Our verdict
The most polished spot in this batch: proper facilities, level paths and enough going on to fill a whole afternoon with kids in tow. Popular for exactly that reason — go early on a weekend if you want the lake path to yourself.
Swindon's best-known green space — a Victorian reservoir turned country park and Local Nature Reserve, with a boating lake, café, adventure playground and a flat path all the way round the water. It sits next to the childhood home of nature writer Richard Jefferies, whose museum is on site.
Council-run country park estate, open daily. Some areas require dogs on leads.