Top 10 Gardens and Parks to visit in London


 

London is a city blessed with many wonderful parks and open spaces. Whether it’s having a picnic on a summer’s day, going for a leisurely stroll or just admiring the view, there are few better places to be in London. Here is a selection of some of the best parks to visit. I will try to include parks that have not been mentioned in other articles.

1. Regent’s Park and Primrose Hill

 

Avenue Gardens, Regent’s Park: Wikimedia Commons

One of London’s iconic parks, Regent’s Park covers an area of nearly 400 acres and is filled with many beautiful spots, from a lovely rose garden displaying over 12,000 roses, to several boating lakes and even an open-air theatre and a zoo. The park is also home to several annual events including the Frieze Art Fair, an annual summer art exhibition.

Regent’s Park is one of the Royal Parks and one of the most famous parks in London. It is a place beautiful to visit any time during the year but is especially popular during summer, where many like to come for picnics.

Primrose hill, which is located adjacent to Regent’s Park, on the northern side is another spectacular place with stunning scenic views over London. It is particularly beautiful during sunset, during the summer months.

Nearest station: For Regent’s Park: Baker Street, Great Portland Street, Regent’s Park,    For Primrose Hill: Chalk Farm
A map can be found here
Regents Park is open from 5am all year round. Closing times vary. Further info can be found here. Primrose Hill does not have a closing time.

 

2. Hyde Park

Another popular park, Hyde Park is one of London’s most beloved parks. At 1.5 miles long and 350 acres it is one of London’s largest parks and a beautiful place for a leisurely stroll. It is almost hard to believe such a vast open space exists right in the centre of such a busy and bustling city.

The park is famous for the Serpentine lake, where you will find the oldest boating lake in London and also a lido. Other highlights in the park include several playgrounds and Speaker’s Corner, located on the northeastern edge of the park where speakers can talk about any subject they like to anyone interested.

Access info can be found on the website
The park is open from 5am to midnight all year round.

 

3. Battersea Park

 

Pond in Battersea Park: Wikimedia Commons

Located in Battersea, south-west London Battersea Park is a beautiful park along the banks of the River Thames. The park has been open to the public since it was opened in 1858 by Queen Victoria.

There is so much to see in this charming park from stunning views of the River Thames, a boating lake, several gardens and even a zoo that you will always have something different to see and do. Battersea Park’s adventure playground is also great for kids, with plenty of original and imaginative features, including climbing frames which present unusual and fun challenges for children.

The park is also the site of the London Peace Padoga, which was erected in 1985 as a special gift. It is one of the most iconic structures in the park and offers spectacular panoramic views over the river.  The Padoga features a series of bronze statues each depicting different stages of a Buddha’s life; birth, contemplation leading to enlightenment, teaching and death. Each year on August 9 there is a floating lantern ceremony in front of the Peace Pagoda to commemorate the Nagasaki atomic bomb.

Queenstown Rd
London
SW11 4NJ
Nearest station: Battersea Park
The park is open from 8am until dusk.
A map of the park can be downloaded here

 

4. Victoria Park

 

Nicknamed as the ‘People’s Park’ Victoria Park is London’s oldest public park, a place that has been visited by Londoners for nearly 170 years. It was once voted as the nation’s most popular park and has won the Green Flag and Green Heritage Awards 5 years in a row.

Highlights in the park include two large lakes, one of which has a Chinese Pagoda Island. There are also several playgrounds, a boating pond, tennis courts and a deer enclosure. This is a park that is well worth visiting where you can enjoy leisurely summer walks on the tree-covered paths.

Victoria Park
Grove Road
Bow
London E3 5TB
Nearest stations: Bethnal Green/ Mile End
A map of the park can be downloaded here
The park is open from 7am until dusk all year round.

 

5. Holland Park

 

Kyoto Garden in Holland Park: Credit to the author

Located in West London, this charming little park is often overshadowed by its more famous neighbour, Hyde Park and Kensington  Gardens. The 54 acre Holland Park surrounds a  large Jacobean mansion, named after its owner, the Earl of Holland.

