Vote in the 2008 Green Spaces Travel Awards

Green experts Anna Shepard, Toby Sawday and Richard Hammond will sort through your choices each month and pick their favourites.

The nominators featured in The Times and Times Online each month will win a copy of Alastair Sawday's Green Places to Stay. We'll put the places on the longlist to the test towards the end of the year.

A shortlist and the awards will follow, with one being a readers' choice. Kate Quill, Assistant Travel Editor, and Steve Keenan, Online Travel Editor, and Kathleen Wyatt, Travel Editor of The Times, complete the panel of judges.

Green Spaces: April's nominations

The judges select their favourite nominations of the month - get your votes in and join the green party

Green Spaces: The Eco Lodge, Lincolnshire, England

Mickey Burke and family visit the Lincolnshire cottage they nominated for our 2008 Green Spaces Travel awards

Meet our Green Space judges

Anna Shepard and the five other judges reveal their favourite places, from Shropshire to Namibia

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• Read our Green Central Blog on the enviroment

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• Read 145 more articles in our Green Travel section

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• Green Spaces: April's nominations

These are the judges' favourites from the nominations received in May:

YORKSHIRE SCULPTURE PARK

Nominated by: Abigail Ledder, Bradford

Read the judges' verdict

I've visited the site at Bretton near Wakefield, West Yorkshire, over a number of years and have never had a bad visit. This place is always guaranteed to make me feel better leaving than when I arrived.

The 19th century parkland is breathtaking and the modern and contemporary sculptures from Caro to Gormley, Moore to Hepworth to Goldsworthy complement the setting so wonderfully whether they are in the award winning gallery or outside in the green spaces.

It's a great place for people of all ages and I've been delighted to take (and keep taking) my now 8 year old son, Jack, in all seasons and all weather.

We always discover new things to see and do from the playing of Pooh sticks on the several bridges to playing in and around the larger and tougher pieces of outdoor sculpture.

I know they run great education and community schemes and encourage artists of smaller pieces (jewellery and pottery are displayed in the wonderful shop).

Special mention should be made of the Visitor Centre and new gallery - both modern but environmentally sound buildings that suit their purpose brilliantly.

My favourite end/start to a visit is a bite to eat or just a cuppa on the upstairs outside deck of the cafe in the Visitor Centre which looks out over the valley - just perfect. Writing about it just makes me want to visit it again now!

SILVER COMET TRAIL

Nominated by: Charles Evans, Georgia

Read the judges' verdict

The Silver Come Trail that runs from Cobb County Georgia, into Alabama is beautiful, peaceful, and well cared for. It runs over many streams, a few swamps, and through forests.

VICTORIA PARK

Nominated by Katy Stevenson, London

Read the judges' verdict

I live and work in London and find the peaceful tranquillity of Victoria Park the perfect antidote to city life.

This huge and beautifully planted open space hosts festivals, fetes, rallies and meetings. It has two lakes, ornamental gardens, tennis courts and a bowling green. There are play areas for children, a paddling pool, and enclosures with deer and goats.

The park was created in 1884 in response to demands by the local people for a recreational area - and even now, being that it is one of the largest parks in London, it amazes me how many Londoners have never visited.

I am lucky enough to live on the eastern edge of the park - Cadogan Terrace - where I wake up every morning to the sight of trees through my window. I love the park and think it is the best place in London to watch and enjoy the changing seasons. In autumn the park glows and crackles with yellow and orange leaves, then in winter the mist sits low and dense on the lake.

Springtime comes and the trees turn green, the days lengthen and the park is filled with runners and cyclists. In summer, groups of friends sprawl under the trees on coloured blankets with picnics and guitars. Children run around chasing dogs and the smell of summer fills the air. It is the perfect place to relax, recharge and remember just how beautiful and diverse a city London truly is.

MORE READER NOMINATIONS

GOLDEN CAP

Nominated by Peter Preen, by email

Golden Cap has the best sea views in Dorset with a fantastic diverse area to walk in and enjoy the wide variety of wildlife and flora and fauna. It really is the best of beach, sea, wildlife and countryside. Even if it is blowing a gale, the woodland walk provides good shelter and interest.

THAMES BARRIER PARK, LONDON

Nominated by Kate Bohn, by email

One of London's best kept secrets - just brilliant for an afternoon out. It offers 22acres of green by the edge of the Thames, with a wonderful café to boot: www.thamesbarrierpark.org.uk.

ECO HOTELS

Nominated by Natalie Kunert, by email

I cannot nominate an eco lodge or hotel myself but I would like to mention this wonderful website that I have recently consulted. It is called Eco Hotels of The World and is a good database for environmentally friendly hotels.

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