Every parent in Cambridgeshire has a park they go to on autopilot. This guide is for the days you want a better one: a playground with a zip wire, a splash pad in July, a café and a toilet within shouting distance, or simply somewhere new that is twenty minutes up the road.
We have picked twelve town and city parks across Cambridge, Huntingdonshire, Ely, the Fens and Peterborough. Where a play area is being rebuilt, a splash pad is shut or the toilets are somewhere else, we have said so.
Details were accurate at the time of research in November 2026. Play areas, water play and facilities can change at short notice, so check the council’s website before you travel.
Cambridge
Cambridge’s best playgrounds sit on its commons and greens, a short walk from the colleges and the river. Only Cherry Hinton Hall has a proper car park, so for the rest a bike, a bus or the park and ride is usually the easier way in.
Jesus Green
Outdoor activity
- A large open green north of the city centre, bordered by the River Cam, Victoria Avenue and Jesus College, with avenues of London plane and horse chestnut trees
- There is a children’s play area on the green, and the main path across it is flat and easy with a pushchair
- Older children have a skate park, free table tennis tables and the city’s only public grass tennis courts
- Jesus Green Lido, a long outdoor pool, sits on the green and runs to its own season and opening times
- A refreshments kiosk serves drinks and snacks, and there is a block of public toilets on the green
- A barbecue area has stones for portable barbecues, which makes it one of the few city parks where a summer cook-out is allowed
- There is no car park on the green, so most families walk, cycle or come in on the park and ride
Address: Jesus Green, Cambridge CB5 8BL
Website: cambridge.gov.uk/jesus-green
How to book: No booking needed; the park is open at all times
Jesus Green is the city’s all-rounder. A toddler can have the playground while a teenager is at the skate park and everyone meets up on the grass by the river afterwards. Punts and narrowboats go past at the lock end, which keeps small children watching for longer than you would think. On a hot Saturday the lawns fill up fast, so get there before lunch if you want shade under the planes.
Christ’s Pieces
Outdoor activity
- A small, tree-lined green in the middle of Cambridge, next to the Drummer Street bus station
- The playground is aimed at young children, sits behind a gate and has baby swings on a rubber safety surface
- Benches around the play area mean you can sit and watch while a toddler gets on with it
- Four free tennis courts and table tennis tables are on the green for older children and adults
- The City of Cambridge Bowls Club plays on the bowling green here
- Public toilets and a refreshment kiosk are on site
- The open grass is good for a ball game, and there are coffee shops within a couple of minutes’ walk
Address: Christ’s Pieces, Cambridge CB1 1LN
Website: cambridge.gov.uk/recreation-grounds
How to book: No booking needed
Christ’s Pieces is the playground to know about if you are in town for the shops and a small child needs half an hour of swinging. It is gated, which matters this close to the bus station, and the toilets are a few steps away. It is not a destination for a whole morning, and it suits under sevens best. Pair it with a sandwich on the grass and a walk down to the Grand Arcade and the market.
Cherry Hinton Hall
Outdoor activity
- About 12 hectares of grounds around a Grade II listed Victorian house in south east Cambridge
- The park has a playground and a separate water play area with two small fenced paddling pools, which run in summer only
- Large ponds and mature trees bring in ducks and birds, and an interactive tree trail lets you look up the trees on your phone
- A free car park on Cherry Hinton Road has six Blue Badge bays, and the nearest is under 20 metres from the park entrance
- Tarmac paths run through the grounds with gentle slopes and benches along the way
- Public toilets are in the grounds, a few minutes’ walk from the car park
- The Cambridge Folk Festival takes over the park for a weekend every summer, and the 2026 festival finished on Sunday 2 August
Address: Cherry Hinton Hall Park, Cherry Hinton Road, Cambridge CB1 8DW
Website: cambridge.gov.uk/cherry-hinton-hall-park
How to book: No booking needed
Cherry Hinton Hall is the one Cambridge park where you can drive in and park for free, which makes it a favourite for families from the villages to the south and east. The playground and the paddling pools are close enough together that a day can drift between the two. Out of season it is quieter, with the ponds and the trees doing the work. If you are visiting at the start of August, check the folk festival dates first, as the grounds are given over to the event.
