30 places to go for a delightful Boxing Day stroll and walk off those Christmas dinners

The period after Christmas Day is a strange one, with people, possibly, a bit partied out from the festive season, but also wanting to get themselves ready for a renewed celebration at New Year's Eve.

Known as Twixmas, the period between December 26 and December 30 is seen as a period of relaxation and a time to recharge the batteries after a prolonged month of celebrations.

While it may be an opportunity to sit on the sofa and watch Netflix, it can also be a time to get out and get some much-needed exercise, walk the new dog or just spend some time with children and friends outside of the house.

Within the Black Country and Staffordshire, there are a large number of parks and outdoors areas that people can visit to walk over hills and take in the surroundings of country halls and manor homes.

This is a list of some of the parks and country estates that will be open over the Twixmas season for people to visit:

Baggeridge Country Park

Address: Baggeridge Country Park, Gospel End St, Road, Dudley DY3 4HB

The park will be closed to the public on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, but will be open from 9am on Wednesday, December 27.

There are four independent trails around Baggeridge Country Park, of varying levels of distance and difficulty. These are:

Easy Access – approximately 30 minutes.

Toposcope Trail – approximately 45 minutes.

Baggeridge Circular Walk – approximately one hour.

Baggeridge Wood Walk – approximately one hour and 30 minutes.

Bantock Park

Address: Bantock Park, Finchfield Road, Wolverhampton, WV3 9LQ

The park is approximately 16 hectares (39.53 acres), with the west of the park mostly open space, with gently undulating ground, hedgerows and a variety of trees with a nature trail.

The eastern side of the park changes near the house, becoming more formal, consisting of a series of recently restored gardens, reminiscent of the detail emerging around the late nineteenth/twentieth century.

The park will be open all through the festive period, but the cafe and house will be closed during the festive period.

Barnford Park

Address: Barnford Park, Moat Road, Oldbury, B68 8ED

Barnford Park sits in the heart of Oldbury, a stone's throw from the town centre.

It contains beautiful parkland offering gentle walks, a games area, children's play area, multi-use games area and community pavilion.

It is also open every day of the year.

Beacon Park

Address: Beacon Park, Swan Road, Lichfield, WS13 6QZ

Beacon Park is set in more than 70 acres of beautiful gardens and open space within easy reach of the city centre.

Visit the park for a leisurely walk, golf, children's play area, crazy golf, tennis, basketball, bowls, play disk, foot golf and more.

Beacon Park is also steeped in history and heritage, and information boards around the site give a glimpse into the area's rich historical past.

Brinton Park

Address: Brinton Park, Sutton Road, Kidderminster, DY11 7BB

Brinton Park is a large park of 12.067 hectares near the centre of Kidderminster.

‘The People’s Park’ was presented to Kidderminster town in August 1887, to coincide with Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee of that year.

The main entrance to the park is from Sutton Road. Other entrances can be found at Park Lane and Stourport Road/Park Lane.

Brunswick Park

Address: Brunswick Park, Brunswick Park Road, Wednesbury, WS10 9QR

Brunswick Park was opened in 1887 to celebrate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee.

The park offers a range of facilities including outdoor gym equipment, childrens play area, multi gamed area, tennis courts, skate park area, bandstand, football and circular walks.

It is also open every day of the year.

Buffery Park

Address: Buffery Park, 33 Paradise, Dudley, DY2 8SH

At approximately six hectares, Buffery Park has large areas of open flat grass, shaded and unshaded spots for picnics and leisure activities, a multi-use games area and a children’s play area.

It also has the Grazebrook Memorial, which has open areas of amenity grass and small shaded woodland.

There is currently an ongoing project to improve footpaths, seating, signage and entrance points funded by The Friends of Buffery Park and external funding.

Cannock Chase Forest

Address: Cannock Chase Forest, Birches Valley, Rugeley, WS15 2UQ

Cannock Chase Forest is one of the best value days out that the Midlands has to offer.

With a children’s play area, Go Ape, orienteering trails and even a dog activity trail, there is plenty to do at Cannock Chase Forest.

There are a range of woodland walks to suit all ages and abilities, and for those wanting to explore the forest on two wheels, make sure to check out the cycling trails for some of the best family and mountain biking opportunities in the Midlands.

For those looking for something more sedate, the woodland is a secluded haven for wildlife enthusiasts or discover the latest children’s activity trail, usually based around a popular children’s novel.

Chasewater Country Park

Address: Chasewater Country Park, Pool Lane, Brownhills, WS8 7NL

Boasting a 90 hectare reservoir and plenty of green open space, planning a day out at Chasewater is easy.

For those wanting to enjoy more gentle pursuits, Chasewater is an ideal venue for nature trails, bird watching, walking, cycling, picnics and barbeques.

The reservoir at Chasewater was first created as a canal feeder and remains the largest canal feeder reservoir in use today.

Dartmouth Park

Address: Dartmouth Park, Lloyd Street, West Bromwich, B71 4AS

Dartmouth Park is located next to West Bromwich Town Centre and Sandwell Valley Country Park.

It is currently undergoing a £6 million restoration project that is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and BIG Lottery.

