Top Green Spaces In North East London

With lockdown guidelines being gradually eased, we are now able to exercise more than once a day, we can stop and rest in open spaces and we can travel to open spaces for exercise.

When we think of great London parks, we might immediately think of Hampstead Heath and The Royal Parks but, although these open green spaces are fantastic places to go with the family, North East London also has some brilliant green spaces and parks to enjoy on a lovely sunny day.

Check out our list of some of the best parks Hackney, North East London, Waltham Forest and Enfield have to offer! Some councils have different approaches to their response to the Coronavirus so we recommend checking to see if the parks and amenities are open on the day you plan to go.

Remember to keep following government advice for England‍ regarding travel.
 

Although Shoreditch Park is one of the smaller open spaces on our list, it's actually one of Hackney's largest parks at 7.1 hectares. It offers a wide range of facilities including a children's adventure playground, and holds a Green Flag award – an award given annually to the best parks in the country. It's a perfect park to take your little ones to get some exercise and sunshine!

Where is it? Shoreditch Park, New North Road, N1 6TA

Where's the nearest tube or train station located? Old Street Station of the Northern Line or Hoxton of the Overground are the closest stations to the park.

Is it buggy friendly? Yes, very!

Where are the toilets? Unfortunately, there are no toilets in the park.

Is there parking? There's no dedicated parking at the park but off-street parking can be found around the park.

What outdoor amenities are there? There's a football pitch, a rugby pitch, a beach volleyball court, two ping pong tables, a giant boulder for rock climbing, an amphitheatre, an adventure playground, a play area, public art and a TfL cycle hire docking station.

How big is the park? The park is Small/Medium-sized, but large enough to keep social distancing comfortably.

One of Hackney's most popular parks is London Fields. With a Lido, two children's play areas, lots of sports facilities and beautiful wildflower meadows, it's no surprise that this green space is a very popular spot in the summer for families with kids.

Where is it? London Fields Westside, E8 3EU.

Where's the nearest tube or train station located? London Fields has its own Overground station which is conveniently located right next to the park!

Is it buggy friendly? Yes, very!

Where are the toilets? There are toilets, including accessible toilets, on-site.

Is there parking? There's no dedicated parking at the park but off-street park can be found around the park.

What outdoor amenities are there? The park has a Lido, paddling pool, two children’s play areas, a cricket pitch, a boules area, an outdoor gym, a wildflower meadow, sports changing rooms, two tennis courts and a table tennis table. Note that some of these facilities could be closed due to the lockdown guidelines.

How big is the park? At 12.65 hectares, the park is medium-sized compared to others on this list, so there's still plenty of room to keep social distancing

Located in Stoke Newington, Hackney, Clissold Park is one of the best parks in North London. This lovely park in the East of North London has stunning walks by the river with quaint bridges and water features. It has held a Green Flag award since 2006, and it is the home of Clissold House which is a beautiful Grade II listed building. There are animals in the park, including birds, goats and a small herd of fallow deer. The highly-rated green space is one of the top outdoor places to go to in Hackney and a fabulous place to spend the day with your kids.

Where is it? Clissold House, Church Street, N16 9HJ

Where's the nearest tube or train station located? It's a 15-minute walk from Stoke Newington Station but there is plenty of other tube stops close to the park.

Is it buggy friendly? Yes, very!

Where are the toilets? The main park toilets (including accessible toilets and baby changing) can be found at the end of the house nearest to the tennis courts.

Is there parking? There's no dedicated parking at the park but off-street park can be found around the park.

What outdoor amenities are there? Some of these might be closed due to lockdown, but the park has lots of amenities. There's an aviary, animal enclosures, a children’s play area, fountains, a pond dipping platform, a table tennis table, a refreshment kiosk, a river and tennis courts.

How big is the park? Large - At 22.57 hectares, there's lots of room to comfortably keep to social distancing guidelines.

Leyton Jubilee Park is the largest park in the borough of Waltham Forest managed by the council. The park has beautiful woodland, wildflowers meadows and rivers.  There's an adventure playground with a pirate ship, snake swing and an outdoor gym. A perfect place to enjoy a day out with your kids!

Where is it? Seymour Road, Leyton E10 7BL.

Where's the nearest tube or train station located? The nearest stations are Leyton Tube Station and Leyton Midland Road Station.

Is it buggy friendly? Some parts of the park are buggy friendly.

Where are the toilets? Toilets are available when the pavilion is open; this includes a disabled toilet and baby changing areas.

Is there parking? The main car park is at the Marsh Lane entrance and there's some on-street parking available nearby.

What outdoor amenities are there? The park has cycle routes, picnic and seating areas, playgrounds, an outdoor gym and a community cafe.

How big is the park? Large!

Also located in the borough of Waltham Forest, Chingford Plain is a beautiful mix of lush grasslands and shaded woodlands. This large open green space perfectly captures the English countryside, perfect for a picnic out on the grass. You can enjoy a walk, bike ride or horse-ride across the Plain and some cows often graze the plain in summer.

Where is it? Chingford Plain, London E4 7AZ

Where's the nearest tube or train station located? Chingford Station is located right next to Chingford Plain.

Is it buggy friendly? Chingford Plain itself lacks paved paths so it's not recommended for pushchairs or buggies.

Where are the toilets? If open the visitor centre has public toilets, baby changing facilities, a shop and refreshments.

Is there parking? Parking is available at Chingford Plain car park and Barn Hoppitt car park. The visitor centre at Chingford also has parking with two blue badge parking bays.

What outdoor amenities are there? There are not any man-made amenities, but what it lacks in tennis courts, it certainly makes up for in scenic walks and fresh air!

How big is the park? Large!

Located in the borough of Enfield, this peaceful green space provides nature reserve trails with ponds & streams, wildlife views and playing fields. This open space is the furthest from Central London, so is much larger and less built up too. It's a perfect place for you and your kids to get some fresh air. One of the best parks in Enfield, Firs Farm Wetland Park also has a cycleway and network of footpaths. There is a dipping platform, stepping stones and several seating areas for the public to enjoy.

Where is it? Firs Ln, Winchmore Hill, London N21 2PJ

Where's the nearest tube or train station located? Firs Farm is equidistant between Edmonton, Palmers Green and Winchmore Hill Station so you have got a few options. It does, however, take around 30 minutes to walk to the wetlands from each station so driving might be the best option.

Is it buggy friendly? There's quite a lot of uneven surfaces so we wouldn't recommend this one for buggies!

Where are the toilets? There are no public toilets available here.

Is there parking? There's no onsite parking.

What outdoor amenities are there? There aren't loads of man-made amenities but there are cycleways, footpaths, a dipping platform and several seating areas to help you enjoy the fresh air!

How big is the park? Very Large!

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