Yes, I'm reviewing yet another square well there are a lot of them around, and I've recently been…read moreexploring them, often with dogs. I had to include this one, as in many ways it's an archetypal garden square, and also beautifully kept. It's down a back street between Upper Street and Liverpool Street, so free from through traffic. Surrounded by grand (Georgian?) houses. The gardens at the centre have iron railings and hedging. Inside they include a strange, but quite pretty building I did theorise was probably a gardener's shed (there's usually one) but apparently it's a ventilation shaft for the Victoria Line. There are also some superb gardens with a variety of paths, borders and little lawns. When giving 5 stars one of the criterion I usually use is that a reasonable number of average people would want to travel to see it. I'm not sure that any square would fulfil that (though promoters of Trafalgar Square might argue, really, would anyone book a coach trip JUST to see Trafalgar Square?). However in this case I decided that this one, because it's both an archetype and very well kept, deserved that mark of distinction compared to other squares. I wouldn't recommend anyone to travel to see it, but, should you be interested in Islington's squares, this one is a good one to include on your list. If you'd like to live there you'd need to be just slightly rich Read the Islington Gazzette story on the Millionaire Square (http://tinyurl.co.uk/1xq5) . Apparently the houses are worth 7 times the produce of an entire country.

Nice little park well situated close to upper street and the n1 centre. Perfect to sit in and relax…read moreon a sunny day after shopping. Well looked after flower beds and treees make this a perfect picnic spot. Beware it does close quite early so don't leave it too late.

One of the joys of living in London is that fact that we're blessed with a lot of green space in…read morethe middle of our capital city Some of it, like Hyde Park for example, is there because the monarchs of the time wanted to continue to hunt from Buckingham Palace and therefore kept that area of forest intact At the weekend, I visited Muswell Hill for the Chicken 2.0 UYE and spotted Highgate Wood on the way over from Highgate Tube station and as I was early, decided to take a little detour on that sunny day HIghgate Wood has been bequeathed to the people and is now maintained by the Corporation of London. They're doing a good job with clearly marked paths and with the first tentative shoots of spring coming through, it was a most agreeable walk I spied a board advrtising a series of free events and walks in the park The local citizens are lucky to have this park to enjoy

I love, love, love this park...and Momo, my dog, likes it even more…read more Highgate Wood is what I'd call the perfect urban park: a combination of almost jungle-like areas and a sporting green with an adjacent café (I've been told that the café is run by a Brazilian chef and the food is supposed to be quite tasty.). What else do I like about this park? - Being able to escape the hectic activities of our modern lives for a short while. It allows me to tune out the noises and concentrate on my inner self...for lack of a better word. In fact, when I was writing on my dissertation, this is where I'd find the tranquility and energy needed to sort-of pre-formulate and re-arrange my ideas. A note for dog walkers like myself: what I like about this park is that it's almost impossible for your dog to run away as the park is completely fenced in. This brings down my worry-scale a lot when my dog once again has disappeared in the bushes for a couple minutes...

A hidden gem. It is a small park (super quiet and tranquil) with benches, trees, flowers and a koi…read morepond. The main feature of the park is a memorial wall with decorative tiles which record the heroic deeds of ordinary Londoners who lost their lives to save others. A great place to eat lunch, take a nap or read a book. Shhhhhhhhhhh.

Not a huge park. Not a noticeable park. Blink and you might miss it in passing. Not a lot is…read moreseating in park. But what stands this 'park' apart is the historic plaques and history behind it. That it shows plaques depicting how brave people gave up their lives and died for others is astounding. Humbling. Heart warming. The stories behind it are more than just the words you see, and though we don't know full story the words you read will make you think that in a world that seems bad there was once and to any still is People out there willing to come to your aid.

One of my great loves are cities with lots of green space incorporated throughout, so I am in love…read morewith London. A green space near my house is Newington Green. I enjoy this space because it's relatively quiet. You do have the traffic buzzing around but it doesn't overwhelm you or ruin that park feel. Newington Green has a great little play area for kids and I like sitting and watching the kids jump and climb, it reminds me of my childhood. There are always lots of kids and even as the weather has gotten colder parents still bring their little cherubs out for a bit of fresh air. The park is surrounded by several businesses but when I'm sitting in Newington Green you almost forget that they are there. If you are sitting down you can look through the bars and seem them, but most of the time you are just either reading or watching families. It's nice to escape, even if it's only for a few minutes.

