Avenham Park
🏟 Playground & park · Avenham, Preston
Avenham Park
A Grade II* listed riverside park in central Preston with a toddler-friendly play area beside the Pavilion Cafe, plus gardens and River Ribble walks.
🕑 Opening & entry
🌱 Open as a public park; the Pavilion Cafe opens seven days a week throughout the year. · Free · No booking needed
About Avenham Park
Avenham Park is one of Preston's best-loved green spaces, a Grade II* listed Victorian park opened in 1867 and managed by Preston City Council. It runs down towards the River Ribble from the Avenham area close to the city centre, and is free to enter as a public park. Families with young children head for the small play area set beside the Pavilion Cafe, which has a slide, a sandpit and things to climb on, with equipment aimed mainly at toddlers. The Pavilion itself, opened in 2008, is the heart of the park: it houses the cafe, which serves breakfast, lunch and snacks seven days a week and has dog-friendly outdoor seating, as well as public and disabled toilets. Beyond the play area there is plenty to explore, including a Japanese rock garden added in the 1930s, riverside walks, historic monuments such as the Boer War Memorial, and wide grassy slopes that have hosted the traditional Easter egg-rolling since Victorian times. The park is also a venue for Preston events and festivals through the year. With its cafe, toilets and gentle riverside setting, Avenham Park suits a relaxed family outing, though older children may prefer a larger playground elsewhere.
⭐ What makes this place special
- Pavilion Cafe
- Japanese rock garden
- Riverside walks along the River Ribble
- Boer War Memorial
- Historic Grade II* listed landscape
- Events space
🏞 Facilities
- Free entry
- Toilets on site
- Café / refreshments
- Accessibility: The park has riverside and valley paths and a central pavilion with disabled toilets; the ground slopes down towards the River Ribble.
- Dogs: Dogs welcome; the Pavilion Cafe has dog-friendly outdoor seating and water for pets.
🧒 Ages & play
- Children's play area with a slide
- Sandpit
- Climbing equipment (aimed at toddlers)
📍 Nearby places to play
- Frenchwood Recreation Ground · approx 0.5 miles · Frenchwood
- Moor Park · approx 1.4 miles · Deepdale
- Haslam Park · approx 1.7 miles · Ashton-on-Ribble
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❓ Frequently asked questions
Is Avenham Park free?
Yes. Avenham Park is a free, public park in central Preston managed by Preston City Council.
What's in the playground?
There is a small children's play area beside the Pavilion Cafe with a slide, a sandpit and climbing equipment, aimed mainly at toddlers and younger children.
Are there toilets and a cafe?
Yes. The Pavilion houses the Pavilion Cafe, open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and snacks, plus public and disabled toilets.
Where is Avenham Park?
It is in the Avenham area just south of Preston city centre, running down to the River Ribble, near postcode PR1 8JT.
Is it good for toddlers?
Yes. The play area next to the cafe is aimed at toddlers, with a slide, sandpit and low climbing equipment, and the cafe and toilets are right beside it.