In this series, we will be telling you all about our favourite places to visit in our local area, North Staffordshire. We are lucky enough to live right on the edge of the Staffordshire Moorlands and the beautiful Peak District, so we are spoilt for choice when it comes to the great outdoors! We're also a stone's throw away from the hustle and bustle of busy towns and of course Stoke-on-Trent city centre, not to mention the M6. So with the best of both worlds on our doorstep, we have plenty of places to visit!
The first place featured in our series is Westport Lake. It's the perfect nearby place to go to get outdoors for a few hours.
WESTPORT LAKE
Where is it?
Westport Lake is located in the heart of Stoke-on-Trent, near Middleport and Tunstall. It's Stoke-on-Trent's largest expanse of water and was created along side the Trent and Mersey Canal. Just off the A500, it's easily accessible by car. Once you're there, you can't really tell you're in the middle of a built up area on the border of the city!
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| Westport Lake in the sunshine. |
What is there to see and do?
- Westport Lake is a beautiful nature reserve, with a conservation area at the northern end and plenty of wildlife to see all year round. Its a great place for spotting birds and feeding the ducks , but be sure to feed the birds correctly; you can pick up some seed in the visitor centre for less than £1 so don't forget to buy some before you go walking.
- There are two circular walks with flat, even paths suitable for pushchairs, wheelchairs, bikes and scooters, with plenty of seating all the way round. The large lake is about 3/4 of a mile and the smaller lake is perfect for toddlers to get round in one go. About half way round the large lake, you'll find the nature maze which is great fun for young children. We often spot lots of squirrels here too, so keep your eyes peeled!
- There is a large playground just off the large carpark, which my children love! There is something in the park for all ages, and the toddler section is kept away from the bigger kids area. In the warmer weather, the ice cream van can often be found there too!
My two love playing in the park. - If you fancy enjoying some lunch or a hot drink after your walk or play in the park, then the eco-friendly café in the visitor centre is very reasonable. They serve child-friendly lunchboxes, along with hot and cold food and of course, cake!
- The Staffordshire Wildlife Trust also run some fantastic groups from Westport Lake, including some during the school holidays. Nature Tots, Wildlings and Wildfamilies are some of the events run for certain age groups or the whole family.
Why do we like it?
We like visiting Westport Lake because it's easily accessible and suitable for a walk or bike ride in all seasons. It's a popular place for migrating birds to visit in the winter so there always some to see and feed! Just watch out for the over "friendly" Canadian Geese! The park is full of equipment that both my children can use, and I can easily watch both of them as they explore their age-related areas. We love to finish our visit with a treat in the café, where you can carry on taking in the beautiful view whilst you warm up over coffee and cake! Or gingerbread men if you're my kids! Sometimes you'll even find "The Oatcake Boat" on the canal, serving filled oatcakes (A Staffordshire speciality!) out of their window!
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| Adding our painted stones to the Spooky Stone Line! |
Cost: Free entry and free parking. Some Staffordshire Wildlife Trust activities are payable.
Facilities:
- Free parking
- Toilets including accessible facilities
- Baby changing
- Café
- Park for children of all ages
- Wild bird food available to purchase for a small cost
- Ice cream van (seasonal)
- Visitor centre
- Conference room for hire
- Birthday parties
- Educational visits
- Trent and Mersey Canal walks
- Sometimes "The Oatcake Boat" is moored here
Have you ever visited Westport Lake? Or would you like to? I'd love to hear what you think in the comments below!
I'm linking up this post with these fabulous blogs:
This looks like a great place for a walk or bike ride, especially for a free day out! #KCACOLS
ReplyDeleteI love the look of this, but I am a real fan of things that get kids outdoors into nature. I can see why this is a favourite place to visit #KCACOLS
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a beautiful place and your kiddos look like they had a blast!! I love getting my kids outdoors. It is so good for them! Thanks so much for linking up at #KCACOLS. Hope you come back again next time!
ReplyDeleteI've enjoyed reading this, we've had some lovely days out at West Port Lake especially joining in with Nature Tots and Wild Families....the oatcake boat is always a welcomed site too �� #TwinklyTuesday
ReplyDeleteThis place sounds very special for families with children. We live in the country with plenty of places to explore but this would be fantastic for those in the cities. #KCOCALS
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like such a lovely place. It also reminds me of Rother Valley Country Park near us in Sheffield. I love those stones they're so pretty. I will have to find out if there are any near me #KCACOLS
ReplyDeleteEveryone looks so happy in the photos and it sounds like a great place for family fun. #MMBC
ReplyDeleteI love it, I can't remember the last time I was in Staffordshire, it's such a wonderful part of the country. #kcacols
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely place to spend a few hours. We love getting outdoors and nature reserves are always a nice spot for a walk.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing with #MMBC. :)
This looks like a lovely place both my boys would enjoy! One of my bucket lists is to visit the UK! I have never been there #KCACOLS
ReplyDeleteThis seems like really great place! And brilliant that it can be enjoyed for free! X #MMBC
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