I visited Nottinghamshire park crowned the best 'family friendly' picnic spot and can understand why

Whether it’s to feed the ducks, walk the dogs or have a coffee and a stroll, there’s one Nottingham park people love to go to to do it all. The park has been named the best budget and family-friendly picnic spot in the country so we travelled there to see why people like it so much, as community reporter Keimae Blake reports…

I am an outdoor person - but only to a certain extent. As soon as I see a bug, big or small, I’m off in a dash. I have taken a picnic blanket down to the Arboretum before to read a book in the sunshine but Rushcliffe Country Park, for me, is definitely worth the bus journey.

Rushcliffe Country Park, near Ruddington, has a playground, cafe, picnic benches, a lake and more. Parking at the site costs just £1 for the whole day.

Ruddington Park was crowned winner of the best budget and family-friendly picnic spots by the meat-free brand, Quorn.

Coffee and Cake By The Lake at Ruschliffe Country Park (Nottingham Post)

On arrival, the park was quiet this particular afternoon. I took a walk by the lake and came across many ducks, waddling about.

Ruschliffe Country Park is visited by around 250,000 people a year (Nottingham Post)

There were many runners and walkers in the park too, exploring and happily getting their steps in. With an ice cream van that has its own plot near the playground, I’m sure that comes in handy when the sun’s beaming. Walking up the little bridge near the playground en route to the cafe, 66-year-old Thomas Evans stopped me and said: “I like coming down here often, whilst my wife is shopping, I’ll take a walk through the park, maybe get a coffee and then drive back through to the Ruddington high street to collect her. I can see why people enjoy the park and one thing I love about it is it’s always clean, people do take care of it.”

The cafe at the park, Coffee & Cake By The Lake is open 10am-4pm every day. People can enjoy a bite to eat, a hot drink or a cool drink under the new wooden shelters which were introduced this year.

I ordered a hot chocolate for £3.20 and sat on one of the benches watching people walk by with dogs or in sporty gear. The fresh air, green trees I’m sure do people who use the park regularly good and everything else, is a bonus.