Undiscovered
Parks of London
London is home to hundreds – if not thousands – of iconic attractions and activities, and is world-famous for its landmarks, museums, and galleries.
But did you know that the UK capital is also one of the greenest cities in the world for its size? In addition to 9.5 million residents, London is home to more than 8.3 million trees and 14,000 species of wildlife. This is in comparison to the 2.41 million residents in Paris and 500,000 trees.
We believe those statistics are something to be celebrated. So, using TripAdvisor data alongside various other review criteria, we have put together the ultimate guide to the hidden gems of London’s parks and green spaces. In it, we reveal which of these lesser-explored spots are most worth a visit.
So, let’s get into the detail.
Which parks and green spaces take the crown for first place?
Our results are in, and showcase a joint first place shared between six parks:
All six parks scored top marks, with five-star reviews and are dotted around different London boroughs.
The Queen’s Meadow, named in honour of Her Majesty the Queen, is known for its beautiful display of white flowers. The meadow occupies just over one acre of the west end of The Green Park in Westminster. It was seeded by The Prince of Wales as part of the Coronation Meadows project which launched in 2013 to create a new meadow in every UK county.
Tiverton Green in Brent has a wide range of facilities including a large playground, tennis courts as well as a cycling course and a climbing wall. This is also a popular spot for dog walkers and joggers. This park has been remodelled since 2013 with the addition of extra benches, trees, and sports equipment.
Salopian Kitchen Garden in Hounslow is slightly different to the others in the line-up - it’s a public garden which is used as a learning resource. The space formerly belonged to retired civil servant Joan Temple who left both garden and cottage to the National Trust after she passed. Salopian Kitchen Garden is looked after by the team at the independent charity Cultivate London, a charity that aims to improve employment, education as well as health and wellbeing by offering horticultural services to the community.
Tivoli Park, in Norwood shares grounds with Holderness House – a stately home built 1893 for Thomas Henry Maudslay whose father owned the engineering company ‘Maudslay, Sons and Field’. The park as it looks now was built in 1914 after World War One and was renamed from ‘Knights Hill’ to ‘Tivoli Park’ in 2010. The space has a basketball court, football field as well as a children’s playground. This park is one for nature lovers to visit as it contains a water feature and wildflower meadow, as well as a range of beautiful fruit trees.
Leg O Mutton Reservoir, in Barnes, was originally built in 1838 for Thames Water and supplied locals until 1960. The site was at one staged proposed to be a housing and shopping centre complex, which was strongly opposed by residents and ultimately turned down. The park is home to various wildlife including bats, ducks, herons, and cormorants, so bird lovers can easily spend one to two hours walking around the reservoir.
Our final green space to take the top spot is Walthamstow Reservoirs, located in Waltham Forest. The reservoir was built between 1853 and 1904 and is one of the largest urban wetland nature reserves in Europe. The reservoir is a popular fishing hotspot as well as a haven for wildlife and birds such as grey heron, tufted duck, and little egret.
The top 50 perfect hidden parks to explore on your lunch break
There is perhaps no better way to spend your lunch break than a stroll around one of these beautiful gardens and parks.
If you feel like becoming one with nature, catching some rays and breathing in the fresh air, we have rounded up the top 50 parks below where you can do this! Below is an interactive map showcasing where you can find these green spaces if you fancy a wander.
This meadow was created in 2016 to mark the Queen's 90th birthday, using seeds brought from similar meadows elsewhere. This is also the 90th in a series of wildflower meadows created and named 'Coronation Meadows'. The aim is to restore bio-diversity in places where modern life has decimated the previous rich plant heritage. The location, across Constitution Hill from Buckingham Palace, close to Hyde Park Corner and right next to the iconic Bomber Command Memorial, is superb and was well chosen. It's an oasis of peace in the midst of Central London's hustle and bustle. It's a wonderful place to visit, especially in the Spring and Summer seasons.
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We took the number and score of reviews into consideration to rank the top 50 parks and gardens.
Below is the full list of London’s undiscovered parks and gardens.
