Top 5 picnic locations across the UK

Brooke Park - Derry, Northern Ireland

Brooke Park is a historic landmark in Derry/Londonderry, providing valuable green space for locals for over a century. In 2015, the park closed for a two-year £5.6 million regeneration project, including £1.5 million from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, reopening in 2017.

The project included the restoration of the gate lodge, a listed statue, boundary walls and entrances, the historic pond was reinstated, and extensive areas of ornamental planting were reintroduced. As well as restoration, new facilities were added, including a cafe, an all-weather floodlit football pitch, a play garden and a horticulture training centre.

The park now offers a relaxing green space within the city and attracts roughly 200,000 visitors each year!

Greenwich Park - London

World Heritage site Greenwich Park is a 590-year-old park set across 183 acres of South East London. It’s the oldest enclosed Royal Park and boasts rich history, including being the site of a Roman temple dating back to the 1st Century, and an ancient Anglo-Saxon cemetery dating from the 6th-7th century.

The park offers an unbeatable view of London’s iconic skyline as well as stunning gardens, ancient tree avenues, an array of unexpected wildlife, and is the home to The Prime Meridian - the reference point for Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

Thanks to a £4.5m National Lottery grant, Greenwich Park is currently undergoing a four-year restoration project, called ‘Greenwich Park Revealed’, which will reveal, restore, protect and share the historic and natural landscape, invest in new visitor facilities and develop training, leisure and volunteering opportunities for a growing and diverse local community.

Penllergare Valley Woods - Penllergare, Wales

Just above Swansea you’ll find a secret and magical landscape that tells the story of 150 years of Welsh history, Penllergare Valley Woods. The 12 square miles of woodland is perfect for a day filled with adventuring. Discover signs of the past, spot amazing wildlife, explore the waterfalls, lakes, rivers and much more… Just don’t forget to pack your picnic!

Over the past decade, the landscape of Penllergare has been restored and maintained thanks to the support of National Lottery players.

Culzean Castle - Ayrshire, Scotland

Perched on top of the cliffs of the Ayrshire coast in Scotland, you’ll find the incredible 18th Century estate of Culzean Castle and Country Park. Stretching over 260 hectares of land, the landscape features a world of woodland, beaches, parkland, secret follies, and, of course, the magnificent hill-top castle.

Visitors can enjoy an array of attractions, including 40 different buildings, two play parks, the Swan Pond, an ice house, flamboyant formal gardens, and fruit-filled glasshouses.

Culzean castle and grounds are managed by The National Trust Scotland, Scotland’s biggest conservation charity, which is supported thanks to National Lottery players.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park - Yorkshire, England

In Wakefield, Yorkshire, you’ll find the leading international centre for modern and contemporary sculpture, Yorkshire Sculpture Park. It is the first sculpture park to be created in the UK, and is the largest of its kind in Europe, featuring sculptures by internationally renowned artists such as Henry Moore and Andy Goldsworthy.

Situated on a 500-acre, 18th century estate, this incredible landscape offers a picturesque picnic spot for art aficionados and novices alike, with wildlife thriving alongside the exhibits on the historic estate, including deer, sheep and Highland cows.

As well as patrons and donations, the park is supported by core National Lottery funding from Arts Council England as a National Portfolio Organisation.