This modern looking lodge with exterior walls and an inside fire place over looking forest and…read moremeadow is the only surviving Tudor hunting lodge. In the 16th century it was called "The Great Standing" - an elaborate OPEN SIDED viewing platform used by the corpulent Henry the Eighth and court to view hunting and equestrian displays. He was better able to gracefully ascend the "procession stairs" (as you will) that had low risers and wide treads to accommodate his girth, equestrian injuries and the ladies' great skirts. The supporting massive oak beams have survived more than 500 years. Banners with family crests used to festoon the sides of the platform and flags flew gaily above. See what the Royal party will be feasting on and hear the kitchen help chopping and dicing in the background. Children can try on Tudor clothing upstairs. This is a family-friendly destination. The volunteers are great about answering your questions. Many thanks to volunteer Danny, now 94 who used to play about the ruins as a boy and has studied the history of the site for years. He was an incredible font of knowledge.

I brought a group up here today for a work trip, and I was pleasantly surprised!…read more It's a very neat building from the 1500s, first used as an open building for Henry VIII to go hunting from (they apparently corralled deer in for him to shoot with his bow and arrow from a chair in the building). Queen Elizabeth then closed it in and made it into the building it is today. The building is charming and a bit corny, set with fake food and costumes to try on - definitely a bit school group centered, but at the same time, it's really more about coming in and having a bit of a feeling of how old and special the building is, and there are lovely views from the top floor. Plus the staircase is original, and is apparently one of the first (if not *the* first) example of a staircase that goes up in a square (like most staircases now!) The guide told us that The Globe came and measured up the stairs and used them as a template when they redid the Globe, so you're in fine company. It's free to go and is open 7 days a week from 10am to 5pm (subject to some closures for private tours, like us today, or school groups). It's set in Epping Forest but is easy to get to as it's less than 10 minutes by foot from Chingford. There's a pub next door and a café across the street, so it's a nice place to start or end a trip to the Forest. There's also a great visitor centre, with permanent and temporary exhibitions, and a gift shop (naturally).

Trees always deserve 5 stars…read more We have lived North, West and South. London that is and I have to say Dulwich has been our favourite by far. Dulwich Wood and Sydenham Hill Woods, are a wonderful area of ancient woodland. Paths lead you round the rolling landscape unaltered by the flattening activities of man, well apart from all the paths, steps and the odd bridge. This area has remained green and wooded due to its ever so privileged history going back to Henry XII who seized and sold this area to Thomas Calton for just over 600 quid, those were the days. In 1605 it was sold on to Elizabethan actor Edward Alleyn who created a charitable foundation, 'Alleyn's College of God's Gift'. This became the Dulwich Estate and remains so to this day. This continuity of affluent Estate's ownership has meant Dulwich looks more like the country side than part of Londons urban sprawl.

This is the only place I know in London where you can pull on a pair of wellies, trudge up a muddy…read moredirt path and find yourself in a foot of mud and in the middle of a wooded forest. When I am fed up of London and its busy stresses, a trip to Dulwich Woods somehow relieves the tension of city life. I do love London, but sometimes you need to escape, rather than a long drive into the country, Dulwich Woods will give you English country woods and still allow you to get home for dinner.

I recently discovered the delightful park and gardens down by the riverside in Twickenham which are…read morepart of York House, previously owned by Sir Ratan Tata and now part of the Civic offices of Richmond Borough Council. It's the perfect place for a short stroll or to sit and enjoy some peace and take in the lovely surroundings. It's also home to a spectacular and quite unexpected fountain which wouldn't look out of place in Florence!

An oasis of calm, the jewel in the crown of New Southgate, the last refuge of the scoundrel? No,…read moreits just a little park in North London, though it does have a few tennis courts as well as a woodland feature. But I love it!

The Chiswick House & Gardens is a beautiful little garden in west London that many people don't…read moreknow about. I have been here during the fall when it is completely quiet, and during their magical lantern festival at night when it is packed with crowds. The grounds are well kept, and the lanterns are most amazing. The lanterns along the little lake are especially stunning thanks to the water reflection, but it's also extremely cold thanks to the water. There are three "rest stops": the cafe upon entrance, the marshmallow roasting station in the middle of the tour (but no warming huts which is desperately needed as it's humid and bone chilling in London), and a small fair ground at the end of the tour with hot food, hot drink, and a ferries wheels. The only problem is that it is so freezing cold, and their inadequate toilets especially for women created a huge problem: long queues, chilling cold temperature inside the loos, and generally uncomfortable dirty conditions. It is to be expected with any festivals but still the organizers could have done a better job at regular cleaning and providing directions.