King’s Hedges Recreation Ground
Outdoor activity
- A neighbourhood recreation ground in north Cambridge, home to the Pulley playground, which is designed for children of all ages
- The King’s Hedges splashpad is being renovated and will get new features, and the council has given no reopening date
- Abbey splashpad, on the other side of the city, is also closed, with no reopening date given
- Coleridge Recreation Ground in south east Cambridge kept its splashpad and two-foot paddling pool open in summer 2026, and is the nearest alternative for water play
- There is a table tennis table on the recreation ground, and King’s Hedges Learner Pool is nearby
- The splashpads are run by GLL, and the council asks you to ring 01223 446100 before setting out to make sure one is working
Address: King’s Hedges Recreation Ground, King’s Hedges, Cambridge
Website: cambridge.gov.uk/splashpads
Phone: 01223 446100, the GLL line for splashpad status
Works note: King’s Hedges splashpad is being renovated, and Abbey splashpad is closed. No reopening dates have been published
The Pulley is a good, solid playground for north Cambridge families, with enough to keep a ten year old interested as well as a toddler. What it is missing for now is its splashpad, which is part way through a rebuild. Until the council confirms the new opening date, families wanting water play in the city should head for Coleridge or the paddling pools at Cherry Hinton Hall. Keep an eye on the council’s splashpads page next spring.
Huntingdonshire and the Great Ouse Valley
West of Cambridge the parks follow the Great Ouse, which means wide meadows, plenty of parking and the occasional flooded path in winter. Huntingdon, St Neots and St Ives each have one big park that the whole town uses.
Hinchingbrooke Country Park Play Trail
Outdoor activity
- A 170 acre country park on the edge of Huntingdon with four nature-themed play areas spread along the main trail, installed in 2022
- The Sensory Zone suits toddlers to early juniors, with musical chimes, a rain wheel, a climbing cricket and a snail, and a hard curved path that works for wheelchair users
- The Grasslands area, about two minutes on, is for children aged five and over, with climbing towers and tricky crossings on a bonded mulch surface
- The Wetlands area, about ten minutes’ walk further, is built around Robina, a large wooden play duck flanked by play panels
- Squirrels Dray is the toddler zone for children up to five, with carved squirrels, spring rockers and low climbing and swinging
- The old fenced play area has been taken out because of its age, and only the red slide has been kept
- A major redevelopment by Huntingdonshire District Council began in April 2026 and is due to finish in early 2027, adding a new café and 94 more parking spaces, including 24 accessible bays
- Temporary café and toilets, including an accessible toilet and baby changing, are in the main car park during the works, and some areas may be fenced off for safety
Address: Brampton Road, Huntingdon PE29 6DB
Website: huntingdonshire.gov.uk/hcpimprovements
Works note: Redevelopment from April 2026, due to finish in early 2027. The Countryside Centre and original café are closed during the works
Hinchingbrooke’s play is not in one place, and that is the point. The four zones are strung along the path so that children walk between them, and a toddler who would refuse a lap of the lake will happily go a mile to find the duck. The park stays open throughout the works, so it still makes a good morning out. Parking charges are being reviewed as part of the project, so check the council’s page before you go.
Riverside Park, St Neots
Outdoor activity
- A 29 hectare park run by Huntingdonshire District Council with a mile of frontage along the Great Ouse
- There is a children’s play area close to the main car park and three more spread around the park
- The skate park is described as the largest skateboarding complex in Huntingdonshire
- The Ambiance café and a kiosk serve light refreshments during the day
- Public toilets are on site, along with a Changing Places toilet with a hoist and adult-sized changing bench, opened in 2024
- Parking for about 250 cars is at the park, with around 70 more spaces off Hardwick Road
- The Riverside Miniature Railway runs on Sunday afternoons from Easter to October, and its Santa Special is on Saturday 28 November 2026, with tickets at £7
- Much of the park is flood plain, so riverside paths can be under water after heavy rain
Address: Riverside Park, St Neots, with extra parking off Hardwick Road
Website: huntingdonshire.gov.uk/leisure/parks-nature-reserves-and-green-spaces/riverside-park-st-neots
How to book: No booking needed for the park; railway tickets through riversiderailway.co.uk
Riverside Park is big enough that you can pick your playground by age: the one near the car park for toddlers, the ones further out for children who want a walk first. The skate park pulls in teenagers from across the district, and the café means you are never far from a hot drink. Paths through the park were widened and resurfaced recently, which helps with scooters and buggies. In winter, stick to the higher ground near the car park after rain.
