This is a beautiful unexpected green space between Finsbury Park and Arsenal. Meadows, copses,…read morewildflowers, a lily pad pond, a wind turbine, some random artwork made of repurposed metals...what more could you ask for?! I walked past the Finsbury Park entrance to this park for ages because I thought it looked kind of sketch, but it's not at all. I felt like I had left the dreary traffic on Seven Sisters Road for a magical journey to Narnia!

I found this place one day while just walking past, and what a pleasant surprise. None of it is…read morebig: the centre itself only has a few rooms, including a classroom where they teach sessions for local schools. Around that is a nature reserve, which is also known as Gillespie Park. There are gardens, and tiny pockets of wood and grassland habitats. In among it all you'll also find artworks, including several in reclaimed scrap metal, and some carved stone seats. There's water reclamation pools (not at all smelly like you might think) and a huge wind turbine (which is a lot quieter than the passing trains) It's only very small, so perhaps not a place to travel to see. But if you are in the area why not drop in. There is more information at: http://www.islington.gov.uk/Contact/visitingoffices/ecologycentre.asp

I love Richmond! I had to walk along the Thames to get here which was just so scenic and serene.read more

If you're walking along the riverside in beautiful Richmond, continue until you come to Old Palace…read moreLane. Turn-in, keep alert, and after a few paces, on the right-hand side, you'll notice an understated pale plaque on the wall. In pale lettering it informs you that this is the site of the former Richmond Palace, where Queen Elizabeth I spent many of her days and where she died in 1603. Sadly, most of the Palace was demolished after Charles I was executed and the plans for its later rebuilding, designed by Sir William Chambers, never came to fruition. However, if you wander up to the top of the very pretty lane you'll see some remaining walls together with a smaller, light-blue plaque commemorating the site. I stop here on most occasions when I'm in the area. It never fails to move me and to transport my imagination to how people lived then; to envisage late Tudor times and the experiences - sad and joyous - of the 'Virgin Queen'.

I loved this section of the capital ring, mostly because so much of it was completely new to me! It…read moreis a really nice area to wander around that I didn't know anything about! Best bits: - TFL describes this as one of the easiest sections of the capital ring. It is only 5 miles long, on really flat ground and mostly along the Thames or the Union Canal. - There are more pubs along this section than any other...so if you just want a teeny bit of a walk, followed by drinks - this is the walk for you! - The first part is along the river Thames and is sooo pretty! We got to see lots of rowers practicing and saw so, so many birds. - To my shame, I'd never heard of Syon park - but it is lovely to walk through...and it was also pretty cool to watch planes fly low as they get ready to land in Heathrow. - The second half of the walk is less pretty (along the Grand Union Canal) with more modern and less aesthetically pleasing architecture...but it is still a really nice wander. I can't think of many downsides to this section. Once we'd got to Boston manor, we had to take a rail replacement service as the tube was down...but I assume that is not the norm...so it's pretty easy to access this area. The map for this section is here: http://content.tfl.gov.uk/capital-ring-section-7.pdf and the google map is https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zi2kcos2sUj8.kVWGrVC8hy7s&hl=en_US

I love the Parkland Walk...let me refer to Wikipedia to give you a quick overview: "The Parkland…read moreWalk is a 4.5-mile (7.2 km) linear green walkway, in the London Boroughs of Haringey and Islington, which follows the course of the railway line which used to run between Finsbury Park through Stroud Green, Crouch End, Highgate and Muswell Hill to Alexandra Palace." This local reserve is great for walking your dog, riding your bicycle, jogging or simply going for a stroll. Living in Archway, I oftentimes use it as a means to get to Crouch End in a more "natural" fashion...really, it's beautiful to walk along and you always run into smiling, chatting people...there's something about it that makes people happy! If you wanted to experience the entire walk, I suggest you start at Finsbury Park. It will take you approximately 40-45 minutes until you get to the backside of Highgate. You will emerge by a pub called the Boogalo. Right across from it is a café called "The Quarters Café" and I recommend you stop here for a nice cup of coffee, warm soup or a home-made piece of cake. The next part is a little tricky, but eventually you will reach Queens Wood, then Highgate Wood. Afterwards, you're back on the old railway track and you're circumventing Muswell Hill and you will be able to enjoy the stunning views over London. Eventually, you'll reach Alexandra Palace and the entire London will stretch in front of you. I recommend doing this walk on a Sunday, as you can then finish off with a visit to Ally Pally Farmers Market...

The Parkland Walk is a hidden gem of North London, running from Highgate, where you can see the…read moretunnels under the station that are he to bats who use the Walk as a fly-way at night, to the open spaces of Finsbury Park, where people gather for picnics exercise and dog walking (there's also another stretch that runs from the other side of Highgate station to Alexandra Palace, which has a delightful view). The walk is an excellent way to get away from the busy streets and immerse yourself in the tree-lined pathways, as well as take in sights like the famous Spriggan sculpture and the ever-changing graffiti on the bridges. There are Nature conservations spots as well, with a new garden at the Highgate end, acid grasses which are home to slow worms, and sites of burrowing bees along the way. If you want to see another side of London, hop on to the Parkland Walk, and you'll be amazed where it can take you.

