Everyone Far East as bricklane must have heard of Victoria park! If they haven't then I must enlighten briefly. It is a huge park, that if you were to traverse the outer path you'll have walked 5Km doing that one circuit. It was named in honour of our queen Victoria herself. It stands proudly in East London, underneath the fine borough of hackney and above tower hamlets! It's my favourite park in London, if not the world! It's not particularly crazy in design or has architectural or agricultural delights or even much elevation, however it's just perfect. On a fine sunny day, the park screams community, relaxation and escapism from the bustle of the city. I run around the park 2-3 times a week and never get tired of it. It makes me breath fresh air and the people there are lovely! Please go to the park and treat it some respect as it will certainly treat you with a wonderful experience, right back at ya! read more

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After much construction over the last year, the park is starting to come into its own again. I love this place! Beautiful tree lined paths to walk down, lovely ponds and water features that attract wonderful wildlife, so many places to just...chill. Just about the only sizable park I know of east of The City. Tasty cafe's and shops to pop into on Lauriston Road after a nice walk in the park. Enjoy! read more

Victoria Park - Wildlife in Victoria Park - Parks Near Me - London, XGL

I've spent some happy times daydreaming on a bench in Victoria Park. This small park in Finchley (not to be confused with the larger East End park) is more for show than for an active lifestyle. The landscaping and flowers lining the entrance are very well groomed and include my favourite a palm tree amongst them. There is a decent sized children's play area (too bad LOL) and nice patch of open space grass to lay a blanket down on. Sometimes they do a fun fair in this park or have special events. This is a good place to come and relax away from suburban sprawl, A big added bonus is that I have seen bats in this park, the first bats I've ever seen. Spooky. read more

Victoria Park - I saw bats here - Parks Near Me - London, XGL

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Victoria Park has given my self some very heart touching memories. As a kid have always craved to go there because it is a very busy spacious park. Many people walk through, cycle through to get to destinations as there are loads of entrances and exits. It has a large pond with an ice cream shop beside it. Very peaceful place to sit down and enjoy the weather and have a picnic. There are many benches all over and beside the pond. Excellent spot to visit. Sam read more

Victoria park, is quite possibly the best park to visit in the East End of London, at any time of the year. During the summer, it bustles with activity including, football, rugby, fishing, runners and cyclists or people just taking a walk. However, the best time to see this urban refuge is during the autumn weeks, when the plentiful trees are turning golden, their leaves scattered on the ground, adding to the already rustic feel the park provides. The squirrels are busy collecting, the geese, coots and ducks share the fountain lake, and the tranquility on offer here, is a most welcome contrast to the often frantic city life. Thinking of what to do this weekend, I'm going here. read more

Victoria Park - Victoria Park - Parks Near Me - London, XGL

I live near Victoria Park and LOVE it. I usually walk along the canal to get there so that helps! There is a lovely little café (Pavillion Cafe). Lots of birds on the lake. Tons of people walking their dogs (so be warned, dog phobics! I took one of my friends who is scared of canines because I forgot and that did NOT go well). You can go and watch people play cricket sometimes in one area of the park. It is surrounded by cute pubs. And there's Victoria Park Village, where you'll find a Bottle Apostle, a great Fish and Chips, a curry house and lots of other things in an idyllic setting. There are not many lights in the park so when you walk there in the winter, when it gets dark early but Winterville hasn't yet taken residence or has already left, you can actually see stars sometimes :) This is admittedly a stream of consciousness review and I might add to it later but I am away and was kind of missing Vicky Park, so there you go. read more

Victoria Park - Big birds! - Parks Near Me - London, XGL

Take a break from the hectic pace of life in central London and visit the biggest green space the East has to offer. This park has everything: long and interesting routes for walkers, runners and rollerbladers, a kids playground, sports facilities, picnic areas and fishing lakes. Great for a morning jog or a leisurely stroll and a stop at The Pavillion organic café on the edge of the nicer lake. Regent's canal runs alongside and can be followed to Broadway market or all the way to Islington. The park plays host to many events throughout the year - from concerts on a grand scale to theatre performances, fairs and public firework displays - which draw all kinds of people from all over London. It's popular with pretty much everyone, locals and visitors from kids to grandparents - via lots of young arty types having picnics and barbeques, or sitting with their sketchbook. Beware the fearless squirrels who might sneak up for some food uninvited. read more