Hill Rise Park and Warner’s Park, St Ives
Outdoor activity
- Hill Rise Park is a 15 acre park on the edge of St Ives, run by Huntingdonshire District Council, with a play area and a skate park
- There is free parking for 20 cars at Hill Rise Park, reached through the entrance off Hill Rise
- Hill Rise Park has no toilets of its own, but there are toilets close by at the One Leisure St Ives Outdoor Centre next door
- Picnic tables, enclosed areas where dogs can run off the lead and a woodland used by Forest School groups make Hill Rise good for a longer visit
- A walk around the edge of Hill Rise Park is about two thirds of a mile
- Warner’s Park, closer to the town centre on Park Side, is about 3 acres of grass with a play area, seating, tarmac paths and on-street parking alongside
- St Ives Town Council consulted residents in January and February 2026 on refurbishing the pavilion at Warner’s Park, and ran a separate 2026 consultation on improving its play areas
Address: Hill Rise Park, Hill Rise, St Ives; Warner’s Park, Park Side, St Ives PE27 5QJ
Website: huntingdonshire.gov.uk/leisure/parks-nature-reserves-and-green-spaces/hill-rise-park-st-ives; stivestowncouncil.gov.uk/parks-and-other-play-areas
How to book: No booking needed
St Ives splits its park life in two. Warner’s Park is the town green, handy after a trip to the market, with summer music events that can draw a few hundred people. Hill Rise is the one to drive to, with its own small car park, more space to roam and the leisure centre next door for toilets. Twenty spaces fill quickly on sunny weekends, so arrive early or walk in from town.
Ely, the Fens and Peterborough
North of Cambridge the playgrounds come with big open views across flat black fields, and the Fen towns have put real money into their parks in the last few years. Peterborough has the county’s best water play, but only in high summer.
Ely Country Park
Outdoor activity
- A free country park on the east side of Ely, between the city and the River Great Ouse, recognised by Natural England as an Accredited Country Park until 2027
- The play and picnic area sits by the entrance at Fisherman’s car park and is designed for children aged two to 18
- Equipment includes a ship-shaped multi-play unit, a zip wire, a trim trail, a basket swing, a seesaw, swings, a climbing frame, a ground-level trampoline, a spinning disc and a slide
- Some of the play equipment is designed to be used by all children, including those with disabilities
- Fisherman’s car park is free for long stays if you arrive after 8:30am, and Blue Badge holders have no time limit
- There are no toilets in the park itself; the nearest public toilets are at Ship Lane car park, under ten minutes’ walk along the riverfront
- Two waymarked walks start nearby, the short Bulrush Trail, which is wheelchair accessible, and the longer Kingfisher Trail
- A railway line and roads cross the park and cattle graze some areas, so keep younger children close once you leave the play area
Address: Fisherman’s car park, Ely CB7 4AT
Website: eastcambs.gov.uk/parking-open-spaces-and-toilets/parks-and-open-spaces/ely-country-park
How to book: No booking needed
Ely Country Park is the best free playground in East Cambridgeshire, and most visitors to the city never find it. The zip wire and the trampoline are the big draws, and the ship gives younger children something to climb that feels like an adventure. Once the play is done, the Bulrush Trail leads out among old clay pits and reed beds, with Ely Cathedral appearing over the trees. Bring a picnic, as the tables fill on sunny days and there is no café on site.
Wisbech Park
Outdoor activity
- The main town park in Wisbech, run by Fenland District Council, with a listed bandstand at its heart
- The play area was rebuilt in 2023 at a cost of £135,000, with an Anglo-Saxon theme and a bespoke Wisbech Ship as its centrepiece
- Junior equipment is designed for children aged five to 12, and a separate toddler section with a multi-unit suits ages two to six
- The free splashpad opens daily from 10am to 5pm between Easter and mid-September, and suits toddlers up to early teens
- Two new water features were added to the splashpad under the council’s Fenland Inspire programme
- New picnic seating for the splashpad, including a rainbow picnic unit, was ordered in January 2026 for installation in spring
- Shade canopies are also planned, but because the park is in a conservation area they need planning permission first
- There is a public toilet block in the park
Address: Wisbech Park, Wisbech
Website: fenland.gov.uk/playareas
How to book: No booking needed
Wisbech Park has had more attention in the last three years than most town parks get in twenty. The Wisbech Ship is the star of the playground, a nod to the town’s days as a port, and the splashpad next to it is free all summer. Toddlers have their own corner, so they are not flattened by the older children on the ship. It is a short walk from the town centre, so it fits easily around a trip into town.
West End Park, March
Outdoor activity
- March’s main town park, west of the town centre beside the River Nene, and a shortcut many locals use to reach the high street
- The park has a children’s play area and a skate park
- Fenland’s first BMX pump track opened in West End Park in spring 2025, built for £100,000 and free to use
- The pump track is designed for BMX bikes, other bikes, scooters, skateboards, roller skates and wheelchairs
- The free March Summer Festival is held in the park each June, and reached its 26th year in 2026
- Fenland District Council is looking at expanding West End Park as part of plans for a new country park in March, after a public consultation in March 2025
Address: West End Park, March PE15
Website: fenland.gov.uk/playareas
How to book: No booking needed
West End Park is the town’s front room, with the river on one side and the high street a few minutes away. The pump track has given it a new crowd: children on balance bikes in the morning, teenagers on BMXs after school. The play area is a straightforward town playground, best for under tens. Come in June for the festival, when the whole park fills with stalls and stages.