We just headed here this weekend for the Magical Lantern Festival. Hence my rating and review is of…read morethe festival. However, we did see some gorgeous marble statues and the gardens (what we could see of them in the dark) and Historic House, looked like this place definitely merits another visit. The Magical Lanterns are stunning. After the London Lumiere festival, I was a bit skeptical of what would be on offer. But I was blown away by the displays. Budget 2 hours for the walk itself, especially if you are visiting on a night with crowds. We picked up hot coffees and churros at the entry. Feasted on hot chocolate and hot toddy from Beltane and Pop and roasted marshmallows on the firepit at the midway stop. And there was a good selection of meals at the exit point with a covered marquee to enjoy it in. We however decided that we wanted a proper sit down restaurant that was well warmed for dinner and hence walked across to Chiswick high street for a meal. Do note, that these are all pop ups and food trucks - I assume they are only here during the festival. They do have a permanent coffee shop on the premises that was open. But the number of wailing children on this occasion, kept us away.

ok, you might think me a little made for reviewing a bit of grass, but what the hey!. Blackheath…read morecommon is actually a great place to go- in the summer and in the winter. for example you have the funfiar and circus during the summer, and the fireworks in the winter (extremely popular!). what with quite a few pubs near by, you can sit outside with a pint on a summers day and chill out, as well as play sports, fly kites etc. Also look out for the donkeys- yes, they are still going strong! (by the front gates of greenwich park). by night the common changes, to a quiet haven. Watch it though- it can be a bit dark at times, and also gets very cold during the winter months, so wrap up warm

It's true, Blackheath Common can be stunning when there is good weather. It is a wide expanse of…read moreland and you can see the most beautiful sunsets. It is a very popular place to go if you want to fly kites. There are some serious kiter flyers out there who come to Blackheath Common for this purpose. Every year the circus comes to Blackheath Common and football tournaments are always taking place there. It has a lot of heritage too. Of course, you are right near Greenwich Park and there are lots of cafes, pubs and restaurants to go to.

I had a lovely time exploring this park. This was right by our friends we stayed with at London and…read moreI was so glad to have stumbled it. Loved the wall of fame, the garden, play ground and river. Loved it so much I did a blog post for my blog. I will be sure to check this out again whenever I am in that area. You could easily spend half a day here. It is the most scenic park I have seen in a long time. Kudos to the brains behind this beauty. https://youtu.be/_c98UTPjp28 https://www.instagram.com/tv/ByiVzD3AzWG/?igshid=1cmtml76ja4ac

Not really much to look at. The benefit here for me is that with the right lighting and the right…read moreangle there is a hell of a lot to see within a photographic frame which can look REALLY beautiful go see anyway, the history of how it all came about is quite interesting

Queen's Gardens is a very pleasant green oasis adjacent to the Town Hall in Croydon, and just a few…read moreminutes' walk from the busy shopping centre. It is popular with office workers, and for wedding photographs for those undertaking Civil Ceremonies in the Town Hall, but not that well known to many of the visiting shoppers, who never stray this far. It is a mix of lawns, formal borders and a more informal sunken garden, complete with palms. It has an interesting history: the 'sunken' gardens to the north of the site were formed from the railway cutting which led to the former Croydon Central railway station. During the early days of the railways, the two current stations, West Croydon and East Croydon were built by the London and Croydon Railway (1839) and the London and Brighton Railway (1841) respectively, but the townspeople felt neither station was conveniently sited for the town centre. This pressure led to the authorisation in 1864 of a short branch line from East Croydon station to a new station on the site of the present Town Hall, which duly opened as Croydon Central station in 1868. It was a spacious two-platform terminus, handsomely provided with an Italianate station building in brick. Alas, with a meagre service of just 12 trains a day, passengers found it easier to use the other two stations, and the service ceased in 1871. After pressure from the Council, a service was reinstated in 1886, (this time as 'Central Croydon') but this too lasted only until 1890, when the station closed for good. But one advantage of the legacy was that it provided a large, consolidated site for redevelopment. The Council used this opportunity to build the original Town Hall, Courts, a Police Station and Public Library. The sunken garden was constructed in the cutting and opened in 1896. In 1968, the lawns facing Taberner House were laid out, which at that time remained separated from the sunken gardens by Mint Walk and the Victorian Police Station. The Police Station was demolished in 1980, and the two sections of garden joined together as we see them now. They were opened by the Queen on 21st June 1983.

I was so pleased to discover this small area with urban gardens right in the heart of Croydon…read more Opened by the Queen in 1983 it has blossomed ever since. At one of the weddings I attended, we came down here for photo shoots. With the vast array of beautiful flowers amidst a beautiul fountain, this garden truly represents what tranquility and serenity one can find in the open. As I sat on the bench, I imagined myself coming down there again, to bask in the lovely sunshine and soak in the pleasant scents of the colourful flowers overlooking me. It even gets more attractive because there are a bit more private areas the next level below, like (its like a one storey plan) and you can enjoy a lovely novel in the more shaded areas or for those serenaders, its a nice place too. You cannot miss it. It's just right across the Registry.