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It's fairly easy to see why Victoria Park is so highly rated and has won a People's Choice Award for best London park. Benefitting from a makeover before the 2012 Olympic Games, this park really shines in the summer. It's everything London Fields wishes it could be and all the charm of the posh West London parks without the hoards of tourists. Vicky Park is intersected by Grove Road and divided into West and East. The East side is larger, with a lot of open green areas and a couple of small lakes. The West side is better landscaped with flower beds and a boating lake with boat rentals available in warmer weather. This side is popular with children. The East is a little more popular with dog walkers as well as anglers. There's a skate park, a water park, at least 3 children's play areas and a few historic buildings and salvaged architectural artifacts dotted around the East side. This side is also where events tend to be held since it's mostly open space. Incidentally, this means that London's heli ambulance service do a lot of drills here so don't be alarmed if you see helicopters circling the area and landing on the grass. Stay chill, they're not coming to get you... The park operates a schedule and will close during the evenings. There is a sign at each entrance which advises entrants on the park's schedule which changes according to the season so make sure you check because I frequently see people having to flip the fence to escape! Vicky Park is popular with festivals and hosts Field Day, Lovebox Festival, visiting fairs, Nike's We Own the Night, Singapore Festival as well as Winterville. I'm sure I've forgotten some others but a quick Google search should bring more up. Occasionally Tower Hamlets council will team up with the Royal Opera House and screen performances for free. Residents in the local area will get a letter when something like this is planned. There are at least two cafes contained within the park itself that I can remember off the top of my head, Hub in the East and Pavilion in the West as well as a few pubs dotted around the edges near entrances. One thing you'll want to watch out for is cyclists, especially silent fixie riders who can creep up without warning. Stay alert as there are no designated cycling lanes and they can be quite fast! I come by basically every single day to walk the dog but in the summer it gets very very busy at the weekends and in the afternoons. It feels like all of East London comes to spend the weekends here so that's something to be aware of if you thought you'd come by to sit against a tree trunk and read some Voltaire. read more

One of my favourite parks in London, Victoria Park feels like a park for everyone. Regents and Grand Union Canals ran along the park, which makes it an ideal place for any distance running or long walks. I love both parts of the park and recommend taking time to exploring both bits. In the west there's the lovely little Pavilion Cafe that serves delicious brunch and bread to enjoy by the lake and a playground for kids; in the east there's also a playground, a dirt track if you've a hankering for some speed sessions, and a lot of green spaces to take advantage. The trees lining the main path are gorgeous year round, whether it's in the spring or winter. To top it off, there are a host of events from big to small. There are regular races from 5ks to half marathons held here, which have a nice, local feel, and also huge festivals like Lovebox and Winterville. I haven't been to the festivals myself, but if you're not interested in those, you can stay in the west part of the park to have a bit more peace. As I said, a park that pretty much has everything and one of east London's best treasures! (Yup, even toilets!) read more

Victoria park in hackney is a sizeable park in east London. There are many wide flat paths and open space in the east side suitable for cycling and jogging. The western side is more nicely landscaped with a lake, Chinese pagoda and bridge. Other attractions within Victoria park include an English garden, skate park as well as sports pitches and tennis courts. Although signs show that lighting barbecues is not permitted in the park this does not seem to be enforced as I observed people having barbecues in the park even though it was a cool and cloudy afternoon. There are lots of on street parking available in the roads surrounding the park. read more

I love Victoria Park. Only a short-ish walk from Shoreditch, it really is a haven in the middle of this hectic city. Large enough to always be able to find a quite spot under a tree, it's popular with everyone: older couples sitting on a bench, young mothers pushing their prams about, or young folk just lazing on the grass. I always have the intention of jogging the track, but never seem to as I arrive and find myself so relaxed on the grass that I can't move! Check out the fabulous cafe by the lake which serves some of the best coffee in town. read more

