This has to be one of North London's best kept secrets! I can't believe I had never heard of this…read moregarden (even my dad had not heard of it and he grew up near here.) I assume the lucky locals would like to keep this as a secret treasure, but it is too good not to share with yelpers!! The Pergola and Hill Gardens are hidden between Hampstead Heath and Golders Hill Park. The Pergola half of the garden is essentially a long raised walkway, under a long pergola made from wood and stone, covered in gorgeous smelling roses and other climbing plants. The other half of the garden has a large square pond full of lilies, sculptured hills and nice soft grass to sit on and have a picnic. I have a feeling it could be very busy on nice days...but when we visited it all seemed far quieter than Golders Hill Park - even though it is so, so much nicer. Practicalities: - If you don't want to walk, just take the 210 bus and get off at Inverforth House, you can see the signs to the garden. - It's free (!)

This place is beyond beautiful. I'm always surprised when I find places like this in London that is…read moreopen for the general public with no fee. Tucked away on the smaller side of Hampstead Heath, in between Hampstead Heath and Golders Hill Park is this little Gem. Because it's hidden away it's less busy than both the known green spaces. The pergola goes on and on with hidden entrances to the gardens. The gardens all have walk ways for you to meander through them. I can imagine that this place will get used for many photoshoots. You have to be careful you're not walking into someone else's shot. None of the photos or reviews will EVER do this place justice. Trust me and go see for yourself.

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...

Queens Wood is like the raucous sister of nearby Highgate Wood: its terrain is much more uneven and…read morehilly and nature just simply seems to go crazy here. Queens Wood has a few really nice amenities, such as the Queen's Wood Café with its miniature adventure playground and the organic community garden. But it's actually the more hidden features, that I like best about this North London green oasis: the swings. There are in fact two or three make-shift swings here, none of which seem to have officially been hung here. I love sitting on these swings and pretending I was 5 years old again. My only little pet-peeve about Queens Wood (and the reason I only give it four stars) is that it has a relatively busy street going right through it (Wood Lane/Causton Road), which is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is not fenced off and so I have to pay closer attention to my dog when I'm walking her in this are. In Highgate Wood, for example, I can just let her roam around and because it is all fenced in, I don't have to worry about her running onto the streets.

Set in a quiet spot not far inside the wood, this is fairly basic with a bit of a 'rustic'/scruffy…read morefeel. You can sit inside or in an attached covered area overlooking woodland. Rather poor tables and chairs, everything in need of updating. Marvellous, varied, menu with a large range of mostly vegetarian meals and snacks. You go inside to order at the till and the food is brought to your table. All well and good until I discovered that the food was much more expensive than I'd expected - the chick pea curry was nearly £7. They don't take credit or debit cards either so you'll need plenty of cash. They do themed children's parties too.

Nan has a dog names Brooke. I call her Bubbling Brooke, meaning her love bubbles over like a…read morestream. I also call her sweet bitch, nut for tatties and all sorts of names. Nan has a wicked sense of humour and just laughs. I take Brooke to Mill Hill Park to do her tatties. If you don't know tatties means "walks". To go tatties, means to go for a walk. Brooke loves to run around here. Mill Hill is a largish park predominated by green open space. There is a small cafe that does nice hummus and a wilderness bit where you can let your dog chew and run free in the long grass. The people who come to this park are nice and usually rather mid to upper middle class, given the area, I am a snob, no bones about it. There is also a path around the center of the park to cycle on and a place to play that pensioner-type bowling game. Take your dog tatties here!

I don't know how anyone could have anything negative to say about Primrose Hill. Perhaps I'm biased…read moreas it's the closest park to me (Hampstead Heath being the second) but I just find it so idyllic. On a warm day you'll find many people having picnics, walking their dogs, or just enjoying the view. There are also many cafes and shops within walking distance, so if you find you want something to eat you can easily get to a cafe in 10-15 minutes walking. I personally recommend Lemonia or Alma for a nice lunch. Overall I think Primrose Hill is magical and I will spend every possible second of free time I have there

Before gnawing on turkey legs and slabs of rare prime rib, Henry VIII used this patch of greenery…read moreas his hunting grounds presumably while his six wives looked on with royal comportment. The only thing that has lasted through the last six centuries is the patch of greenery which Jamie W. and I trodded upon after walking along the Regent's Canal. It was a swelteringly hot day in London except for one slight breeze we felt once we made it to the top of the hill summit. From there, you get quite the unexpected views of central London. A crowd did gather but nothing like the masses that swarm the Sky Garden or the Shard. I suggest offering to take photos of people in front of the view in order for them to reciprocate in kind. Most were very accommodating, and for those few who demur and refused to take your picture, there's a special place in hell for them where they're constantly blinded by flash bulbs. The walk down the hill was also lovely as you see civilized people doing civilized things like having a white tablecloth picnic or creating a landscape painting under a leafy tree suitable for a mid-priced motel. We just crossed Prince Albert Road to walk through Regent's Park, one of the city's more splendorous parks. RELATED - Exploring London? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3zFACrx

This is London's version of Central Park only much grander and more natural and rustic feeling…read more Think wild blackberries along the trail's edge, three ponds, dogs galore, picnics around every corner, tennis courts, fenced in kids areas and more. The 300+ hectares (looks up conversion ) Also features woodlands, meadows, grassy lawns and paved trails. It's a London treasure and certainly worth a stroll and picnic. The surrounding neighborhood is filled with beautiful homes and fun shops.

