London is full of big, wide, green open spaces. You just need to know when they are.
With grace, certainty and a decidedly large amount of foliage, London casts aside the traditional city nickname of concrete jungle with a huge array of parks, open areas and greenery. Yes, London parks include the eight famous Royal Parks - Bushy Park, Green Park, Greenwich Park, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Regent's Park, Richmond Park, St. James's Park and Brompton Cemetery - in total covering around 5,500 acres of land in Greater London.
But there's also many other parks and open spaces in a range of sizes, run mainly by the local London boroughs. Some of these nobody really knows about, but we'll let you in on the secret - cos we're so gosh-darned nice like that.
Here then are Spoonfed’s picks of the ten best parks in London:
Hyde Park
Covering 142 hectares and offering a wide range of leisure activities, Hyde Park is one of London’s largest and liveliest parks. With opportunities for rollerblading, rowing, wildlife watching, horse riding, eating out, or making the most of the playgrounds, there is something for everyone. The jewel in the grassy crown.
Clissold Park
Situated in Stoke Newington, Clissold Park has fields full of deer, an animal enclosure, and even a butterfly tunnel. Its location means that it's generally full of happy folk in their early 30s, muching away on organic goodness bought from nearby Church Street.
Kensington Gardens
Lying immediately to the west of Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens consist of formal avenues of magnificent trees and ornamental flower beds. The many paths make the park a perfect place for running, jogging and cycling.
Victoria Park
The 'People's Park' covers 218 acres of grassland in Tower Hamlets and was originally opened to the public in 1845, giving a much-needed green space for the residents of poverty-stricken Victorian East End.
Regent’s Park
With over 400 varieties of rose and a diverse range of wildlife, a trip to Regent’s Park is a must for any visitor to London. The park also offers excellent sports facilities including tennis, netball, athletics, cricket, softball, rounders, football and rugby.
Brockwell Park
Yes, it's kind of far away (unless you live there) but Brockwell Park is simply lovely. With rolling hills, trees, and a cute little lido (with excellent cafe) Brockley Park is the perfect place to escape the central London hordes on a summer's day.
Richmond Park
At almost 1000 hectares, Richmond Park is the largest of the Royal Parks. Designated as a National Nature Reserve, a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation, the park is a wildlife haven and is home to around 650 free roaming deer.
St James’s Park
The oldest of the Royal Parks, St James’s Park is rich in royal, political and literary history. The park features a small lake which is home to ducks, geese and pelicans, and visitors can watch the park’s wildlife officers feeding the pelicans every day at 2:30pm, as well as taking a guided tour of the park’s Duck Island.
Green Park
Located next to St James’s Park, The Green Park is a lot quieter and more peaceful, with mature trees and grassland. The park provides a relaxing haven for people working in the surrounding area, and is popular for picnics and sunbathing.
Haggerston Park
Sick of London Fields? Let's face it, there's no actual grass there any more - it's just fag ash and hipsters. If so, head to nearby Haggerston Park. It looks a bit weird (like college property or something) but it's always empty and quiet. Just don't tell anyone please - we don't want it ruined...
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