Explore ornamental gardens, riverside walks, and play areas in this Green Flag Award-winning park with a café and splash pad.

Chester-le-Street Riverside Park is a historic park originally created in the 1930s and extensively redeveloped in the 1990s. This award-winning venue offers families a diverse range of outdoor activities and attractions spread across beautifully maintained grounds. Visitors can enjoy artist-designed ornamental gardens where each area reflects a different star or planet, creating an imaginative landscape. The park features a dedicated children's play area, a scenic riverside walk along the River Wear with picnic seating, and a wildlife area complete with pond and grassland meadow. The Park Centre houses a café and facilities including accessible toilets, making it convenient for families with young children and pushchairs. The park welcomes dogs and their owners, with designated off-lead areas and a dog exercise zone. Additional attractions include a seasonal splash pad (summer months), public bowling greens, and an events arena. With 24-hour park access, 600 parking spaces including disabled bays, and fully accessible pathways, Riverside Park is designed to accommodate visitors of all abilities and ages. The venue's Green Flag Award recognition confirms its status as a well-managed, high-quality green space suitable for families seeking outdoor recreation, relaxation, and natural exploration.

Venue Details

What this place offers

Toilets

Public transport nearby

Accessible toilets

Free WiFi

Baby changing facilities

Food available

On-site parking

🐕Dog-friendly

Parking nearby

Pushchair friendly

☕ Food & Drink

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Doctors Desk

a month ago

Amazing place to view ،we enjoyed boating... Toilets available Icecream in square Halal food available , we ate from Greggs

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Peter Walker

2 months ago

Nice park with children's area but all the exercise machines have been removed these days and the water area is only sprinklers rather than paddling. There are decent riverside walks, bowling greens, café and a small ornamental garden. Toilets advise that they are only open from 9-2:30 bizarrely.

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Frances Wong

3 months ago

Decent size park with plenty of space to walk about. Lots of different trails: along the river, up in the green grass area and a secret garden for some quiet time and a bowling green. Good for kids bikes as well. Toilet clean and good to have a cafe and ice cream van nearby 😋 Not too many swans but lots of ducks and water looks quite clean

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rachel tallentire

11 months ago

Love coming to this park with my little one, especially in the summer when the rides are on, the ice cream van is there, and the splash pad. The park is huge and when they are done playing theres a nice walk to see the ducks and the swans around the river.

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Writers Black

a year ago

If fantastic little place that has a park for the kids a coffee for the family and incredible walks. Not far away from the town centre either and the park has a Croquet pitch which is fantastic. The parking is cheap and very safe, it is patrolled by wardens Who seem pretty decent. I’d put the wrong reg number down and instead of giving me a fine the guy gave me the nod to re-buy. Nice guy…

Reviews last updated: 6 October 2026