When the weather is warm, dry and still there are few pleasures simpler than lunch outdoors in pretty surroundings.

It's cheap too... unless your hamper contains truffle sandwiches, foie gras and bottles of fine wine.

Huddersfield has parks that fit the bill, not to mention the finest surrounding countryside in West Yorkshire.

So butter those butties, pack a bottle of ginger beer and pretend you're the Famous Five.

Now a note of caution.

A picnic is one thing as long as you take your rubbish home; a barbecue is a different thing altogether.

Acres of valuable natural areas have been decimated by fires started by barbecues. if you have any sense of responsibility please do not bring one.

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Beaumont Park

This landscaped Victorian park features two play areas, woodland walks, viewing areas and a pond, waterfall, and fountain. Perfect for a picnic or a woodland walk on a sunny day, Beaumont Park continues to attract visitors from Huddersfield and beyond.

Buckstones

Buckstones
Buckstones

How about lunch with the most spectacular view in the Huddersfield area?

Park at the car park next to the junction of the A640 and the B6114 and enjoy views across the National Trust's Marsden Moor estate and on into the Peak District.

You can follow up your picnic with a bracing walk on the wild moors.

Please note: there are no toilets or facilities of any kind nearby.

Castle Hill

Visitors to Castle Hill, Huddersfield, enjoy the sunshine and views on one of the hottest days of the year.
Visitors to Castle Hill, Huddersfield, enjoy the sunshine and views on one of the hottest days of the year.

Huddersfield's most popular attraction, Castle Hill stands more than 300m above sea level, offering spectacular views for a scenic al fresco lunch.

The site, a scheduled ancient monument, also features Victoria Tower.

Greenhead Park

Greenhead Park
Greenhead Park

This award-winning park is the perfect venue for a picnic on a sunny day – and has a paddling pool for when you need to cool off.

Shoot hoops in the basketball court, play a set or two in the tennis courts, let the little ones loose in the play area, explore the conservatory and ornamental gardens or head to the skate park for an active day out.

A miniature railway also operates in the summer – alongside the live music, sports and other activities Greenhead Park has to offer.

Hardcastle Crags

Gibson Mill, Hardcastle Crags
Gibson Mill, Hardcastle Crags

Located near Hebden Bridge, Hardcastle Crags is a National Trust-owned wooded valley boasting more than 400 acres of unspoiled woodlands.

Take a day to explore the Crags with the family to see winding streams, tumbling waterfalls and stacks of millstone grit, with more than 15 miles of footpaths to wander down.


The valley is also home to the Gibson Mill visitor centre, which tells the history of the valley over the last 200 years through interactive displays, dressing up, dance and exhibitions.

The woods are free to explore but there is a £5 charge for parking unless you're a National Trust member.

Manor Heath Park, Halifax

Manor Heath Park, Halifax
Manor Heath Park, Halifax

This park, half a mile south of Halifax town centre, boasts a woodland walk, park trail, wildflower area and more.

The former site of its grand manor house, demolished in 1959, is now a sunken garden, with a picturesque walled garden.

You can also check out the Jungle Experience tropical oasis, packed with fish, terrapins and butterflies.

Oakwell Hall and Country Park, Birstall

Oakwell Hall and Country Park is perfect for a picnic
Oakwell Hall and Country Park is perfect for a picnic

Tucked away in Birstall, Oakwell Hall is a sprawling country park boasting woodland trails and lots of wide open fields for football, rounders and cricket (all three of which you'll probably see being played in summer).

There's an adventure playground and two educational visitor centres where youngsters can learn about the different wildlife that live in the park's woodlands and ponds.

An onsite cafe serves hot and cold food, drinks, cakes and ice creams – but there's plenty of space to enjoy a picnic too.

Ogden Water Country Park and Nature Reserve, Halifax

Take a stroll around the reservoir at Ogden Water and Country Park
Take a stroll around the reservoir at Ogden Water and Country Park

Immerse yourself in the tranquil surroundings of Ogden Water Country Park and Nature Reserve, Halifax, and admire the scenic views of its 34-acre resevoir.

Pack a picnic, enjoy a hike and feed the park's wildfowl with duck food from the park's visitor centre.

There's a visitor centre offering tea, coffee and baked treats, plus guides to woodland walks and other outdoor activities.

Shibden Park, Halifax

Shibden Hall
Shibden Hall

This park and former home of Anne Lister aka Gentleman Jack has a boating lake, model railway and of course the medieval hall, where the BBC series Gentleman Jack was filmed on location.

TP Woods

Too darn hot? Enjoy a shaded picnic in these natural woods with are less than a mile from Huddersfield town centre.

Eat by the pond and then bimble about in the rest of this hidden gem.

Tunnel End, Marsden

Standedge Tunnel Visitors' Centre
Standedge Tunnel Visitors' Centre

The village of Marsden is full of picnic spots but one of our favourites is this one at the east end of the Standedge Tunnel.

The canalside is the perfect spot to eat, drink and chill with pretty, sheltered scenery and plenty of wildlife.

Once you're done with your picnic there's the Stanedge Tunnel Visitors' Centre, a museum about the history of the tunnel and the canal, to visit. Or there are wetland, woodland and moorland walks; take your pick.

There's also a decent cafe if making your own picnic is too much of a hassle.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Wakefield

Known as the 'gallery without walls', this internationally renowned attraction offers a wide range of sculptures and modern art scattered across 500 acres of 18th-century parkland.

Based in the grounds of Bretton Hall, Wakefield, Yorkshire Sculpture Park also features five indoor galleries to complement the inspiring artwork that dominates the landscape.

Entry is no longer free but your £6 ticket does now include parking. Under-18s still go free.

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