Hidden Urban Gems in the Sunshine!
I was born in Paris, and it's a beautiful place, but London feels like home. I like the village feeling, I like running in the parks - even the food isn't as bad as it used to be.
Eva Green
I’m back! Back from a wonderful holiday that was actually more of an Andalusian Adventure – but don’t worry, I’m not going to bore you with endless pictures and holiday anecdotes. The one thing that Andalusia and London has in common at the moment is the weather, in fact a small bone of contention was leaving the beautiful weather in London simply to arrive in a thunderstorm and horizontal rain in Sevilla!
I love London in the summer, I love the fact that everyone does their best to be outside as much as possible and this summer, (fingers crossed it will continue!!), has been SCORCHIO!!
London is much loved for the amount of green space it provides, 47% of the total area! I read recently there are eight million trees in London making it the world’s largest urban forest!
Whilst most people head off to Hyde or Regent’s or St. James’ there are some wonderful hidden gems of green space right under the noses of most Londoners. Forget Hampstead Heath and Greenwich Park, grab your bike or jump on the tube with your wine cooler and picnic and look for some of the long-forgotten secrets of the capital.
The Sexby Garden
Peckham Rye Park and Peckham Rye Common together make up 113 acres of open recreational grassland, ornamental and water gardens, a lake and woodland. Within this space you will find The Sexby Garden. Built just after the turn of the 20th century, the Sexby Garden – originally named the Old English Garden – is a picturesque formal garden right in the heart of the common. It was restored in the mid-noughties. There’s a beautiful fountain, an aromatic wisteria covered walkway and plenty of quiet corners perfect for reading The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan – we’ll leave that for another post!
Brockwell Park
Regular readers may remember I’ve spoken about this place before in a post from February; Brunch is Best! In the post I talked about the wonders of brunch on a crisp, sunny winters day – well, let me tell you, at this time of the year it is equally enchanting to sit in the dappled sunlight watching the dog walkers, the kids playing, the lovers hand in hand and the Yoga classes that seem to pop up in the park.
Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park
Not a million miles from my front door, this park was built for educational purposes and wildlife preservation. The park is just behind the O2 right on the banks of the Thames and offers a welcome green retreat in amongst the numerous modern apartment blocks. They do have events and talks here focused on ecology and wildlife preservation but you need to book in advance through the Land Trust. The public are also invited to volunteer their time to help manage the area and there’s a boardwalk open every day if you fancy a stroll. If you don’t fancy a picnic, try The Pilot, a nice pub just around the corner in-between the park and North Greenwich tube that does lovely food.
Horniman Museum Gardens
This place is vast – the gardens cover a whopping 16 acres, where you’ll find a range of garden areas and a host of activities throughout the year for visitors of any age. Their nature trail is the oldest in London and they also host events during the summer months, such as cinema screenings, (I had a fab evening there recently watching an open-air screening of Grease!!), theatre productions and even an animal walk, with the chance to meet the resident alpacas.
Painshill
Just outside the Northern portion of M25 on the outskirts of Cobham you’ll find Painshill, it’s a bit further out however, because it takes me about an hour to get there is kind of feel a little bit like a proper day out 😊 Painshill’s beautiful lakeside landscape fells as though it could be hundreds of miles away from the hustle and bustle of the capital. Described as England’s most elegant 18th century landscape garden, it was built by the Hon. Charles Hamilton. Work began in 1738 and his romantic designs include ornamental bridges, temples, follies and the centre-piece of his vision, the painfully restored Crystal Grotto, which is covered in hand-carved crystals. You have to pay to enter the park, it was £8.00 for adults when we visited, but honestly, it’s well worth it.
Selsdon Wood Nature Reserve
South of the M25 this time, down towards Croydon is Selsdon, again a little further out however, once again well worth the trip. Owned by the National Trust, Selsdon is a 200-acre woodland site. There is an ancient woodland and a coppiced woodland – maintained by the reserves volunteers. Wandering in the warm dappled sunlight from the tree canopy at this time of year is a real delight however, something to bear in mind for next spring, there is a bluebell wood, with a carpet of bluebells, the likes I’ve not seen anywhere else in London and even further afield!
What’s on this week!
Head, Eyes & Teeth – Catwa Head, Rigged Eyes and teeth - Catya v3.2
Hair – Tram H0531 hair
Skin – Amara Beauty - Anita - PACK A
Body, Hands & Feet – Maitreya Mesh Body - Lara V4.0
AO – VISTA ANIMATIONS *HUD 5.33*ZOE FULL BENTO-V1 NOFACE
Physics – Temptation – Maitreya Physics II 2018 Bento Realism Fatpack +
Shape – Elle et Lui SL Style, Sacha Shape for Catwa Catya – Maitreya, (Adjusted)
Tattoo – [CAROL G] Nomadic Owl - Black
Nose Piercing – ^^Swallow^^ Princess Piercing Nose 01