There is a range of activities for all visitors at this Grade II listed park including a play area, ornamental lakes, gym equipment, floral displays, sensory garden and a community Pavilion with viewing tower.

It is also open every day of the year.

East Park

Address: East Park, Hickman Avenue, Wolverhampton, WV1 2BS

It is one of Wolverhampton's district parks and has a proud history, going back to 1896.

The park is approximately 18 hectares in size and has a range of walks up and around the park.

The playground area will be open. but the splash pad remains closed to the public.

Haden Hill Park

Address: Haden Hill Park, Hayseech, Cradley Heath, B64 7JL

Haden Hill Park is an historical victorian landscape with a Victorian Mansion and Tudor Hall.

The landscape offers stunning views of the surrounding area.

The park is a popular venue for historical local events and environmental activities.

It has children's play areas, bowling greens, ornamental lakes and formal garden areas.

The park will be open throughout the festive period, but the museum will be closed.

Himley Hall and Park

Address: Himley Hall and Park, Himley Road, Himley, Dudley, DY3 4DF

Himley Hall, an eighteenth century Grade II listed building is set in 180 acres of 'Capability Brown' landscaped parkland.

The hall hosts a number of exhibitions throughout the year and the park team has gained a reputation for staging quality events, including the Himley Bonfire event.

The Brooke Robinson Collection is available for viewing at Himley Hall on Wednesday's from 11am to 3pm and is staffed by volunteers.

Homer Hill Park

Address: Homer Hill Park, Homer Hill Road, Halesowen, B63 2UR

The park is regularly used by families, runners, walkers, dog walkers and organised sports teams.

Running through the park are managed pathways with ample resting benches suitable for those with a disability.

There is a secure toddler play area along with picnic benches and a wildflower and seasonal bulb section.

Deeper into the park, there is an open play area with natural play elements and a variety of play equipment suitable for all ages.

King George V Memorial playing fields

Address: King George V Memorial playing fields, Stafford Road, Bloxwich, Walsall, WS3 3NJ

The site opened in 1937 to give local residents a much needed space to play sports.

The site has hard, flat, tarmac-surfaced paths, which are suitable for wheelchair users, people with mobility impairments and pushchairs.

Most access gates are wide enough for wheelchairs, except the gates at Bealeys Lane and Catches Drive which are only 900mm wide.

Pathways are at least 1100mm wide and many are 1500 to 2000mm wide to allow for turning.

There are 10 benches spread around the park to allow for rest if walking around the perimeter.

Lightwoods Park and House

Address: Lightwoods Park and House, Adkins Lane, Smethwick, B67 5DP

The park covers almost 12 hectares and is split into two sections, the main park closest to Bearwood and the “extension” on the other side of Galton Road.

The park borders Hagley Road West around 5km outside Birmingham city centre.

Thanks to the park’s £5.2million refurbishment, the park has new paths, playground, water fountains etc.

The Park has been used by the public for more than 100 years.

Palfrey Park

Address: Palfrey Park, Dale Street, Palfrey, WS1 4AN

The site opened in 1886 and was extended in 1924 and is an open green space in the middle of a residential area.

The site has hard, tarmac-surfaced paths and also has wide access gates that are suitable for wheelchair users, people with mobility impairments and pushchairs.

All pathways are at least 1100mm wide, with many 1500 to 2000mm wide to allow for turning.

There are many benches placed around the site to allow for rest if required.

Pendeford Mill Nature Reserve

Address: Pendeford Mill Nature Reserve, Pendeford Hall Lane, Wolverhampton, WV9 5ET

The reserve is open daily, including Bank Holidays, but is closed on Christmas Day.

It will be open from 8am to 4pm Monday to Thursday, 8am to 3pm Friday and 10am to 4pm Saturday and Sunday.

Pendeford Mill Nature Reserve is a site of valuable environmental and historical significance.

The site covers 24 hectares (59.3 acres) of naturally managed countryside and dates back to the 13th century.

It provides a stable and protected habitat for wildlife on the fringe of an urban area.

Riverside Meadows

Address: Riverside Meadows, Stourport-on-Severn, DY13 8UX

The Riverside Meadows has lots of space for games and picnics.

A walk or cycle ride down-river offers a fascinating and free insight into Georgian buildings, riverside businesses and passes Stourport Marina, with an impressive array of boats of all kinds.

A visit to the impressive Lincomb Lock, built in the 1850s and now mechanised, is worth the walk. In summer, the river will be busy with holiday hire boats and trippers.

A walk up-river takes you along the tree-lined promenade, past the historic Boat and Bungalow Club and further meadows.

Sandwell Valley Country Park

Address: Sandwell Valley Country Park, Salter's Lane, West Bromwich, B71 4BG

Sandwell Valley Country Park is in the heart of the West Midlands, just one mile from West Bromwich town centre.

The park covers an area of 1700 acres of open countryside and is unique as it is located within a densely populated and industrialised area.

The two main attractions at the country park are Sandwell Park Farm and Forge Mill Farm, while there are also woodlands, nature trails and picnic sites, lakes and pools.