I may be 27 days late, but I'm finally getting around to those New Year's Resolutions of being healthier and exercising more (aka, finally feeling guilty/pedantic/blobby enough to get around to them). Thankfully, Victoria Park provides the perfect backdrop for getting my fitness on and having something really quite pretty to look at while doing so. The park itself is expansive, and has a variety of amenities to suit all kinds of parky needs -- large patches of grass with trees and foliage shading them, perfect for picnicking in the summer, canals and an attached pond inside the park space, as well as a nearby pagoda, for paddle-boating and feeding ducks, a multitude of statues and other edifices with royal dedicatees (the biggest being for the park's namesake, of course), and most importantly for my cause at hand, two or three great footpaths/running trails along and within the perimeter of the park itself. Oh, and there are a few nice, local-looking cafes and pubs attached to the park nearer to the Hackney side, which I assume would be great spots to share a jug of Pimm's in July (I will test out this assumption, don't you worry). I've been reading that the park was spruced up for the Olympics last summer, and frankly, I'm glad that it was -- judging by the number of people I see here regularly, strolling with their dogs, playing with their children in the grass, or lounging and having a snack and drink in the sunshine, it seems that the public has rediscovered this East End treasure, and is giving it the reverence and attention it deserves. read more

I enjoy jogging to and in Victoria Park for various reasons: 1. Huge 2. Spacious 3. Nicely maintained 4. Less tourisy 5. More Local vibe 6. Less crowded 7. Excellent cafe inside the Park 8. Clean 9. surprisingly not ghetto-ish knowing it is in the Eastside 10. Enough of eye candy to watch Overall, my favorite park in London thus far. read more

Cannot comment on the park, as only went to a small corner where Winterville was being held and the Circus. The Circus was actually a lot of fun and entertaining, with some unique acrobats and the modern day clown, i.e. not dressed as a clown, but behaved like a clown, was an absolute delight, and very funny. Winterville had the usual dodgems and exciting rides and try your luck shooting stalls of a funfair, but also had an ice rink and tents for art and clothing, trinkets and crafts, and beer tents and bars, and a massive food hall. It is very far to get to if you do not live in East London, and quite a walk from the nearest station, Mile End. read more

Victoria Park - Entrance - Parks Near Me - London, XGL

Victoria Park is my substitute garden. It's great place to go for a picnic and meet up with friends. There are tennis courts, cricket and football pitches, bowls club, a cafe by one of the ponds and various pubs are dotted around the outside of park. There are various public events held here throughout the year including fireworks display and music events such as Lovebox. The park is currently under going a major refurbishment so it's not as pretty as usual but it promises to be vastly improved. read more

There is lots to like about Victoria Park. Built as the first non-royal park open to the general public, it is the standout feature on any map of the east end, a green mass rivalled only in size by Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens in the more salubrious end of town. Its remarkable then that Victoria Park doesn't have a higher profile. It seems to me only Londoners who have lived in the area or attended one of the many events here have heard of it. One reason, and the only sort of criticism you can make about the place, is the lack of a nearby tube stop. Recent concerts held here included Radiohead, Lovebox and Field Day. There is currently a Shakepearian Theatre company performing in a big top circus tent in the centre. Victoria Park village centre boasts a number of nice pubs and eateries, all with an extremely laid back vibe. There is a running track, two adventure playgrounds, a fountain and lake with wildlife and the pleasures of Regent's Canal running along its base. read more

Watched the London2012 opening ceremony here. The line was quite long, but we arrived 4 hours ahead and were able to make it in no problem. As a live site, this is not too bad. It's free, spacious, and close to the real venues. However, the security disallows food and drinks, and the food stands are expensive. The last problem is that it's somewhat of a walk from the tube or DLR stations. Expect to spend 15 min or more to reach a convenient stop. read more

A central park in a metropolis? Of course! Especially if you're in good company and said company may or may not have with them vials of aged grape juice. I still remember this park from my recent trip, but not so much for the rare glimpse of sunshine on the green, and not even for the wonderful alleys. I remember this park for being charged to sit on a bench. Apparently 3.50 to sit in a lounge chair in a public park is enough to get me upset, which is very strange because I pay rent in San Francisco. 5 stars for being a wonderful park. Minus one star for the paid seating. read more

