Many a time I had heard great things about this park, from friends and online. With it being located in Thornhill its that much further out but easily reachable by train or bus. With the weather still on our side, my boyfriend and his family opted to go for a picnic. None of us had been there before so it was a great new adventure for all.
When you first arrive it's just off the roundabout and there is plenty of parking which is free. There are also toilets on site, but they are at the start of the park so time it well. Once we had unloaded our stuff from the car we headed through a tunnel. The tunnel had a beautiful mural with trees, animals and a picture of the architect Ernest Prosser. He created the park for his son between 1911 and 1925 for his son to recover from tuberculous. It was later sold on to Cardiff council in 1944 and has been open to the public ever since.
The park generally has a slight incline but is wheelchair accessible for most. Just take your time when walking and there are plenty of benches for a rest along the way. The first little thing you come across is a tiny little bridge hidden amongst the trees. The bridge has a very oriental feel but is only small to go across a little stream.
Within the park, there are tonnes of nooks and crannies for kids to explore. Fallen trees, stone structures and hundreds of trees. I can admit we didn't go to the whole of the park so still have more to explore.
There is a mini lake about halfway through the park. Around the lake are tonnes of benches to just sit and watch the fish. Do be careful how close you go to the water as you may end up in there.
There are a few benches halfway into the park, under a canopy of trees. They are quite low down and at a slight slant so do be careful when sitting down. If you did prefer there is a huge field up through the trees. This would also be a perfect place for a picnic.
I will definitely be visiting this park again and exploring a bit more. Only sampling a few of their beautiful plants such as bamboo trees and hydrangeas. There is plenty more to explore and see for sure.