Moving away from posh Islington and towards the wilds of North East London, this little park has…read moreelements of both. There's plenty of posh shops around the edge, along with some more run down. The Green itself is a little park, actually forming the island of a huge roundabout. The roads are busy, and an important interchange for several bus routes, but don't worry, there are also loads of crossings. The park itself is surrounded by Plane trees and railings, which make it feel quite cut off from the traffic. Well kept grass, benches, and modern low block walls make pleasant places to sit. There's a childrens' play area, and a café open at the weekends. There are good notices on the history of the Green, plus the 'Newington Green Treasures'. These are little plaques scattered around the, relating to history and buildings you can look at nearby. They are also supposed to reveal secrets when pressed. I wasn't able to get them to. I think you may need a key. Overall quite a busy and vibrant junction, which still manages a relaxed feel, with patches of both sun and shade.

In terms of parks in Ealing, Blondin is quite small and although it has been recently cleaned up,…read moreit still has a little grafitti, which I personally don't really mind, but it isn't the most picturesque park. However, an advantage is that it is a lot more quiet than the other local parks, so it's great to go there if you want a guaranteed picnic place for a large number of people. The orchards are also quite good to ride your bike around as the paths have smooth tarmac and easy access from main roads such as Boston Manor Road, so it is a handy local park, but not as pretty as Lammas and Walpole.

What's tiny and frequently filthy but still regarded as a Shoreditch treasure? Hoxton Square. One…read moreof the only green, um, expanses available to local residents and the epicentre of Hoxton nightlife with The Hoxton Square Bar and Grill amongst others on its fringes, a visit to Hoxton Square is imperative if you find yourself within the Shoreditch Triangle. A veritable microcosm of East London, despite its compact size Hoxton Square has it all: great Thai food in the form of Yelo, hip coffee shops such as Macondo's, pioneering galleries like Jay Jopling's White Cube and darling boutiques like Lara Bohinc's eponymous shop. OK, it's not the best kept London park and it's probably sage to look out for syringes and the like if you're dog walking, but Hoxton Square is as good a place as any to enjoy a takeaway coffee during the summer or picnic with friends.

Years and years and years ago, when I first moved to London, I lived on New North Road. The little…read morebit with the church on it, not the big bit. My postcode was N1 6JB. I lived spitting distance from this square and I have seen it change. It once was a scary space with benches that were home to people without real beds and drug dealers, then Hoxton became cool and in came the artists and musicians that would buy cans from the off-licence and drink in the square because it was cheaper that hitting the swanky Bluu Bar. Now it's full of the spill out from bars that have seen better days, it's not as grotty and not as indie. But it's a good summer spot to sit with friends and a great meeting point.

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.

Potters Field Park is a riverside park behind City Hall, next to Tower Bridge, designed by…read morelandscape architect Gross Max. It offers iconic London views, space for quiet contemplation, somewhere to exercise or walk the dog, a place to picnic with friends, and a program of lively events. Elevated lawns are located adjacent to the river and river side wall providing open spaces for pedestrians to stop and relax. These open flexible spaces also provide the opportunity for public events Standing in the shadow of Tower Bridge and opposite the Tower of London it has a long and incredibly varied history. Past: A potter field was originally a space where poor people were buried; in biblical times, priests bought clay-rich land owned by pot-makers for their burial grounds. Over the centuries, Potters Fields Park has been used as both a burial ground and a site for pottery manufacture

Bar none, this is the best park for a lazy weekend picnic in London…read more Pick up some food and wine from the M&S Simply Food around the corner in More London, set up shop under the shade of a tree overlooking Tower Bridge and watch the world go by on the Thames. When you run out of wine, pop over to the Krystals convenience shop on Tower Bridge Road (just walk up the steps on the east side of Tower Bridge and head south) - they have loads on offer, all pre-chilled and reasonably priced. There are also pay-for toilets nearby if you need them or you can be a degenerate and use the one at the Starbucks in Shad Thames without buying anything - but you might have to wait in the queue of shame.