Living in New Eltham we are blessed to have this lovely expansive park right on our doorstep. The…read morepark is a great place for walking the dog, for kids to play footie or just to wander through some of the ancient trees. There's a great cafe which is very cheap and does some great hot snacks and just outside the little kids are playing on the swings etc so great for families. It's a well kept park and right next to the university of Greenwich campus so you often see students laying out on the grass in the summer taking life in while they study.

A very large park which houses the famous winter gardens which are hothouses containing exoctic…read moreplants from around the world. These are maintained by the University of Grennwich next door. Adjacent to these is a walled rose garden ideal for relaxing on a summers day. In the center of the park is a childrens playground with a small cafe which serves excellent home cooked meals. The park houses several sports pitches which can be hired from the local council. The Green chain walk runs through the park

Often confused with Valentines Park which is also nice as it's very spacious but that's another…read morereview. I'm talking about Ilford Park it's in an interesting location so a lot of people don't know where it is the great thing about this park is that the people who do use it and know where it is are quite friendly and co-operative the park has a tennis court with a nice handy basketball court next door. Very rarely your see two to four people playing basketball as I said the people are quite friendly so if you come along your are most likely to be designated the other side of the basketball court or it's possible to come to some sort of negotiation. This is a fitness park as the biggest section of the park is dedicated to fitness there are pillars that work there way round the park giving different fitness instructions which is great for the summer if you don't want to be sweating to death in a Gym. The park has a kiddies section with swings jungle gym picnic table and chairs for parents to watch their kids and a water fountain.

If you're a lover of flower gardens and secluded park benches where you can spend a few hours in a…read moregood book - then this park is not for you. While there is a small garden section with benches - there's really not enough of a flower display to please the eye. There is however, a well equipped kids playground, and a more than ample field wihich is used for football games (all year round) and cricket in the summer. This park is also a dog walkers paradise. Thanks to the rough area that runs parallel to the A406 (known as The Warren I think), you're not likely to be bothered by dogs running off lead. Finally - it's worth noting that the trees that hide the A406 from view are actually chery trees. They have the sweetest fruits in summer (if you can convince somebody to pick them for you)

The Grange used to be pretty horrible but has had lots of work on it in the last few years. You can…read morenow get there through gates that open onto kilburn highroad (at the side of The Black Lion). Its got a nice playground for kids, tennis courts, basketball courts and a big grassy open space in the middle for picnics and football and sunbathing and anything else you can do on grass. A nice place to chill out.

Generously-sized recreation grounds divided in two by a cycle/pedestrian path. A stone's throw…read more(better not!) from the centre of bustling Kingston's commercial heart. Well endowed with benches (and rubbish bins). It's a good place to take a breather, go for a run (although not the most inspiring going round and round the same quadrant repeatedly) perhaps better for circuit training. On Wednesdays it's very popular with local football teams enthusiastically honing their skills. On summer weekends, cricketers make it their own with their followers enjoying laid-back leisurely picnics. There's still plenty of room for sun-worshippers and others Bags and designated bins are provided for dog owners. There used to be an almost omnipresence of local drug addicts and drunks here but they've now moved-on (!) and it's a cleaner happier place to be.

The park is an ideal community park, plenty big and lots of hidden gems within. From the massive…read morelavender field where you can actually hide from the world and duck into a literal forest of the stuff, to two seldom-populated tennis courts, two grassy dog runs, a massive and protected children's area with modern equipment, this place has it all. The large stretches of open green space are the most remarkable feature of this park which seems hidden in plain sight here in Vauxhall, where groups of workers meet for lunch on the lawn, and folks gather at the corner cafe (see Parco Cafe - a separate listing) during surprisingly liberal hours. Whether you live next door or are in for an hour, come relax in this secluded haven of SW London.

A modern fully equipped equestrian centre, approved by the BHS, ABRS, and The London Borough of…read moreBexley. I attended a private lesson here and found it very professional and the intstructor was knowledgeable - the facilities are also very comprehensive. It seems like a great place to go to work on form in a structured manner and really improve your skills. I haven't tried any group lessons or outdoor hacks, but it seems like it's in a nice area and outdoor riding would be very pleasant here.

I remember this from years ago as a pretty bleak square of grass. I'm not sure if my perceptions…read morehave changed or it's actually improved, but it's seemed quite pleasant on my last few visits. It's still basically an open square of a park, though it does dip down on the west side, and has some nice houses bordering some areas. All the paths tend to head to the centre, where the action is. Here there are kids play areas, and a 'no dogs' etc garden for quiet sitting or little kids to play in. There are gangs of teenagers around, but a mix of people of all ages as well. You might also see a game of cricket going on. The area is racially mixed, and some communities are more into it than the ethnic English! My favourite part though is to the North West, where there's a little wild patch, and avenues of London Plane trees.

The reasons for me liking this rather unassuming 17 hectare stretch of grass in East London are…read morethreefold: firstly, location. While the nearby Nightingale and Pembury Estates provide less than salubrious surroundings, the park itself is built on an elevated piece of land overlooking the City, with great views of the Gherkin. It also appears to be the marker for where Heathrow-bound planes dip their wings and hang a right on their approach - a hypnotic manouvre performed on an unending 30-second loop and best watched while lying on your back in the grass on a cloudless July day. The second reason is that Hackney Downs is not London Fields, my other local park, populated by a population of live-in frisbee-tossing fixy-pushing twats. Denizens of the Downs, a much larger space by comparison, have lots more space to play with even on the busiest of days. Lastly, I live round the corner, a literal stone's throw from all the Down's well-lit facilities: jogging track, footie pitches, monkey bars and tennis & basketball courts. At the drop of a hat I can throw on some trainers, burst out of my front door, and lose myself in my own slice of London's extensive green space.

Open on the first sunday of every month, and there are occasional other events such as theatrical…read moreevents, christmas carol service and green fairs. They also can host parties, and there is a group for children with fun days out at gatton where they can find moths/ pond dip. The staff and gardeners are really friendly and helpful. The gardens are beautiful, and include a bamboo/ oriental garden, walled garden and rock garden (dangerous when wet).