Green spaces are the lungs of any city, and can change a place from chocked and congested to vibrant and peaceful.

New York may have Central Park, but Oxford has a great number of different green spaces where visitors can relax, soak up the sun, enjoy nature or watch the river go by.

But Oxford's parks aren't reserved solely for quiet relaxation - they are also venues for major music events and festivals. The list below is not exhaustive, but gives an idea of the variety of green spaces that Oxford has to offer.

Christ Church Meadow

This meadow is held in trust by the college after which it is named. In the spring and summer terms, this is a popular place to watch the boat races.

The main entrance is via the War Memorial Gardens in St Aldate's, but there are also entrances at Rose Lane and Merton Street. Wheelchair access is from St Aldate's via St Aldate's Lane at the side of Christ Church College.

Opening hours are 8am until dusk every day. Admission is free.

Magdalen College Deer Park

Magdalen College has a deer park which is open from 1pm to 6pm every day.

Admission is £3 for adults, £2 for concessions and free for Bodleian card holders and Oxford residents.

South Park

With more than 50 acres, this is one of Oxford's largest parks, along with Headington Hill Park, from which it is separated by the main London Road.

It is a popular location for summer events.

There is unrestricted access to South Park, which is located at the top of St Clement's.

Port Meadow and Wolvercote Common

Port Meadow and Wolvercote Common together are a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Scheduled Ancient Monument. They are also part of a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) under the European Habitats Directive.

Port Meadow is famous both for its wealth of birdlife and for its well-preserved Bronze Age and Iron Age settlements.

The area is popular with migrating birds and bird-watchers should be able to see many kinds of wader and freshwater wildfowl, as well as gulls and terns.

There are also plenty of lapwings and golden plovers.

Access to Port Meadow is via Walton Well Road or Aristotle Lane (both in Jericho) in the south, or from Wolvercote, in the north. There is unrestricted access.

Headington Hill Park

Across the road from South Park, Headington Hill Park has been home to many of Creation Theatre Company's magical open-air performances.

Opening hours vary greatly with the changing seasons, but tend to be between around 8am and dusk.

University Parks

Near Keble College, this 70-acre site includes a large duck pond and cricket ground. Access is through the gates in Parks Road, or South Parks Road, and this is suitable for wheelchairs.

Opening hours are roughly 7.45am until half an hour before dusk and until 9.30pm in June and July. It is closed for the annual St Giles' Fair in September.

Entry is free. Visit the website: www.parks.ox.ac.uk for more information.

University of Oxford Botanic Garden

Located just off the High Street, opposite Magdalen College, this is the oldest botanic garden in the country, and one of the most interesting.

It has roughly 7,000 species of plants set in four acres of land. Some of the exotic plants can be found in tropical greenhouses, and there is also a bog garden and a rock garden.

Entrance is off High Street next to Magdalen Bridge. There is wheelchair access to all areas, including the glasshouses.

The Botanic Garden is open daily from 9am to 4.30pm in January, February, November and December.

It is open daily from 9am to 5pm in March, April, September and October (last admission 4.15pm) an daily from 9am to 6pm from May to August (last admission 5.15pm).

Admission is £2.70 for an adult day ticket, £2 for people over 60 and free for all children under 18 still in full-time education and accompanied by an adult.

A season ticket costs £5. For more information, call 01865 286690 or see the website: www.botanic-garden.ox.ac.uk

Shotover Country Park

Shotover Country Park, on the eastern outskirts of Oxford, covers 100ha of hillside from Shotover Plain down to the eastern bypass.

There are two main sections - the southern slopes of Shotover Hill and the flatter, wooded area near the bypass.

Brasenose Wood and Shotover Country Park are a site of Special Scientific Interest.

The park is a fantastic place to explore, with a myriad of pathways and cycle tracks running through it.

It makes the perfect spot for a picnic on a hot summer's day, especially by the natural sandpit in the middle of the country park, which has been a magnet for generations of children.

Access to Shotover Country Park is free.