Meadowside Play Park

If you’re after proper open space in Braintree without having to drive miles out of town, this one delivers. The football field gets a solid workout most weekends — it’s the kind of pitch where you’ll find actual games happening, not just kids kicking a ball around aimlessly. There’s enough open grass to spread out, and the shade trees make summer visits far more bearable than you’d expect for an urban park. The skatepark element brings in the older crowd too, so it’s genuinely mixed-age rather than just toddler territory. Buses and shops nearby mean you can make a proper afternoon of it without much planning.