Victoria Park - no close tube station, you need to get there by bus of which 2 go right into the park 277 and 425. The park is well known and loved by locals and it is well used for events. It is split inot 2 quite different parts East and West. The pretty side is West which has the pagoda and lake. The East side is very long and mostly flat with various attractions like a skateboard park along the way - great for runners but a huge walk - for visuals choose the West side. A great plus is the food cafes on both sides again the one on the West side has home made sourdough bread which is amazing. read more

O Victoria Park, you are named after me, but we are so star- crossed. Every time I've been you've been water sodden and invaded by so called hip music stars preventing me from bathing in your full wondrous glory. I see gleams of it, I do; from ornate gazebos to the very amazing fountain in the pond, but festivals of rain, piss and shoreditch twats like me just don't show you in the best light. One day we will unite in the sun and its brilliance. read more

One of my favorite spots in London. Victoria park is a vast and beautiful space in East London. A destination park for picnics and weekend walks. There's open spaces for picnics and games and lovely intimate spaces for private picnics and moments. Lots of different spaces and things to see. A lovely large water mass in the pond toward the south, Mile End side with fountain and paddle boats. Childrens' play grounds and paddling pools. Cafe, loos and pubs all around for refuge from the sun or rain. The only negatives are the cafe doesn't sell anything but posh grub and organic beers and because the park holds large festivals and events it can be a little dirty - cigarrett butts and what not in the grass. If I lived closer, I'd be here all the time. read more

Victoria Park in Tower Hamlets is the home to the very popular Lovebox festival. It is a large park and is essentially split into two by a long road that connects Victoria Park Village and Bow. The park features many recreational facilities including ponds, a bowling green, tennis courts, a sports ground and its own athletics club. East London would be a much poorer place without this landmark. In summer it truly comes alive with old and young revellers. It's bordered to the South East by the three locks of the Hertford Union Canal, to the South West by the Regent's Canal, to the North East the A12 and by Victoria Park Road to the North West. I used to enjoy a brisk jog around the park, or when I wanted to get away from things simply walk among the trees. With the park being bordered by canals, if the weather permits it can be enjoyable to cycle or walk to the likes of Stratford or Beckton. read more

Big. Nice. Parky. Typically filled with families and humans, not hipsters with their hard-found and over-paid cans of Red Stripe. Also, good festivals. read more

Fantastic fireworks, definitely longer than Battersea's and best of all, free! Set to music, some work goes into them and it's a really good display, probably one of the best free displays in London. read more

Beautiful huge park in East London, away from the tourist rush. Lovely for a walk, bike ride or just sitting on the bench and enjoying the spring sun. read more

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Victoria Park is situated right off the main drag by Finchley Central. It has big gates leading into a long path that opens up into a very large open park area. There are plenty of benches scattered though out the park grounds so you can almost always wander in off the high street and find yourself a bench to chill out on. You will find plenty of old trees here and it really is a welcomed place to get away from the busy high streets. I sometimes pick myself up a beer from the newsagents across the road and enjoy watching the sun go down. read more

From Mare Street a short walk along the canal bank brings you to the Western end of Victoria Park. It's quite a traditional park and well cared for, with open lawns, trees and beds full of bushes and roses. Walk further in on the South side and you'll come to the park's main lake, where there's a café and toilets. Also lots of water birds waiting for a feed. I once counted a flock of over a hundred coots: black birds with white foreheads which are usually fiercely territorial! Beyond that is a road but you are not finished. In fact Victoria Park is large enough to have a road running through it. The Eastern end of the park opens out, with sports fields, tree-lined walks, and in the centre a childrens' play area and enclosure with deer. All in all, the park is nearly 3 miles round. It's the venue for fairs, and several good running events. The Victoria Park Harriers have their clubhouse at the East end of the park. Though I'm not a member of the running club I do enjoy the running. Runners have made their own tracks on the grass all the way round (good for those of us who tend to get sore knees on hard paths) and there's always someone out for a run. There's also lots of dogs and kids, but everyone's well behaved and friendly. You might also get to see mounted police schooling their horses. Victoria isn't anything earth shaking, but it is a very nice, civilized sort of park. read more