Central Park, Peterborough
Outdoor activity
- A large city park on Park Crescent, north of Peterborough city centre, with two children’s play areas and a sandpit
- The free paddling pool opened on 7 July 2026 and ran from 10am to 6pm every day except Mondays until 30 August
- Children who wear nappies must wear swim nappies in the paddling pool
- The council says it is looking at opening the pool earlier in hot spells and extending its season from 2027
- Public toilets, including an accessible toilet that uses a RADAR key, are open from 8am to 7pm between May and September and from 8am to 4pm between October and April
- There is a café in the park, with picnic areas for anyone bringing their own food
- Sunken and sensory gardens, tennis courts, bowling greens, table tennis and an outdoor gym are all in the park
Address: Central Park, Park Crescent, Peterborough PE1 4DX
Website: peterborough.gov.uk
How to book: No booking needed
Central Park is Peterborough’s best town playground, and in July and August its paddling pool is the place to be. Two play areas and a sandpit cover the toddler to ten year old range, and the toilets open early and stay open into the evening in summer. Out of season the pool is closed, but the playgrounds and gardens are still worth the trip. Note that the toilets shut at 4pm from October, which catches people out on winter afternoons.
Bretton Park and Bretton Water Park, Peterborough
Outdoor activity
- A large park in Bretton, west Peterborough, with wide grass play areas, football pitches and children’s playgrounds
- Bretton Water Park is a free outdoor water play area with fountains, run by Vivacity
- The 2026 season ran until 30 August, from 10am to 4pm every day except Mondays
- The water park has a picnic area, toilets and changing facilities
- Parking for the water park is next to Peterborough Lions Rugby Club
- The water park closed on Friday 14 August 2026 because of a fault in its plant room and reopened on Friday 21 August after a new part was fitted
Address: Bretton Water Park, Barnstock, Peterborough PE3 8EJ
Website: vivacity.org/sports-venues/bretton-water-park
How to book: No booking needed; entry is free
Bretton is Peterborough’s second water play option, on the west side of the city. The fountains keep small children busy, and the playgrounds in the wider park give older brothers and sisters something to do while the little ones get soaked. Like Central Park, the water only runs in the summer holidays, and pump problems have shut it for days at a time, so check Vivacity’s page on the morning you go.
Seasonal Highlights
Spring: The Wisbech Park splashpad opens at Easter, the Riverside Miniature Railway in St Neots starts its Sunday running at Easter, and new splashpad seating is due at Wisbech Park.
Summer: The March Summer Festival in West End Park on the second weekend of June, the Cambridge Folk Festival at Cherry Hinton Hall in late July or early August, and the free water play at Central Park and Bretton Water Park in Peterborough during the school holidays.
Autumn: The Wisbech splashpad closes in mid-September and the St Neots miniature railway ends its Sunday season in late September, so October half term is a good time for the quieter playgrounds at Ely Country Park and Hinchingbrooke.
Winter: The Riverside Railway Santa Special in St Neots on Saturday 28 November 2026, and the end of the Hinchingbrooke Country Park redevelopment, due in early 2027.
A Note From Inside Cambridge
Playgrounds are the places parents visit most and plan least, which is why a closed splashpad or a playground behind fencing hits so hard. We wrote this guide to save you the wasted journey, and to point you towards a few parks you may not have tried.
If your local park has a new playground, or something here has changed, please let us know. We will update the guide and add the best ones next time.
Before You Go
- Water play is summer only: Central Park and Bretton Water Park run in the school holidays, and Wisbech Park from Easter to mid-September
- In Cambridge, the Abbey splashpad is closed and King’s Hedges is being renovated, so ring GLL on 01223 446100 before setting out for water play
- Hinchingbrooke Country Park is mid-redevelopment until early 2027, with a temporary café and toilets in the main car park
- Several parks have no toilets of their own, including Ely Country Park and Hill Rise Park in St Ives, so plan a stop on the way
- Central Park’s toilets close at 4pm from October to April
- Riverside paths at St Neots and Ely can flood after heavy rain, so pack wellies between November and March
- Pack swim nappies, towels and a full change of clothes for any paddling pool or splashpad
- Cambridge’s city centre parks have no car parks, so use the park and ride, a bus or a bike