| Park | Suggested duration | Borough | No of reviews | Rating | Overall score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queen's Meadow | <1 hour | Westminster | 1 | 5 | 100 |
| Tiverton Green | 1-2 hours | Brent | 1 | 5 | 100 |
| Salopian Kitchen Garden | 1-2 hours | Hounslow | 1 | 5 | 100 |
| Tivoli Park | <1 hour | Norwood | 1 | 5 | 100 |
| Leg O Mutton Reservoir | 1-2 hours | Barnes | 1 | 5 | 100 |
| Walthamsow Reservoirs | <1 hour | Waltham Forest | 1 | 5 | 100 |
| St Paul's Churchyard and Eden Community Garden | <1 hour | Lambeth | 2 | 5 | 75 |
| Pullens Gardens | <1 hour | Southwark | 2 | 5 | 75 |
| Ducketts Common | 2-3 hours | Harringey | 2 | 4.5 | 70 |
| Haven Green | <1 hour | Ealing | 2 | 4.5 | 70 |
| Charterhouse Square | 1-2 hours | Islington | 3 | 5 | 67 |
| St. John’s Gardens | <1 hour | Westminster | 3 | 4.5 | 62 |
| Millbank Gardens | <1 hour | Westminster | 3 | 4.5 | 62 |
| Bethnal Green Gardens | 1-2 hours | Tower Hamlets | 3 | 4.5 | 62 |
| Bramford Gardens | 1-2 hours | Wandsworth | 3 | 4.5 | 62 |
| The Barbers' Physic Garden | <1 hour | City of London | 3 | 4.5 | 62 |
| Honor Oak Park | <1 hour | Lewisham | 5 | 5 | 60 |
| Aldgate Square | <1 hour | City of London | 4 | 4.5 | 58 |
| Durand's Wharf | 1-2 hours | Southwark | 4 | 4.5 | 58 |
| Stratford Park | 2-3 hours | Newham | 4 | 4.5 | 58 |
| Priory Park | <1 hour | Harringey | 4 | 4.5 | 58 |
| Potters Fields Park | 2-3 hours | Southwark | 7 | 5 | 57 |
| Gunnersbury Triangle | <1 hour | Chiswick | 9 | 5 | 56 |
| Coronation Gardens | <1 hour | Leyton | 5 | 4.5 | 55 |
| Wells Park | <1 hour | Sydenham | 6 | 4.5 | 53 |
| New Beckton Park | <1 hour | Newham | 20 | 5 | 53 |
| Stave Hill Ecological Park | <1 hour | Southwark | 10 | 4.5 | 50 |
| New River Walk | 1-2 hours | Islington | 10 | 4.5 | 50 |
| Barbican Conservatory | 20 minutes | City of London | 11 | 4.5 | 50 |
| Tibetan Peace Garden | <1 hour | Southwark | 14 | 4.5 | 49 |
| Cannizaro Park | <1 hour | Merton | 15 | 4.5 | 48 |
| One Tree Hill Local Nature Reserve | <1 hour | Forest Hill | 15 | 4.5 | 48 |
| Sydenham Hill Wood and Cox's Walk | 2-3 hours | Sydenham | 16 | 4.5 | 48 |
| Maryon Wilson Animal Park | <1 hour | Greenwich | 17 | 4.5 | 48 |
| South Norwood Lake and Grounds | More than 3 hours | Croydon | 18 | 4.5 | 48 |
| Tooting Common | 1-2 hours | Wandsworth | 19 | 4.5 | 48 |
| Wandsworth Common | <1 hour | Wandsworth | 19 | 4.5 | 48 |
| Brockwell Park Walled Garden | <1 hour | Lambeth | 19 | 4.5 | 48 |
| Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park | <1 hour | Greenwich | 23 | 4.5 | 47 |
| Brown Hart Gardens | <1 hour | Mayfair | 25 | 4.5 | 47 |
| Queen's Park | 1-2 hours | Brent | 29 | 4.5 | 47 |
| Hill Garden & Pergola | <1 hour | Hampstead Heath | 88 | 4.5 | 46 |
| Bishop's Park | <1 hour | Hammersmith and Fulham | 100 | 4.5 | 46 |
| Golders Hill Park | <1 hour | Barnet | 122 | 4.5 | 45 |
| The Victoria Tower Gardens | <1 hour | Westminster | 129 | 4.5 | 45 |
| Garden at 120 | <1 hour | City of London | 137 | 4.5 | 45 |
| Wimbledon and Putney Commons | <1 hour | Merton | 139 | 4.5 | 45 |
| Italian Gardens | <1 hour | Kensington | 143 | 4.5 | 45 |
| Crossrail Place Roof Garden | 1-2 hours | Tower Hamlets | 172 | 4.5 | 45 |
| Queen Mary's Gardens | <1 hour | Camden | 177 | 4.5 | 45 |
| Victoria Embankment Gardens | <1 hour | City of London | 213 | 4.5 | 45 |
| Victoria Park | 1-2 hours | Tower Hamlets | 293 | 4.5 | 45 |
| Kyoto Garden | <1 hour | Kensington | 376 | 4.5 | 45 |
| Crystal Palace Park | <1 hour | Crystal Palace | 386 | 4.5 | 45 |
| Battersea Park | <1 hour | Battersea | 572 | 4.5 | 45 |
| Chelsea Physic Garden | <1 hour | Kensington and Chelsea | 641 | 4.5 | 45 |
| WWT London Wetland Centre | More than 3 hours | Richmond upon Thames | 649 | 4.5 | 45 |
Can you guess which parks and gardens these are?
Well done!
Methodology
We analysed TripAdvisor data of 50 parks and green spaces with four stars and above with less than 1,000 reviews to find the undiscovered gems. The 50 parks were ranked against two criteria which were the number of reviews and score of reviews. Each weighted 50% to make up the total score.