Shugborough Estate

Address: Shugborough Estate, Milford, Great Haywood, Stafford ST17 0UP

Home to the Anson family since 1624, it was once described as ‘a perfect paradise’.

Visitors can explore sweeping parkland, ancient woodland and a landscape peppered with monuments.

They can also see seasonal blooms in the formal gardens, or produce in the walled garden.

The house and farmhouse will be closed over the Twixmas period, but the grounds will be open.

Smestow Valley Local Nature Reserve

Address: Smestow Valley Local Nature Reserve, Meadow View Terrace, Wolverhampton, WV6 8NX

There is pedestrian access 24 hours, 7 days a week.

The car park for the local nature reserve is open daily from 7.30am and between 5pm and 11pm

Walkers can enjoy the wildlife, bird watching, flora and fauna, cycling down the former railway track - long since removed.

The route now features flat and mainly level path, making it easy for walkers and cyclists.

There are lots of opportunities for the keen photographer to capture rare/unusual plant specimens, alongside more commonly found favourites.

Stevens Park

Address: Mary Stevens Park, Stourbridge, DY8 2AD

Mary Stevens Park receives approximately one million visitors each year.

The park is a real hive of activity all year round, with daily health and fitness activities, community group events and regular heritage and wildlife activities.

Walking, jogging, informal games and kickabouts, use of the formal recreation facilities, visiting the play area, watching wildlife, walking your dog, sitting and watching the world go by and enjoying the scenery are all welcomed at the park.

Victoria Park

Address: Victoria Park, Victoria Road, Tipton, DY4 8SW

Victoria Park covers more than 13 hectares and has a diverse ethnic community bordering the park.

It is an area of leisure and heritage and provides a range of informal and formal recreational opportunities from passive and active recreation to children's play with a range of facilities for visitors and users.

Victoria Park has something for everyone, from children's play areas, tennis courts, cricket square, walking routes and wildflower area.

Recent years has seen a range of improvements to both the landscape, sports facilities and to the senior citizens building in order to retain and develop its local significance.

Victoria Park

Address: Victoria Park, Tenterbanks, Stafford, ST16 2QF

Originally named the Victoria Park Pleasure Grounds the site opened in 1908 and is the Boroughs principal destination park.

The park now covers an area of 4.95 acres and is the largest formal park in Stafford Borough.

Following a £2.5 million Heritage Lottery funded refurbishment the park has gained a new café and training centre, alongside a restored bandstand, listed Mottram Shelter, toilets and enhanced landscaping.

Those with children can happily spend a few hours at our destination play area, which combines elements of natural play and modern playground equipment.

The site boasts a 7m high climbing net with a rope bridge to the 8m high tower which contains a slide at 5m, a small trampoline, splash pad – interactive water play area and a sand pit with sand diggers.

Walsall Arboretum

Address: Walsall Arboretum, Lichfield Street, Walsall, WS4 2BU

The site is a rural retreat at the heart of Walsall town centre.

First opened in 1874, it now spans 170 acres and includes Hatherton lake, the country park and the extension.

The park includes gardens, green spaces, play areas, and sports facilities.

The Walsall Arboretum café and visitor centre will be open every day of the festive period except Christmas Day and New Years Day.

Warley Woods

Address: Warley Woods, Lightwoods Hill, Smethwick, B67 5ED

Smethwick's 100-acre, Green Flag award winning community park which is managed through a Community Trust.

With its mix of open meadow and nine-hole golf course, the park has some of the region's most beautiful woodland, offering nature walks, trails and free parking.

It is only three miles from the centre of Birmingham.

West Park

Address: West Park, Park Rd West, Wolverhampton WV1 4PH

West Park is 17 hectares (roughly 43 acres) in area (including its lake) and provides a beautifully landscaped green space within a ten-minute walk of Wolverhampton city centre.

The park is considered to be one of the best, unspoilt examples of a Victorian park left in England and is Wolverhampton's premier open space.

It has a number of paths to walk through or can simply be walked around, with the park measuring one mile all the way around.

Wightwick Manor and Gardens

Address: Wightwick Manor, Wightwick Bank, Wolverhampton, West Midlands, WV6 8EE

A house owned by the Mander family has become a hidden gem on the outskirts of Wolverhampton.

It carries a collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Edward Burne-Jones, Marie Spartali Stillman, Elizabeth Siddal and many others.

The collection now forms one of the largest public collections of work by female artists in Britain.

The grounds are also wide and open for people to walk around, although the manor is closed on Boxing Day.

Wren's Nest National Nature Reserve

Address: Wren's Nest National Nature Reserve, Wren’s Hill Road, Dudley, DY1 3SB

The Highlights Walk has been upgraded and would be suitable for a mobility scooter or wheelchair user with some additional support.

The lower path to the Coral Reef and Ripple Beds is flat, however the path to the Seven Sisters Mine does have some steep slopes.

More than 400 million years ago, the area where Dudley now stands was covered by coral reefs and tropical seas providing an environment for the famous fossils we find there today.

More than 700 types of fossil are known to have come from Wren's Nest, 186 of which were first discovered and described here and 86 are found nowhere else on Earth.