Country Parks

Gloucestershire County Council owns and manages several sites where locals and visitors alike can enjoy unrestricted public access on foot.

They are multiple-use areas which demonstrate sustainable land management practices whilst providing for the ever increasing demand for access to the countryside.
The sites all have high conservation value and are carefully managed to maintain a balance for the needs of both nature and visitor.

More details of the sites can be found below.

• Barrow Wake Viewpoint
• Coaley Peak Picnic Site
• Coopers Hill Local Nature Reserve
• Crickley Hill Country Park
• Kilkenny Viewpoint
• A sixth site, Cokes Pit Local Nature reserve, is leased to and managed by the Cotswold Water Park Society

Countryside Sites Service

• Manages five countryside sites providing recreational facilities for local residents and tourists.
• Provides access to the open countryside for informal recreation.
• Preserves, manages and enhances the natural and historic qualities of the sites consistent with their local, national and international designations.
• Provides information and guidance to visitors.
• Encourages and promotes educational use.
• Promotes understanding and respect for the countryside.
• Monitors and researches use and management of the sites.

The Countryside Sites Service publishes a newsletter - some recent examples can be downloaded below.

Contact
Tel. 01452 863170 or 01452 425577
countryparks@gloucestershire.gov.uk

	Cokes Pit Local Nature Reserve A local nature reserve, east of Somerford Keynes on Spratsgate Lane, lake and margins with information boards.		Barrow Wake Viewpoint One of the best known viewpoints in the south west of England with far reaching views which encompass the Malvern Hills, the Severn Vale and distant glimpses of Wales.
	Kilkenny Viewpoint and Picnic Area A viewpoint and picnic area on the Cotswold escarpment, 1 mile west of Andoversford on A436, offering extensive views.		Crickley Hill Country Park Crickley Hill Country Park lies on the edge of the Cotswold escarpment, 6 miles east of Gloucester, overlooking the Vale of Gloucester.
	Coopers Hill Local Nature Reserve A local nature reserve, 2 miles south of Brockworth on A46, with nationally important beech woodlands and a waymarked walking trail.		Coaley Peak Picnic Site Coaley Peak Picnic Site is about 4 miles south west of Stroud and has 12 acres of grassland with panoramic views over the Severn Vale.