London (an urban forest with over 9 million trees)
London is imagined as a bustling city of concrete, traffic, and flashing lights. But in fact it has more trees than people, with over 3000 parks and thousands of tree-lined streets give Londoners space to relax, meet friends, and enjoy fresh air.
If out walking, follow the Countryside Code to keep all creatures safe. For dog-friendly parks, keep them away from all bulbs and conkers.
Did you know many trees (including yew, oak and sycamore) are unsafe near horses? Councils should not plant flowers in railings, as deer can get stuck in them.
The “Urban Forest”: London’s Tree Canopy
London’s “urban forest” spreads wide, with millions of trees covering nearly a fifth of the capital. From grand plane trees shading central squares to old oaks in local parks, these trees trap pollution, and provide cleaner air and cool shelter.
London Parks spends a year walking around the author’s favourite parks. From his local haunt on Hampstead Heather to Richmond Park to Battersea Park (with the little brown dog statue, in memory of the first victim of vivisection).
Hyde Park: The Heart of Central London
Hyde Park was built in 1536 by Henry III who ‘stole the park’ from local monks, who used it as a place of worship and gardening. He forced the monks out, to use it to hunt deer.
Thankfully today the 350 acres is home to over 4000 trees and an antique bandstand. Lake Serpentine is acutually a pool, built at request of Queen Caroline in 1730. It alas is infamous for the IRA bomb which killed four men and seven horses in 1982.
Richmond Park: A Wild Oasis Near London
Richmond Park is a living landscape packed with history, wildlife and wide open views. Known for its herds of red and fallow deer, around 600 have roamed these fields and woods since the 17th century.
The Isabella Plantation bursts colour each spring and summer (Azaleas and rhododendrons (toxic to dogs) line the winding paths.
Alternatives to Culling Deer
Richmond Park does cull deer, saying venison profits go towards employing Wildlife Officers. And says contraceptives would cause stress through rounding up and fencing. Rewilding is not possible, as introducing wolves could attack children or dogs. Hopefully solutions can be found to co-exist peacefully with deer friends.
Regent’s Park: Gardens and Wildlife
Regent’s Park has neat gardens, flower borders and secret corners for quiet reading, as well as an Open Air Theatre that draws crowds each summer.
Boycott the zoo (caging animals to conserve species is not the answer). And instead notice wild swans, herons and robins living wild along winding paths.
Hampstead Heath: Wild Panoramic Vistas
Hampstead Heather is more wild than many parks. In North London, trails dart through woodlands and meadows, up to Parliament Hill. On a clear day, the view across the city from here rivals any postcard.
Secret Gardens (in central London)
Don’t visit a hidden London garden to ‘do anything’. You won’t find skateboard parks or ice-cream shops or tearooms here. You’ll just find peace and quiet.
- Culpeper Community Garden transformed a barren area back in the 1980s. There are places to relax, and also some people use the garden to grow their own vegetables.
- Hampstead Hill Garden sits within a large park, with trees, stone paths and flowers. Mostly left to grow wild and organic. It’s a well-known oasis of calm in a busy part of the city.
- Red Cross Garden was created in 1887 by Octavia Hill, a social former who founded the National Trust. Filled with trees and colourful flowers, there are benches to look over the grass, or to chat or read.
- The Onion Garden is close to the Houses of Parliament. It grows many plants, but not onions! The name is due to when monks used to grow them, but now it’s more flowers.
- Phoenix Garden is a small garden in central London, quiet and calm (despite being near busy buildings and roads). Run by volunteers, bees and butterflies have already discovered it
- Postman’s Park (near St Paul’s cathedral) is a quiet spot to relax, and a fitting tribute to those who have saved other people’s lives. The Memorial includes stories from the late 1800s and early 1900s.
- St Dunstan in the East (in the city of London) sits amid the ruins of a church that was hit by bombs during World War II. Built in the 12th century, it had already been damaged in the Great Fire of London (1666). This time, when bombed, the local people decided to turn the area into a public garden, instead of rebuild the church.
