Hydebank Play Park

Full Description

Hydebank Play Park is one of those local ones that families stumble on and then go back to. It sits inside Hydebank Playing Fields, off the Newtownbreda Road, so the play park comes with a whole park attached: five full-size football pitches and a baseball diamond, which means there's usually something worth watching from the edge of the play area on a Saturday morning.

The play park itself opened in July 2021 as part of the council's play park programme, replacing what had been a long-standing ask from local families in Newtownbreda, Four Winds and Beechill. It's free, it's flat, and it's a genuinely easy one to fit into an ordinary day.

What You'll Find

The play park sits within Hydebank Playing Fields, with the pitches and the baseball diamond around it.

The playing fields have five full-size grass football pitches and a baseball diamond, so there's often a match or a training session going on nearby.

There are car parks at the playing fields, and a council water refill station on site for filling bottles before you head home.

Wee Ones Will Love...

• ✓The play park, with the playing fields to watch from the edge of it
• ✓Saturday-morning football and baseball to cheer at from behind the fence
• ✓Space beside the pitches for a run about
• ✓Filling water bottles at the refill station — always a small thrill

Before You Visit

The play park is at 19 Newtownbreda Road, Castlereagh, inside Hydebank Playing Fields. The houses on Brerton Hollow back onto the park, but the way in is off the Newtownbreda Road.

It's in the Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council area, not Belfast City Council, despite the Belfast postal address — so it runs to the council's park hours: 9am to 9pm daily from 1 April to 30 September, and 9am to 5pm from 1 October to 31 March. Any exceptions are notified at the gates.

There are no public toilets here. The council's public toilets are at Wallace Park, Moira Demesne, Royal Hillsborough and Castle Gardens.

Dogs aren't allowed in the play areas at Hydebank Playing Fields, so leave the dog at home if the play park is the plan.

There's parking on site at the playing fields, next to the pitches, and the play park is a short walk from the car park.

Top Tips

• ⭐Combine it with a match if you can — Saturday mornings are the liveliest time to visit
• ⭐Bring a ball for the open space beside the pitches once the play park loses its shine
• ⭐There are no toilets, so go before you set out
• ⭐Check the seasonal closing time — it's 5pm from October to March, which catches people out