This gem of a place is London's oldest and first ever park. It's actually in two parts, with Grove Rd segmenting the two, and the Regent's Canal runs alongside it. It's best feature is a huge lake with a fountain. A great place to have a picnic, kick a ball, ride your bike, feed the ducks, go for a run, sit and read a book, and just generally enjoy yourself (apart from in winter - not recommended unless it's a nice warmish day - goes without saying)! It's such a big park you can do almost anything and still have room to swing a cat, but not so well known that it wont be crazy-busy like Hyde Park. read more

I love Vicky Park. I treated it with a little bit of distance when I first moved to East London and rather than diving in, got to know it a little bit through the places around it. Visits to The Royal Inn on the Park (pub) and Frocks (restaurant) introduced me to the vast expense of greenery smack bang in the middle of Bow/Hackney. I was more used to the more rough and ready charms of Mile End Park at that point, so perhaps I was a little intimidated by the hints of pomp and grandeur in evidence at VP, preferring to keep it at arms' length. I got to know the park properly as a jogger, embarking on summer runs with my friend Phil, bombing up the towpath on Regents Canal and then steaming into the park itself, dodging footballers, cyclists, pushchairs and picnics. Once I understood the parameters of the place, there was nothing left to fear, and I felt more able to take a closer look at what was on offer. The park became a friend, as a regular host of some epic football games and offering up opportunities for some big chats and a little bit of solitude when needed. I also found out a little bit more about the park's history, its place as the peoples' park - a centre for meetings and rallies, culminating in the Rock Against Racism gig in 1978. This knowledge, added to what I saw whenever I went there, cemented my feeling that this was a place that really did belong to those who lived around it. I love going to the big city parks - Hyde Park and Regents Park, but I always feel like a tourist there, a sense that you can only just be visiting. I never get that at Victoria Park, which I think is just as beautiful and interesting as its more famous cousins. In recent years, the park seems to have restored its role as a place for big events, hosting festivals, firework displays and Nike's 'Run London' 10K event. It is nice to think that these happenings have introduced more and more people to the park and I hope that some of them have chosen to make return visits. For me, Victoria Park will always mean a sun-kissed game of football with friends, followed by a cold beer or two in the beer garden at the Royal Inn on the Park. Go there and make it mean something to you. read more

A bit rougher around the edges than Hyde Park or Holland Park (although not as rough as Mile End Park), Victoria Park is a lovely place to spend some time. Whether you lay on the open grass, feed the ducks or walk along the scenic canal, it's a great place any time of the year. In addition to the cafe in the middle of the park, there are also good pubs and restaurants nearby if you work up an appetite or get thirsty. read more

Victoria Park is East London's own version of Hyde Park although a bit less taken care of (in certain parts). Running alongside the Regent's Canal the park is quite big and good for a morning jog if you live near by. Also a great place in the summer to spend your time, picnic's are quite a common sight. I recommend you get to Vicky Park from Broadway Market walking down the canal and perhaps stopping at the Dove pub on the Broadway for some super yummy burgers. Don't miss out the fireworks on Guy Fawkes night and the Lovebox festival which takes place in the summer... read more

Victoria Park is a really nice place to spend an afternoon and fantastic for East Londoners who don't want to schlep into Central or West London for a bit of scenery. Lovely for both summer picnics and wintery walks, the park gives way at the Hackney end to Victoria Park village, which has some lovely cafes and shops (Blueberries in particular does wonderful cakes). read more

I did the Nike 10k run here a few years ago and it was the first time I ever came to this park. I'm not the biggest fan of East London, so I rarely ever find myself in this part of the city, but I was surprised by what a nice park it is. Victoria Park is well kept, it has lots of space, and on the occasion I went there it was busy with active people walking, jogging, cycling or taking their dog out. It also has lots of different shapes to its layout, making it more interesting than just one big open park. I wouldn't bother to make a special visit here, but I would recommend it to those passing through the neighbourhood. read more

. Went to watch the Saturday afternoon session of the Lympics and What a lovely setting The pagoda and boating lake were lvoely. The only annoying thing i found were the hordes of young trendy people who behave like kids on a summer holiday. I lost count of the amount of times i almost got trod on, or drink knocked over by some childish 30 year old. Aside from that it was great! read more

