Battersea Park

Wow, What a park! within its 200-acres you will find a boating lake with row boats and pedaloes, a deer enclosure, a huge pagoda, bike hire with some weird (yet wonderful) recumbant trike things, Athletics track, football pitches, tenis courts, playground, adventure playground, cafes, a children's zoo and the remains of the festival gardens. Plus it is right on the banks of the Thames & in the shadow of the old power station. This has got to be one of my favourite and coolest spots in the capital. Maybe I have a warped view because I caught it on the only sunny day in an otherwise wet & miserable summer! Even so, I recon it's got to be worth a visit.

Admission: Free, but pay for attractions on site. 

Facilities: A, C, WC, BCF

Holland Park 

Located near High St Kensington, it has peacocks and plenty of squirrels and rabbits. Facilities include children's play areas with an under 8's area, as well as a great Ecology Centre (tel. 020 7471 9809) with pondlife, school holidays activities such as insect hunts, magpie walks and much more. There’s also an adventure playground for 5+  and a pond. The remains of Holland House are found in the park. The Ice House, the Orangery and a café complete the park.

Dulwich Park 

The park has a playground with ‘spider’s web climbing frame’ and sculpted gardens. You can hire bikes, trailers and trikes. Amongst the birds you may see herons, cormorants and kingfishers. Sports include football and cricket and tennis pitches for hire. There is a café on site. 

Epping Forest 

The biggest public space in London, Epping Forest is great for families, walkers, Horse riding, cyclists, joggers, kite-flyers and wildlife fans! It’s 12 miles (8km) long and 22 miles (15km) across. Commoners still have grazing rights, the forest contains Iron Age earthworks and 2 listed buildings, the Temple in Wanstead and Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge, the latter is on the Chingford side of the forest. The lodge has a quiz trail, food from 4^th century recipes and provides opportunities to dress as a Tudor.

Green Park

Covering 47 acres, Green Park was first recorded in 1554 as the scene of a rebellion. Nowadays it is more famous for its mature trees and open peaceful grassland. It links St. James’s Park & Hyde Park.

	“I love taking my son cycling in Richmond Park. It’s pretty safe and we like looking at all the Deer. There is a cycle hire hut where you can hire bikes and child trailers, which is ideal for my younger child. There is also a café, although I like to cycle up to Pembroke Lodge for food. In summer the Isabella plantation is absolutely stunning.” Chris and family

Greenwich Park 

Greenwich Park covers 183 acres and is the oldest enclosed Royal Park dating back to 1433. It is situated on a hilltop with impressive views across the River Thames to Docklands and the City.  Within the park there is an area enclosed for deer and a number of historic buildings, including the Old Royal Observatory, the Royal Naval College, the National Maritime Museum and the Queen's House. The playground is near the boating lake at the bottom of the hill.

Hampstead Heath 

At around 800 acres the park at Hampstead Heath dissects the North London boroughs of Barnet & Camden and includes Parliament Hill and Kenwood House. There are 25 ponds, the playground nearby Gospel Oak station is excellent, as is the adventure playground behind the athletics track. You can feed ducks, play tennis or bowls, there are woodland and hedgerows and it is home to a rich diversity of wildlife. People often go to the Heath to fly kites and there are plenty of cycling and running routes.

Hyde Park 

One of London's finest landscapes, Hyde Park covers 350 acres and is adjacent to Kensington Gardens. It provides facilities for many different leisure activities and sports as well as being the focal point for public events of all sizes. Activities in Hyde Park include roller blading, boating (March - October), wildlife (plenty of ducks and swans near the lake), horse riding, cycling, eating out (by the Serpentine and playgrounds. Speaker's Corner is near by at the northeast end of Hyde Park, where every Sun anyone has the right to exercise free speech!

