Major parks and open spaces: London
Explorer Maps 146, 147, 161, 162 - Landranger Maps 176, 177, 187
Local street atlases may be more useful in built-up areas. See Walking in London: Maps.
Tourist Info | Public Transport | Walking In London | Parks Index | Information Index
Parks in London | East | North | West
Most of the Parks shown below offer facilities for people with disabilities. More information from the contacts shown.
- Addington Hills. 50ha/130 acres of woodland, scrub and airy views near Croydon. Croydon council, tel 020 8686 4433.
Promoted routes: London LOOP
www.croydon.gov.uk/ledept/Parks/Parkspage.html - Avery Hill Park. Large park in Eltham with Victorian winter gardens. Greenwich council, tel 020 8850 2666
Promoted routes: Green Chain Walk
www.greenwich.gov.uk/council/publicservices/parks.htm - Battersea Park. Extensive and attractive riverside site with many unique features including the Peace Pagoda. Wandsworth council, park office tel 020 8871 7530
Promoted routes: Thames Path
www.wandsworth.gov.uk/batterseapark - Beckenham Place Park. Lovely old woods and formal parkland with much nature conservation interest. Lewisham council, tel 020 8314 8143
Promoted routes: Green Chain Walk
www.lewisham.gov.uk/natureconservation - Blackheath. 46ha managed by Lewisham and Greenwich councils: historic open space and acid grassland. For more on the adjoining Greenwich Park, see Royal Parks. Lewisham council, tel 020 8858 1692
Promoted routes: Greenwich Millennium Heritage Trails
www.lewisham.gov.uk/natureconservation - Brockwell Park. Old Victorian park with popular lido south of Brixton. Lambeth council, tel 020 7926 6221
- Chislehurst Common. Historic common, woodland and ponds at Chislehurst. National Trust Southeast region.
Promoted routes: Green Chain Walk - Coulsdon Common. One of several historic commons in the area owned by the Corporation of London.
- Crystal Palace Park, Penge. Grand Victorian park, formerly the site of the Crystal Palace after it was moved from Hyde Park after the Great Exhibition in 1854. The park includes water features, a sports stadium, a farm, life-size model dinosaurs and many other attractions. Bromley council. Information centre, Thicket Road, London SE20 8DT, tel 020 8778 9496, or look up Parks and Open Spaces in the Things To Do, Places To Go section of their website.
Promoted routes: Capital RING, Green Chain Walk - Downlands. A number of areas in the chalk countryside to the south of Croydon and Sutton boroughs are being managed for conservation and recreation: for full details contact Downlands Project.
- East Sheen Common. Rough woodland adjoining Richmond Park to the north, managed by National Trust Thames & Solent region. For more on Richmond Park, see Royal Parks.
- Eltham Park. See Oxleas Woods.
- Farthing Downs. One of several historic commons in the area owned by the Corporation of London.
- Greenwich Park, oldest of the Royal Parks. See Royal Parks.
- Ham Lands. Extensive grassland and scrub west of Richmond. Richmond council, tel 020 8831 6115
Promoted routes: Thames Path
www.richmond.gov.uk/depts/env/envplanning/parks - Happy Valley. An extremely attractive open space based around a beautiful dry valley that links the Corporation of London commons at Farthing Downs and Coulsdon. Croydon council, tel 020 8686 4433.
Promoted routes: Downlands Walks, London LOOP
www.croydon.gov.uk/ledept/Parks/Parkspage.html - Hawkwood. See Petts Wood.
- High Elms Country Park. Historic estate south of Bromley with Darwinian connections, now a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Bromley council. Nature centre, Shire Lane, Farnborough BR6 7JH, tel 01689 862815, or look up Parks and Open Spaces in the Things To Do, Places To Go section of their website.
Promoted routes: Bromley Walks, London LOOP - Jack Wood. See Oxleas Woods.
- Joyden's Wood. 135ha/333 acres of mixed woodland with prehistoric earthworks, circular walks and nature trails, on fringe of Bexley, managed by Woodland Trust.
- Jubilee Country Park. Part of a chain of green spaces near Sidcup that also includes Scadbury Park and Petts Wood. Bromley council landscape help desk 020 8313 4471, or look up Parks and Open Spaces in the Things To Do, Places To Go section of their website.
Promoted routes: Bromley Walks, London LOOP - Kenley Common. One of several historic commons in the area owned by the Corporation of London.
- Lesnes Abbey. Extensive bluebell woodlands and an adjacent open space with the ruins of a mediaeval abbey located to the south of Thamesmead, rich in fossils, a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Green Flag park. Bexley council, tel 020 8303 7777.
Promoted routes: Green Chain Walk
www.bexley.gov.uk/service/parks - Lower Mole. A number of areas along the Mole Valley and in the countryside around Sutton and Kingston are being managed for conservation and countryside access. Contact Lower Mole Project.
- Morden Hall Park. Strip of very attractive conserved countryside along the Wandle Valley, with historic deer park, grassland, woodland, fen, old snuff mills and a city farm. Morden Hall Road, Morden SM4 5JD, tel 020 8648 1845. National Trust Thames & Solent region.
Promoted routes: Wandle Trail (see Vanguard Way) - Oaks Park. Formal gardens and woodlands near Sutton, once home to the Earl of Derby. Sutton council, tel 020 8770 4627
Promoted routes: Downlands Walks, London LOOP
www.sutton.gov.uk/el/leisure/parks - Oxleas Woods and adjoining Eltham Park and Jack Wood are delightful ancient woodland and parkland southwest of Greenwich, saved from new road development in the 1990s. Greenwich council, tel 020 8319 4253.
Promoted routes: Capital RING, Green Chain Walk
www.greenwich.gov.uk/council/publicservices/parks.htm - Petts Wood and Hawkwood. 137ha/340 acres of meadows and woodland between Chislehurst and Orpington, including a monument to founder of British Summer Time, William Willett. Part of a chain of green spaces that also includes Scadbury Park and Jubilee Country Park. National Trust Southeast region.
Promoted routes: Bromley Walks, London LOOP - Riddlesdown. One of several historic commons in the area owned by the Corporation of London.
- Richmond Park, extensive former deer park and SSSI. See Royal Parks.
- Scadbury Park. Open meadows and woodlands of great rural character, and the ruins of an old moated manor. Part of a chain of green spaces near Sidcup that also includes Jubilee Country Park and Petts Wood. Bromley council landscape help desk 020 8313 4471, or look up Parks and Open Spaces in the Things To Do, Places To Go section of their website.
Promoted routes: Bromley Walks, London LOOP - Selsdon Wood. Large area of ancient woodland managed as nature reserve at Selsdon, southeast of Croydon, with historic trails and rich bird life.
Owned by National Trust Southeast region but managed by Croydon council, tel 020 8686 4433.
Promoted routes: London LOOP, Vanguard Way
www.croydon.gov.uk/ledept/Parks/Parkspage.html - South Norwood Country Park. 50ha of wetlands and meadows reclaimed from a sewage farm. Croydon council, tel 020 8686 4433.
Promoted routes: Waterlink Way - Spring Park. One of several historic open spaces in the area owned by the Corporation of London.
- West Wickham Common. One of several historic commons in the area owned by the Corporation of London.
- Wimbledon Common and Putney Heath. 460ha/1140 acres of woodland, scrub, heathland and recreation, including a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Wimbledon & Putney Common Conservators, Windmill Road, London SW19 5NR, tel 020 8788 7655
Promoted routes: Beverley Brook Walk, Capital RING
www.wpcc.org.uk