Victoria Park has everything including a herd of deer and goats. Wander along the banks of the cannel and see cannel boats up close. Watch boating enthusiast with the model boats on the model boat lake, most of these enthusiasts come from the oldest model boat club in the world, the Victoria Model Steam Boat Club, which was founded in the Park on 15 July 1904. There are also extensive playing fields. Victoria Park is very popular with children and one of the hosts of the One O'clock Club. Also it has an excellent children's play park that includes a paddling pool. read more

Victoria Park - Victoria Park - Parks Near Me - London, XGL

I like to work in a stop at Victoria Park when on my weekly gallery jaunts in the neighbourhood. I usually begin at the Canal and loop around the wee pond over a cigarette. Rarely do I make it to the wider bit across the road that bisects it but that's perfectly alright. There's plenty of park to go around. What I appreciate about Victoria Park is how different it is from the Victoria Park in my hometown, which was a rather more rigid affair with a bandshell and straight lines. Not so this one. It's a charmingly rambling green space, with curving lines and a generous amount of open space between paths. I will confess that I have played kickball there on one occasion. I embarrassed myself, predictably, but was well lubricated with beer and cheap sherry. This is what autumn afternoons in London are all about, no? read more

I think this is one of the coolest parks in London. Not because of the nature but because they use it as a venue for some of the best one day festivals in London. Field day is one of them, and actually, I don't think I've every been in a state of sober in this park. Mmmm... It's either that good, or I'm a total drunk. I'll let you decide. read more

Well this is the reason I didn't go to the Picnic event. I play for 2 cricket teams - I know i don't look like your average cricketer. One is a league team, and my favourite, I been a member of this team for 4 years now, is my local's team - The Baring. We play about 7-8 matches a year with the Baring team, and yesterday we were playing against a team from the Royal Inn on the Park - pub right on the edge of Victoria Park, on Grove Road. This is an annual grudge match. Met up on a glorious Sunday at 1.30pm, and won the toss. We decided to field first, which means bowling action for me! We did really well for the first 16 overs (an over is a set of six consecutive balls bowled in succession), and then the opposition decided to start motoring. Having only conceeded a few runs off my first 2 overs, the 3rd over was costly - 11 runs in 6 balls! Not great, but eventually after a good fight being put up by the Royal Inn team, they ended their innings with a score of 167. Quite a respectable score off 30 overs. After a brief drink and food break, it was time for the Baring team to bat. Some great work by 2 of our team meant we had a solid foundation to work with. After 20 overs, we had only lost 1 wicket, and needed to push on; ie score more quickly! After another wicket fell, and was replaced by our run machine, Adam. This man is a former semi-professional Baseball player, so he is used to smacking a ball with a bit of wood. But today he was on fire!!! What a spectacle! He scored so freely, a 4 here, a 6 there, another 4, and another etc etc, that we actually had 5 overs to spare when won the game. A great day, a superb team effort, and another great reason to visit this delightful bit of greenery in Hackney. To top it all off, England beat India by 3 runs, in a must win game in the World 20Twenty championships - yes, that's cricket too! read more

Among the most beautiful parks of a city rich in natural beauty. Bordered by the Regent's Canal to the south and surrounded by a walking and cycling loop, with a pond, cafe, and some of the best public tennis courts in the city. Also connects East London to Olympic Park. read more

Victoria Park - The southern stretch of the main walking and cycling route - Parks Near Me - London, XGL

Victoria Park is my saviour in London. Being a country girl, and an avid runner from Devon, I miss green spaces, so one of my personal conditions of living in the city was being near a park. Victoria Park was opened in the East End in 1845 by Queen Victoria, and was envisaged as a Regent's park of the East End. The park is split in two by Grove road; the smaller section contains the more beautiful of the lakes with a fountain, the Pavilion Park café and always plenty of swans, ducks and geese on the look out for bread from passers by. Regents canal runs along the side of the park and is usually busy with Canal boats, cyclists and runners. I quickly get tired of urban life and love escaping to the park. There are countless varieties of different trees, a boating lake, outdoor track, cricket & football ground, children's playground... something for everyone. My favourite time of year has to be autumn, on crisp dry mornings, when the leaves are various shades of red & orange and the park is quiet. Beautiful, one of London's best-kept secrets. read more