Unique experience to visit this park! Reminds me of London's version of Central Park, with a more…read morecountryside in the city vibe. It is a massive park and my visit was limited to walking up for the view and relaxing a bit. It was a lovely day and I can imagine this is the place to be for many on a sunny afternoon with a picnic. I understand it's the highest natural point in London for a view of the skyline and also imagine the panorama is pretty at night. Cute neighborhood area, too.

Lovely, spacious, and diverse neighborhood park. The park has a number of entrances and a diverse…read moreecosystem ranging from small woodlands, a wetlands area, a lake that you can walk around, a children's playground, mini golf, and open spaces to relax or play sports at. Great for people of all ages and fitness levels. Nice to have a green space like this in the local community. Well maintained and clean. It's sad that the cafeteria has fallen into disrepair and had to close down as well as the toilets. The council should get into action to fix those issues.

Four! Well actually it took me 8 attempts to sink a ball on the first hole, but I improved as the…read moreafternoon wore on. This is an excellent pitch and putt course in Grovelands Park. It's well maintained and the greens look immaculate. The nine holes are quite challenging and the course is nestled amongst some beautiful parkland. The prices are reasonable, about £4.00 for a round, which lasts for as long as you want it to, depeding on your standard and how many of you playing. If you don't have your own club you can hire one. The staff good fun and always willing to offer some advice, if you're a novice player like me. I've played here a few times, and always found it to be a very enjoyable way of killing a couple of hours on a slow Sunday afternoon.

went to the park last week with our children and saw the new slide area which is absolutely…read moreterrible. To be able to get up to the slide, you have to crawl through small holes which are very dangerous if you step backwards and forget that it's there.. I'm surprised it's been allowed. Also considering it's near Great Ormond Street Hospital, you would think it was more of an SEN friendly park. Such a shame.

Wish the ground is soft neat foam like ground not dirt ground. Other than that seems more down to…read moreearth than US ones. Two bouncing crossing ropes" are extreme fun for 5 yrs n plus kids.

What a superb day out for the summer…read more On arrival you drive into a large car park facing a long strip of grass that serves as a picnic area. Walk one way and you come to the huge lake full of ducks and Canada geese (please don't feed them, concentrate on the ducks as the geese are highly destructive and helping to lower the population of native species). You can walk along the concrete path on one side of the lake and all the way around through the woods on the other. Nestled on the edge of the woods is the adventure playground. There is a large one for older kids, and a smaller one for toddlers, with lots of picnic benches all around them. On hot days this place is always packed. Behind the playgrounds is a further picnic area, and the fantastic Rare Breeds Farm. There are a selection of endangered or very rare animals from pigs, to goats to chickens and turkeys. They breed them there too and time it right and you can see the babies ambling around. It's a very important and commendable initiative to have in a public country park. I always place a donation in the box. The snack shop sells a variety of food and drink, including ice creams and is fairly reasonably priced for such a place. If you don't fancy eating your picnic near the car park you can walk beyond the lake to the 100 Aker Wood. Supported by Buena Vista a lot of effort has been put into it. Most characters have their houses portrayed and they have been cleverly built around the oak trees that form the focal points of the fields. The kids will spend ages going from house to house, knocking on the doors and peering through the windows. There are two bridges to play poohsticks on, and a stream with rocks that the kids can jump across too. A large open field with long grass is the ideal picnic spot, but there are plenty of trees around the edges if you want some shade. Scare the kids by pretending to be caught in the Heffalump trap too - it's fun! Even children with only a passing interest in Winnie The Pooh will be captivated by the houses, and it's nice to see something so well maintained in a public space. When you sit in the field too, that space seems idyllic. Looking down through the trees it's easy to be at peace and really feel that you are in the countryside. The £4 weekday / £5 weekend and bank holiday car park charge may seem a little steep to some, but when you consider that you can easily spend the whole day here I think it's good value for money compared to some of the more traditional days out. One word of warning though, you have to pay to exit the car park and the machine only takes coins from 5p up to £2 so make sure you have the right money!

Aldenham Country Park is really in Elstree ( the map page would only accept Watford)…read moreThis is a beautiful location full of woodland walks, open fields, and lakes. It's easy to park and you pay to get out so make sur you have plenty of £1 coins. There is a lovely animal area that you can walk around. At the exits are sinks with soap and running water. There is a lovely picnic area and a traditional childerns park. There is also an assult course for older children. The best by far is the Winnie-the-Pooh's '100 Aker Wood' trail where you can walk around to see if Winnie-the-Pooh or any of his friends are at home. Each house is made of wood and has a door knocker. The children simply love going from one house to the next. This is a lovely location and perfect for a day out.