Kensington Gardens and the Diana, Princess of Wales, Memorial Playground 

Kensington Gardens covers 260 acres. It has magnificent tree lined avenues and is the setting for Kensington Palace, the Serpentine Gallery and the Albert memorial. There is also a great bandstand and a duck pond. Also includes (my favourite bit) the Diana memorial playground in the northwest corner behind the palace (near Bayswater tube). It has a pirate ship in a sea of white sand, lots of sculptures and things to climb on. It also has toilets and a café! The playground is enclosed with a single entrance. During the Summer months the mermaids' fountain is great for water play and there's a programme of free entertainment (Mon-Fri 11am, 1pm, 3pm).

Richmond Park 

With great expanses of rolling grassland and ancient trees, Richmond is the largest Royal Park in London covering almost 2,500 acres and 8miles (13km) across at its widest point.  There is a huge array of wildlife, with herds of fallow and red deer roaming free. At the bottom end (Roehampton Gate) there are rugby pitches and flat ground ideal for kite flying, there is also a large car park by the golf course with a café. At the top end (Richmond Gate) there is Pembroke lodge where you can grab a bite to eat and look out west with some fantastic views toward Windsor. Henry's Mound is also worth a visit, a donated telescope allows you to look along a protected view toward St. Paul’s Cathedral and the city.

Royal Botanic Gardens Kew 

It is impossible to take in all of Kew's 300 acres at once. You can ride the Kew Explorer people mover, which covers a circular route (Adult £3, under 17s £1 + off peak concessions during term times). Look at iconic buildings and learn more about the plants they contain; study landscapes and vistas; explore conservation areas, 3 glasshouses (including the palm house), decorative structures and & formal gardens.  ‘Climbers & Creepers’ play zone (11-3.30pm) is a must, it has been designed for ages 3-9, they can climb inside a giant flower and do much more with indoor and outdoor play areas with more than 20 different activities. There are restaurants, cafés and snack areas and lots of picnicking areas.

Alexandra Palace 

First opened as “The People’s Palace” in 1873, Alexandra Palace is surrounded by 196 acres of parkland and has a rich diversity of greenery, conservation areas and lakes, all with great views across London. Activities at Ally Pally include ice-skating (see Sport section), playground, Skate Park, animal area, a boating lake and a pitch-and-put course. There are plenty of places to eat both on site and at nearby Muswell Hill Broadway. 

Victoria Park 

Laid out by London planner and architect Sir James Pennethorne and openned in 1845 Victoria Park or `the peoples park' is reminiscent of Regent's Park (the latter being designed by Pennethorne's teacher John Nash), is possibly the finest park in the East End. Canals form boundaries on two sides. Famouse sculptures, bits of the old London bridge, an athletics club, a pond and a Lido can all be found within it's 265 acres. The park also boast a club for under-fives, childrens zoo, a herd of deer and goats and an excellent children's play park with paddling pool. The Victoria Model Steam Boat Club also holds up to 17 Sunday regattas a year here.(traditionally first regatta held on Easter Sunday and the Steam Regatta on the first Sunday in July).

Open:  06:00am to dusk.
Admission:  Free
Tube:  Bethnel Green
Address:  Old Ford Road, London, E3

St. James Park 

Used as a backdrop to many famous films, St James's is a beautiful park at the very heart of London, in front of Buckingham Palace and next to Trafalgar Square. Bands give concerts twice a day at weekends during the summer. It has 1000 trees, beautiful waterfowl and interesting wildlife, including pelicans that roam around the lake. Facilities include a playground, restaurant/bar and refreshment points. Changing of the guard is at 11.30 in front of Buckingham Palace (see the What’s On section). Other ceremonies take place daily at 11am (Sundays 10am) at Horse Guards Arch by Whitehall (east of St James's Park) and last about 30 minutes.

Regent’s Park

The park itself covers 487 acres, including Primrose Hill. It has open parkland and spectacular formal gardens. Herons nest on the lake and many other birds and waterfowl can be seen. The Park is also home to London Zoo. There are plenty of places to eat both in the park and nearby. Summer open-air theatre, sports facilities, 4 playgrounds, a boating lake and the Wildlife Watch Group, who run free activities on the 3^rd Sun of every month 2-4pm (tel. 020 7935 7430).