If you have not visited the development just north of Kings Cross recently, I urge you to do so…read more It's really impressive, albeit mostly focused around housing and a lot of reasonably high-end retail. There are lots of places to eat (both restaurants and coffee) and there's quite a student vibe, thanks to the Central St Martins art and fashion college being located there. However, if you're looking for an antidote, just cross the canal and then you will find the Camley Street Natural Park. It's a delightful semi-wilderness, with lots of wild planting, trees and ponds, with paths and seating. The drawer for me is their café. They serve teas, coffees, a limited range of alcoholic drinks, fresh organic juices, and cakes and light snacks. These include a soup of the day, sandwiches, toasted sandwiches and paninis. Most of the options are vegan or vegetarian, although there are a few meaty options as well. They have only outdoor seating (albeit under cover), so it is a good option if it is warm (or you are well wrapped up). The quality is really good, but do be prepared for a bit of a wait, especially if they busy, as everything is prepared to order. To be fair, the friendly staff warned us of this, but we were happy to wait and watch the world go by. A bit of a find, and worth knowing about.

You lucky lucky people…read more You're lucky I'm so nice and telling you about a hidden gem in the heart of London. A place to go when you thought you'd seen it all. Somewhere to escape and to learn. Somewhere where children can look a pond bugs and adults can (probably) kiss. We were on an anti tourist walk on a Saturday in and around Camden mostly because I'm a mild masochist who likes a challenge. We wound our way though lesser known parts of Regent's Park and down Regent's canal, only failing when we passed Camden Lock itself. To the east of this is this wonderful little two acre park right next to St Pancras international Station. Blink and you miss it, I would encourage most people to blink. This is two acres of land saved by the London Wildlife Trust and kept as a wildish nature reserve. From the canal it just looks like trees but get in and you will find a mini paradise of eco-conservationism. We were almost alone with the city feeling a million miles away in a pristine wild wetland, meadow and woodland area that has facilities for classes and education. It's wonderful little surprises like this that keep pulling me back to London so seriously...tell no-one, or you'll ruin my anti-tourist walk.

Lovely garden next to the V&A museum of childhood. Take a picnic and enjoy your lunch before…read moreentering the museum. It's attractively landscaped with numerous flower beds. There is a pretty water fountain by the station side entrance well worth looking at.

One wonders how this place could be so lovely just next to a Tube station. Fresh flowers. Nice…read moreambly path. Enough benches. A lovely place to eat lunch, and sit in an English garden waiting for the sun. Or even after the sun has come. Plus, it's across the road from where I work. Lucky me.

Morden Hall Park is probably one of my favourite parks in the local area. I grew up around the…read morecorner and would often frequent it with my friends or to ride my bike as a child. It is a National Trust park, spanning from Morden through to Mitcham, and you could even walk it as the paths are clearly signposted for one to follow. The park also boasts a large garden centre and a lovely little cafe with a National Trust shop attached. The River Wandle runs through it and in summer you will find children in the streams, fishing or playing. There is also a cute little flower garden which is maintained all year round.

We were in Wimbledon for a car test drive but wanted to walk our dog too so did a quick google…read moresearch and this National Trust property came up. It's beautiful! There's a garden centre and a couple of cafes (though I did find the food at the Potting Shed cafe rather disappointing and tasteless if I'm honest). They've got 'wilder' bits with long grass for dogs to run around and a rose garden (not blooming yet but looking forward to seeing it in the summer) and mowed areas perfect for kids to run around. There are streams running through the park and lovely white bridges. It really is picturesque and not at all what I was expecting to find. The dog loved it too!

Oh my, what's not to love!?…read more My brood and I took a long, meandering Sunday walk and came upon the New River Walk -- an unexpected treat amidst the traffic, buses and busy streets of London. A perfectly situated oasis. You can close your eyes and you might think you were out in a forest preserve somewhere! From the Islington Parks site: "This park is part of the historic new river that brought water into London, now a peaceful oasis for wildlife, featuring historic linear water features, notable trees including swamp cypress and dawn redwood." Also, from my observations: ducks, birds, green leaves and grass, a bridge or two, good photo opportunities and minimal rubbish (either the people that use this are respectful of the New River Walk or the clean up crews are very efficient). Nearest Highbury and Islington Station or Essex Road Station. If you are walking in the area or could use this as part of your walking commute -- do pop in! Beautiful.

Nice place for a walk - I often walk there on Sundays when I got from The Cellars (one of my…read morefavourite Sunday roast places) to Camden Passage / Upper Street (one of my Sunday places for friends who visit). It is much nicer than plainly walking in the street and also can show out of towners how peaceful London can still be! The great thing is, no bikes are allowed here so you can have a nice, calming walk. You know you're metres away from the busy streets of London but you don't feel it that much. You just stroll along this river (not a natural river but still very pleasant) and see some wildlife - I even spotted a heron once in one of the little islands (yes, I like birds)! Of course you have squirrels as well because, well, you can't get away from them anywhere in London. Lots of ducks too (they are fairly fat already and I would like to remind the lovely people reading this review that feeding them bread is not actually good for the poor little duckies: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/mar/16/dont-feed-the-ducks-bread-say-conservationists). There is a lovely little bridge at some point, the water is very clean (I still would not drink it, mind you), and given that there is a reasonable amount of bins, so is the walkway.