Parks in Doncaster

One of the largest parks in Doncaster at 69 acres, Sandall Park is a well-equipped space with several play areas, fitness trails, an angling club and plenty of sporting facilities. Located a mile out of the town centre, the park has a large central lake that takes 20 minutes to walk around. It’s a great place to take kids, with a dedicated toddler and junior play areas including a zip wire, woodland adventure playgrounds, gym equipment and a range of sporting facilities, such as basketball and football pitches. Plus, there are toilets and baby-changing facilities.

An impressive nature reserve with a new visitor centre, Potteric Carr is full of wildlife, including kingfishers and roe deer. With summer meadows, scattered woodlands and impressive wetlands, there’s a real diversity of plant and animal life, all expertly brought together in the visitor centre.

Suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs, the reserve is just a few miles out of the town centre and less than a mile from our Doncaster (Lakeside) hotel. There are several hides throughout the area, all offering different habitat views and you can use the bird seed from the well-stocked shop to help entice over any passing bitterns on the reed beds; an endangered species that flock to the reserve during winter.

Another fantastic place for you to get in touch with the local habitat, Sprotbrough Flash Nature Reserve is a rich area of wetland, woodland and grassland at the banks of the River Don. Spread over 28 hectares, the site also includes a café and toilets and is a great spot to while away a few hours if you’re a keen birdwatcher.

The reserve is also a rich area for geological exploration, with the limestone cliffs home to some stunning finds, including the remains of a woolly rhinoceros dating back to the Pleistocene era. And the paths through the reserve form part of the Trans Pennine Trail.

Near Cusworth Hall, Melton Woods is an expansive stretch of woodland that dates back to the Bronze Age and is perfect for bike rides and family walks thanks to the country lanes and bridle paths. The woodland was largely destroyed during the 20th century when the wood contributed towards the WWII war effort, but the local council have worked over the last 20 years to reintroduce several species of tree to the woods and slowly return the area to its previous green-leafed glory.