Waveney has 66 acres of scenic parkland which the district council is encouraging people to enjoy during national Love Parks Week, which runs until August 2.

Lowestoft Journal: Nicholas Everitt Park, Oulton Broad has won the Green Flag award.Nicholas Everitt Park, Oulton Broad has won the Green Flag award. (Image: (C)Archant 2013)

Parks in the area include:

Normanston Park - the largest park in Waveney, features sports facilities for tennis, cricket and football. The surrounding parkland is said to be ideal for walking and relaxing with play, refreshment and toilet facilities available.

Kirkley Fen Park - this wildlife-friendly park is situated alongside the water and has basketball facilities, children's play area and a sensory garden.

Sparrows Nest Gardens - this popular site has tearooms, toilets and a children's play area, as well as a bowling and putting green.

Belle Vue Park - adjacent to Sparrows Nest Gardens, this site was opened in 1874 as Lowestoft's first free public park. Originally named Arboretum Hill, the park is just a short walk from the town's historic High Street and features mature trees and gardens, complete with a late-19th Century iron bridge running over the Ravine. It is also houses the war memorial for the Royal Naval Patrol Service.

Kensington Gardens - overlooking Lowestoft seafront, Kensington Gradens has tearooms, toilets, bowling and tennis facilities as well as a model boat pond. Visitors can enjoy a stroll through the park's landscaped gardens.

Nicholas Everitt Park - the Oulton Broad site has just won a Green Flag for the fifth year running and is also the home to powerboat racing.