including a large sand pit with sit-on sand diggers.  There are 14 pieces of equipment for children age 7-12 including a rope climbing frame and cableway (which you often see the adults trying out first!)

The historic maze is one of the few mazes of its kind which is free to enter. With high hornbeam planted walls, this maze certainly has you running around in circles to find the lime tree situated at its centre. Young children must be supervised at all times.

The Leyland Society of Model engineers offer their hobby for the public to enjoy free of charge, although there is a donation box which we would advise you drop a little something into, simply due to the utter dedication these guys have in keeping this family amusement available for you to enjoy . The model steam engines take you around the park, passing ponds with wildlife and the model engineers work station where you can see them working on their engines. Children and adults alike thoroughly love taking a ride on this model railway. You can find the engines running on Tuesdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays throughout the Spring and Summer months (dependant on weather).

The breathtaking walled garden dates back to 1777 and paints a picture of the’ then residing’ ffarington family’s lifestyle back in their day.  You can also enjoy the Shaw Brook Italian walk, which was also originally built for the ffarington family.

The Arts and Crafts centre offers you the chance to see various products being crafted, some of which are for sale. It is also a theatre and holds conferences and wedding receptions. Don’t forget to visit the quaint little coffee shop where you can stop for a drink, a bite to eat or an ice cream on your travels round the park.

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