Best Parks And Open Spaces To Visit In South West London

As lockdown is starting to be lifted many of us are unsurprisingly eager to venture further out again to parks and open spaces, while obeying social-distancing regulations.

The South West of London has some beautiful parks and open spaces. In fact, South West London has two of the eight Royal Parks of London, which highlights the beauty of the area.

Remember to keep following government advice for England, Scotland and Wales regarding travel.

Richmond Park is the largest of the eight Royal Parks of London. It's actually the largest enclosed space in London. One of London's more famous parks, this royal park is renowned for its incredible deer and stunning open spaces. It has beautiful views of Central London and the Shard, so you won't forget which city you're in. Although, with the beautiful trees, wildlife and green open space, we wouldn't blame visitors for forgetting that they're in the UK's capital!

Where is it? Richmond Park, Richmond Upon Thames, TW10 5HS - this is for guidance only as the park covers a large area - you can't miss it!

Nearest Tube or Train Station: Richmond Station - National Rail or District Line (and then catch the 371 or 65 buses to the pedestrian gate at Petersham)

Is it buggy friendly? The park is large so the ground is varied. We see lots of families with buggies although the surfaces can be uneven so a more durable off-road buggy is recommended for the adventurer types!

Where are the toilets? Plenty of toilets, including disabled toilets.

Parking: Plenty of free parking available across the park. (Vehicle gates opening and closing times change throughout the year so it' work checking on their website beforehand)

Outdoor amenities: Children's playgrounds, viewpoints, visitor centre, cafe, food & drink kiosks, golf course.

Size: Large

The second Royal Park in the South West of London is Bushy Park. It is linked to Hampton Court Palace and is famous for its stunning waterways, gardens and grassland. Like Richmond Park, it has beautiful roaming herds of red and fallow deer and other wildlife including woodpeckers, kingfishers and kestrels. There's a beautiful bronze Diana fountain which would make a perfect place to stop and take in the surroundings.

Where is it? Hampton Ct Rd, Hampton TW12 2EJ

Nearest Tube or Train Station: From Waterloo to Teddington/Hampton Wick/Hampton Court - 5 to 10-minute walk, entering the park through the Sandy Lane Gates.

Is it buggy friendly? Yes, though some paths might favour an off-road buggy.

Where are the toilets? Toilets including disabled toilets are located across the park.

Parking: Plenty of parking around the park.

Outdoor amenities: Children's playgrounds, welcome centre, refreshment points, beautiful gardens and waterways.

Size: Large

Hampton Court Palace offers some of London's most incredible open green spaces. There is an entry fee to explore the palace and the gardens at £24.50 for adults and £12.20 for children, but with some of the best green spaces in South London, we definitely feel it's worth it. There are 60 acres of formal gardens and 750 acres of historic parkland to explore so plenty of choice to find your perfect spot! It's the only place in our list that includes a royal palace which was also the home of King Henry VIII. The Magic Garden play area has sand and water play, aerial walkways, slides and climbing frames so it's perfect for your little ones. And if that isn't impressive enough, Hampton Court Palace is home to the UK's oldest surviving hedge maze which covers a third of an acre, so it's a fantastic place to spend the day with your whole family. The current planned reopening date is 31st May.

Where is it? Hampton Court Palace, East Molesey, Surrey, KT8 9AU.

Nearest Tube or Train Station: Hampton Court train station is located a 5-minute walk from the palace. Rail services run from London Waterloo Station every 30 minutes.

Is it buggy friendly? Yes - very well maintained surfaces and step-free.

Where are the toilets? There are lots of toilets across the park, including accessible toilets.

Parking: There is parking located before the entrance of the gardens.

Outdoor amenities: Cafes, shops, picnic areas, ice cream kiosks, carriage and riverboat rides, a maze, and the Magic Garden play area. Do check opening times during lockdown to avoid disappointment!

Size: Large

Wandsworth Park is a lovely humbly sized Grade II listed urban park located in Putney. With mini-golf, tennis courts, and play area this is a fantastic place to spend an afternoon with your kids. It's an incredible green space and is also a good starting point for a fantastic three-mile (1 hour) walk along the Thames to Battersea Park.

Where is it? Wandsworth Park, Putney Bridge Road, London SW15 2PX.

Nearest Tube or Train Station: 5-10 minute walk from East Putney tube station or Putney Station.

Is it buggy friendly? Yes!

Where are the toilets? Toilets can be found by the play park and cafe.

Parking: There's no dedicated parking at Wandsworth Park.

Outdoor amenities: Children's playground, cafe, tennis courts, mini-golf.

Size: Small

Another famous park in South London is Battersea Park. It has some of the best gardens and stunning green space South London has to offer. Similar to Hyde Park but just over half the size, Battersea Park is a large (200 acre) Victorian park with beautiful gardens, a riverside promenade, a large boating lake, sports facilities, children's play areas, and even a children's zoo. A perfect place to spend the day with your children relaxing and playing in the beautiful green space.

Where is it? Battersea Park, Battersea, Wandsworth, London SW11 4NJ

Nearest Tube or Train Station: Battersea Park Railway Station is on the doorstep of the park so it's really easy to get to.

Is it buggy friendly? Yes, very!

Where are the toilets? There are toilets available around the park including disabled toilets.

Parking: There's no dedicated parking at Battersea Park, but off-street parking at the weekend costs, £5.40 for over three hours. Although we'd recommend using the very accessible South London public transport.

Outdoor amenities: Children's playgrounds, refreshment points, children's zoo, sports facilities, gardens, boating activities. Just remember to check any updates regarding opening measures in light of COVID-19 before you visit.

Size: Large

You would have heard of Wimbledon from the Tennis Championship but did you know Wimbledon has lovely green open spaces to enjoy during the rest of the year, one of which is Wimbledon Park. It has a huge range of sporting facilities including tennis courts, a bowls pavilion and beach volleyball court. It has a water sprinkler park for kids to enjoy around in the summer months. It has one of the biggest lakes in South London which has a watersports centre with lots of activities such as sailing and kayaking!

Where is it? Home Park Rd, Wimbledon, London SW19 8AU

Nearest Tube or Train Station: Wimbledon Park Tube Station

Is it buggy friendly? Yes

Where are the toilets? Toilets are available in the park including accessible disabled toilets.

Parking: There is a car park on-site.

Outdoor amenities: When open as usual, the park includes an athletics track, beach volleyball courts, bowling green, cafe, crazy golf, lakes, ponds and water features, ornamental gardens, paddling pool, play areas, tennis courts.

Size: Medium

Cannizaro Park isn't as well known as the other parks in this article but with its lovely gardens, wildlife, woodland and aviary, it's truly one of Wimbledon's hidden gems. The aviary has some unique birds small birds including cockatiels, zebra finch, quails and canaries so it's a great place to explore with your kids. Its beautiful trees and flowers make it a perfect place to bring the family and take a stroll or have a picnic in the many peaceful secluded areas of the park.

Where is it? Camp Road, Merton, London SW19 4UE

Nearest Tube or Train Station: Wimbledon Station (London Underground and British Rail) is a 20-minute walk away.

Is it buggy friendly? The surface is quite flat, but like with the other parks, a buggy that is capable of going across grass is recommended.

Where are the toilets? There are public toilets in the park including disabled toilets that are external DC Radar accessible

Parking: The park is accessible to pedestrians only. Car parking is very limited - although there are some pay and display bays on The Causeway.

Outdoor amenities: Lakes, ponds, water features, gardens, a cafe

Size: Small / Medium