Among the highlights is a Japanese themed garden. The Kyoto garden is a traditional Japanese garden with tranquil waterfalls and a pond full of  Koi Carp. There are also stone lanterns and Japanese Maple trees. You might even see a peacock wandering the garden. In the summer there is an open-air theatre and opera are staged in the park. The park is a real delight and hidden gem in London. Once you visit you will be sure to visit again and again.

Holland Park
Ilchester Place, W8 6LU
The park is open from 7:30am until 30 minutes before dusk.
Nearest station: Holland Park

6. Waterlow Park

Located in north London, next to neighboring Highgate Cemetery, Waterlow Park is a wonderful hidden gem of a park with splendid views over London. The park used to be privately owned by Sir Sydney Waterlow, before he generously donated it in 1889 as a gift to the people of London as a ‘garden for the gardenless’.

Among the highlights of the park are 3 ponds, the ideal place for bird and wildlife spotting, which attracts animals including ducks, hedgehogs, herons and bats. The historic Lauderdale House, which is now used as an arts centre and cafe are worth having a looking at.

Waterlow Park
Highgate Hill
London
N6 5HD
The park is open from 7:30am until dusk.
Nearest Station: Archway

 

7. Crystal Palace Park

 

Dinosaurs in Crystal Palace Park: Wikimedia Commons

Crystal Palace is a large park in south London. The palace which is named after the park no longer exists, but the grounds which make up this lovely park still has some interesting features worth checking out. Among them are several life-size dinosaurs, built by the Victorians, which you can find out more about at the Crystal Palace Museum in the park. The park is also home to one of the UK’s largest mazes, an Italian terrace, a children’s farm, a fishing lake, as well as an outdoor concert stage.

Thicket Rd
London
SE20 8DT
A map and further info can be downloaded here
Nearest station: Crystal Palace
Opening times: 7:30am – 8:30pm in winter and 11pm in summer.

8. Clapham Common

Ponds in Clapham Common: Wikimedia Commons

Clapham Common is a large park located in south-west London. Originally it was common land for the parish of Clapham before being converted to parkland in 1878. The park is popular among locals and a great place to relax.

At 220 acres the park has plenty of green space, as well as 3 ponds and a Victorian bandstand, which is the largest in London and hosts many open-air concerts during the summer. There is also a range of sporting facilities, including a running track, a football pitch and a skateboard venue.

Clapham Common
Windmill Drive
London
SW4 9DE
Nearest station: Clapham Common/Clapham South
The park is open 24 hours a day.

9. Richmond Park

At 2,500 acres Richmond Park is the largest of the 8 Royal Parks in London. Although it is a bit far to get to, it is a magnificent park that is well worth visiting. It is a great place to visit that is a peaceful and calming contrast to the city. The park is most famous for its wild deer, where 650 roam freely.

Some highlights in the park include the Isabella Plantation, a 40 acre woodland garden full of exotic plants and flowers. King Henry VIII’s Mound is also worth visiting, which offers splendid unobstructed views of London, all the way to St Paul’s Cathedral, 12 miles away.

Richmond Park
Holly Lodge, Teddington, TW10 5HS
Nearest station: Richmond
Pedestrian gates are open 24 hours a day.

 

10. Clissold Park

Pond in Clissold Park: Wikimedia Commons

Located in Stoke Newington, north London, Clissold Park may not be as well known as some of the other parks mentioned but it is still a beautiful and tranquil park, especially popular with locals. The park has held a Green Flag award every year since 2006.

Although not the biggest park at 54 acres, it is big enough to relax undisturbed, perfect for long summer evenings. Some of the things you will find in the park include bird and animal enclosures, fountains, pond, tennis courts and Clissold House, a grade II* listed building, which was restored to its original 18th-century design in 2007.

Clissold Park
Green Lanes, Stoke Newington, London N16 9HJ
Nearest station: Canonbury

 

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