Parks and open spaces: London

Corporation of London Open Spaces

Extensive open spaces in and around London 4,000ha/10,000 acres

The Corporation of London is the local government of the "square mile" of the City of London but it also owns and manages extensive public open spaces in other parts of greater London and in the surrounding counties, including some of London's most famous green spaces like Epping Forest and Hampstead Heath. Much of this land was saved from development for the recreation and enjoyment of Londoners thanks to conservation campaigners in the 19th century.

Ashstead Common | Burnham Beeches | Epping Forest
Hampstead Heath | Highgate Wood | South London Commons

As well as these wilder spaces, the Corporation manages two more traditional large Victorian city parks: the Green Flag Queen's Park in the borough of Brent, west London, formerly the site of the 1879 Royal Agricultural Exhibition (tel 020 8969 5661, queens.park@corpoflondon.gov.uk); and West Ham Park in Newham borough, east London, with its extensive gardens (tel 020 8472 3584, westham.park@corpoflondon.gov.uk). 

The Corporation also manages over 150 smaller green spaces in the City itself, including the nonconformist cemetry at Bunhill Fields, the public gardens of Finsbury Square and a patchwork of smaller piazzas, squares and gardens. See Open Spaces in the City of London under Promoted Routes.

Guided walks and other events are held at many of the sites. Contact the individual sites for details.

Most of these sites offer facilities for people with disabilities. Ask the contacts shown for details.

Ashtead Common

A 200ha/500-acre mosaic of woodland, grassland, scrub and wetlands between Ashstead and the Greater London boundary, surrounded on three sides by open country. A Site of Special Scientific Interest that also contains two scheduled ancient monuments, a triangular earthwork and a Roman villa. Easily reached from Ashstead station (trains to London Waterloo, Dorking and Guildford).

Local authority Surrey

Promoted route Thames Down Link (see North Downs Way)

Explorer map 161

Contact tel 01372 279083, ashtead.common@corpoflondon.gov.uk and see website below.

Burnham Beeches

220ha/540 acres of pollarded woodland to the west of London and north of Slough, saved from development in 1880. Now a National Nature Reserve an popular visitor site, recognised as one of the finest ancient woodlands in the country. Buses from Slough.

Local authority Buckinghamshire

Promoted routes Beeches Way

Explorer map 172

Contact tel 01753 647358, burnham.beeches@corpoflondon.gov.uk 

Epping Forest

The largest public open space in the London Area, a remnant of ancient hunting forest protected by two pioneering Acts of Parliament passed in 1878. It forms a 19km green strip from deep in the east of London at Forest Gate northwards to Epping in Essex, mainly woodland but also including open ground, heathland and many ponds, the listed Wanstead Park, now an excellent public park but formerly private parkland attached to a manor; and historic structures such as the Tudor period Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge near Chingford and Iron Age earthworks. Much of the Forest is open access with many opportunities for walking, and it is easily reached by trains, buses and the Central Line Underground. Contact the Information Centre for details.

Local authorities Essex, Redbridge, Waltham Forest

Promoted routes Epping Forest Centenary Walk (see Essex Way), Essex Way, Forest Way, London LOOP, Three Forests Way
A number of good paths connect the Forest with the Lee Valley Park.

Explorer maps 162, 174
Forest maps also available from the Information Centre

Contact

  • Corporation of London Epping Forest Information Centre
  • Friends of Epping Forest 9 Frederica Road, London E4 7AL

Hampstead Heath

This 320ha/790-acre patchwork of heath, woodland and ponds was another beneficiary of 19th century conservation campaigners and is now one of London's best-known and best-loved public open spaces. The Corporation of London took over responsibility for the Heath in 1989 after the abolition of the Greater London Council, and it is now run by a management committee including representation from the Ramblers' Association. Parts of the Heath are designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest, and it includes Parliament Hill which has fantastic views over central London. There are many walking opportunities and it is easy to reach by Northern Line Underground, Silverlink's North London Line and buses.

Local authority Barnet, Camden

Paths and routes Belsize Walk, Dollis Valley Greenwalk (for Capital RING) - see London Loop

Explorer map 173

Publications

  • Hampstead Heath: The Walker's Guide by David McDowall and Deborah Walton, ISBN 0 9527847 1 8. David McDowall £6.99
    10 circular walks of 2km/1.5 miles to 4.5km/3 miles with sketch maps, detailed route descriptions and extensive background notes and illustrations. Each walk has a topic including geology, trees and woodland, heathland, hedgerows, the mediaeval manors and the campaign to preserve the Heath. There are also walks exploring the northern sections: Golders Hill and the Heath Extension.

Contacts

Highgate Wood

A wildlife-rich oak and hornbeam woodland in the thick of north London, once part of the ancient Forest of Middlesex and declared "an open space forever" by the Lord Mayor of London in 1886.

Local authority Haringey

Promoted routes Better Haringey Trail, Capital RING, Parkland Walk (see Capital RING).
Also nature trails in the wood itself: ask contacts below for details.

Explorer map 173

Contact tel 020 8444 6129 or highgate.wood@corpoflondon.gov.uk

South London commons

Six commons spread across an area on the southern fringe of London, saved from development in 1878, and including some excellent chalk downland adjoining the North Downs. They comprise:

  • Coulsdon Common. Woodland and open space to the south of Croydon.
  • Farthing Downs. A chalk ridge to the south of Croydon with the remains of a prehistoric field system that is a scheduled ancient monument. 
  • Kenley Common. Includes part of Kenley Airfield, a World War II fighter base now used for gliders
  • Riddlesdown. Another chalk area with ancient remains
  • Spring Park. Parks and woodland on the boundary of Croydon and Bromley
  • West Wickham Common. Woodland to the south of Bromley borough.

Happy Valley, managed by Croydon council, links Coulsdon Common and Farthing Downs: see South London Parks.

Local authorites Bromley, Croydon

Promoted routes Downlands Walks, London LOOP

Explorer map 146, 161, 162

Contact tel 020 8660 8533 or wwickham.coulsdon@corpoflondon.gov.uk
Downlands Countryside Management Project 

Tourist Information Centres

There are a number of TICs in central London. For a full list click here.

Public transport. Contact the individual sites for details of how best to reach them. See our Public Transport for Walkers page for more about transport in London and how to find detailed information on services and fares.

Local street atlases may be useful in built-up areas. See Walking in London: Maps.

Contacts

Parks and countryside in London | Walking In London | Parks Index | Information Index