The Hollow Pond is part of Epping Forest, lying between Upper Leytonstone and Snaresbrook. I first…read morecome across this parkland while cycling around the neighbourhood. It was such a delightful discovery! I was so thrilled by this place and I still am. Very raw and natural, not as artificial as most parks in Central London. The pond covers quite a large area and I usually hire a boat for an hour which only cost £10 during summer time. Around the pond, there is a track for walking and cycling. There are full of animals and it's so nice to be part of this natural environment no words can described my liking for this place! A definite five star-er!

Its a very calming place, love it to the core, not very known so still not that crowded or…read moretouristy. Its nature at its best with lovely little lake, a forest trail and a clear area for picnics and boating can be awesome fun as well

We walked this section of the Capital Ring in the rain, on a pretty chilly day. It was cold, windy…read moreand wet but I can see this would be a really pleasant walk in better weather. This is the shortest section of the capital ring, so you'll probably want to extend it into one of the other sections. We did three sections in one day and it was still less than 5 hours walk. Highlights: - You get to wander around the Royal Albert and King George V Docks, as well as along the Thames...so there are lots of waterside views. - Watch out for dragon boat races! (I have a review for them too if you'd like to be involved: check out the London Regatta Centre) - There are two possible routes, one along the Thames and over lock gates, or go over the Sir Steve Redgrave Bridge...we tried to find the way through the lock, but building works seemed to block the way. - There was quite a nice pub on the North side of the Sir Steve bridge, hidden within a modern housing estate on the docks. - After the walk, pop into the Cornerstone cafe, it has SUCH yummy food. Less amazing: - The views can be quite industrial compared to other sections of the capital ring. It is a different side of London. - The Woolwich Tunnel (at the end of this section) has a bit of an aroma of piss. This is the final section of the Capital Ring walk. If you'd like maps for the all 126km of the walk, you can find them here: https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/walking/capital-ring and https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zi2kcos2sUj8.kVWGrVC8hy7s&hl=en_US

I think it may be partly the time of year, but on my recent visit this park was stunning. Green…read moregrass starred with daisies, trees with a haze of red and gold new twigs, all against the grey and gold sky of a showery spring day I actually ran short of time to visit the ponds in the north, which is a shame, but the parts of the park I did see consist of a series of meadows (and sports fields), with woods around the edges. Many of the trees seem to be a little unusual: flowering, and/or with coloured and silver bark. The South end of the park is flat, but as you move up there's a small and pretty hill. One thing I found intriguing was the presence of a couple of tethered horses. Personally if I had a horse I wouldn't want to leave it in a public park! They seem healthy enough, though the piebald had very bad manners: he stormed up to me and bit at my pocket, probably looking for treats. No harm done but he could have badly scared and possibly hurt someone. It would be best to keep your distance maybe if you are not confident around horses I did wonder if they came from the local City Farm, but I think theirs were all accounted for in their own fields.

In actual fact, there are no less than three lovely beaches and two harbours here in this…read moreattractive little town, so plenty to explore on your day out. Large soft sandy beaches to lie on in the occasional hot sunshine found in Wales, and swimming, surfing, sailing and kayaking in the sea. There are boat trips from the harbour for dolphin spotting and other wildlife in Cardigan Bay. Plenty of shops nearby where you can buy buckets and spades, beachballs, inflatable dolphins, sunhats, flip-flops and other necessary items for the beach, and there are several good ice cream and burger/fish and chip take-aways as well. A gorgeous place to visit - I was there two days ago and loved every minute!

Cudmore Grove Country Park is situated on the far end of Mersea Island and is, as a result,…read moreisolated from the little civilisation on the island. An ample car park, which never seems full, leads on to a large open space, only interrupted by the old World War II pillbox to one side. The nature of the area allows for a decent circular route along the sea front. The beaches are not very sandy but the grassy area is ideal for a summer picnic. In all, a very good park and walk, even if it is a bit far from civilisation.

This is a great place for a family walk in the woods. there's something otherworldly about lots of…read morebig trees. When you've finished walking there's great little cafe with books and toys for children. just £2 to park. At certain times in the year they have special events for children, these book up very quickly so it's worth visiting their website and booking ahead. We did a pirate treasure trail with a group of children of mixed ages and they loved it. it was quite a sight to see lots of pirates and princesses running through the woods. They got a prize at the end too.

Wonderful green space within the urban sprall. Busy and much used country park, although large…read moreenough to find pockets of tranquility. Only downside is the parking charge. Nice visitor centre with facilities to the north. Mainly wooded park, with more open ground and water to the south (entrances and parking at both). Beautiful in autumn and spring. Bliss.

The Medway river side comprises of the lush green area stretching along the medway valley walkway…read more During the summertime the place is ideal for having picnics in specially because get a lovely veiw of the cruises and boats on the Medway river on one side and can have a backdrop of the Rochester castle on the other side. The lawns and pretty flower beds along the walk are maintained by the Medway council and add a splash of colour to the already pretty scenery. The place is very centrally located , ie is very close to the high-street and the train-station yet it is very peaceful and the only sounds you can hear are those of the gulls flying around. There is a huge children's park and a yatching-club in the area as well.

I love wat Tyler Park. I used to go there often when I was small and even now I'm an adult it's…read morestill a nice place to go. There's more than enough to have a really big picnic with plenty of room to play games and not interfere with anyone else's picnic. There's plenty of places to buy an ice cream or something more substantial and the prices are reasonable. There's also some very nice little craft shops and galleries. There's alsoa boat museum which is worth a visit!

A lovely place to go if you enjoy going for peaceful walks on your own, with your family or with a…read morefour-legged companion, although it's very easy to get lost if you don't know your way around as it's not very well sign-posted. It's great for wildlife watching as they have a few bird hides (sometimes used by BBC's Springwatch) and you can see all sorts of creatures if you're lucky. If you don't go on the right day then sometimes not everything's open so if you're going for a specific reason check their website first. Many, many years ago I stayed here with a group of Girl Guides and they loved the place, although they got scared by the stories of ghosts and haunted cottages!

This is a lovely place…read more It is great for a walk or to take the children or pets. They have a fishing lake, an animal park with chickens and goats that you can feed. They also have horses which if your not scared of them like me, you can ride. They have a nice little cafe serving hot food and bevereges. You may fish in the lake but you strictly have to put the fish back and you need a licence. Great place for relaxing and for the family

I love this place. It runs along the Medway Estuary and includes the Berengrave Local Nature…read moreReserve too. There are lots of habitats within the park, ponds, reed-beds and grassland providing a haven for wildlife, not to mention the mudflats and salt marsh which attract an abundance of bird life. The Medway Estuary is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and is extremely important for the bird life which feed along the mudflats. You can walk alongside the river, through the meadows or in the nature reserve and it is so peaceful. I find it really restful and enjoyable. The dog enjoys himself too!