Lying in the centre of the city and bordering the river Soar, Leicester's Abbey Park is an immaculate example of a traditional English park. A regular Green Flag award winner owing to the impeccable flower displays and manicured lawns of its formal garden, Abbey Park also has a whole host of other attractions, from a charming miniature railway to a petting zoo to a large boating lake. There are also some sporting facilities on offer, such as football pitches, a bowling green and several tennis courts.
Anyone with an interest in local history will find Abbey park has several ruins of note contained within its bounds: the remnants of an imposing 12th century abbey the gives the park its name or the burnt-out ruin of Cavendish House that was used and subsequently razed to the ground by Charles I during The English Civil War.