Norbury Park

Norbury Park is a large Surrey country park with a bit more going on than your average field-and-a-bench outing. Reviews mention farmland, woodland, open chalk grassland, ancient yew trees in Druids Grove, a sensory trail and long walks that can stretch towards the River Mole and Box Hill. It sounds like the sort of place where children can burn off energy without you having to queue for a plastic slide. The best bits are the views and the space. Parents mention fine views of Box Hill, the Greensand Ridge and even the London skyline, plus benches and picnic tables dotted around for when little legs give up. It’s free to park at Crabtree Lane, free to enter, and dogs are welcome. The paths are described as wide and easy to follow, so it should suit families who want a proper walk rather than a manicured attraction. The downsides are worth knowing. Some woodland areas have been closed off at times, so you may not get full access to everything advertised in the more enthusiastic reviews. Facilities are thin on the ground until you reach the coffee shop site and picnic area near the sawmill, and one reviewer was distinctly unimpressed by commercial events, traffic and the lack of toilets. In other words: brilliant for a free countryside day out, less brilliant if you want cafés, loos and a perfectly controlled experience.