GET YOUR GREENS - A Guide to London's Best Green Spaces by Nisha Emich

Get Y our G reens A GUIDE TO LONDON’S BEST GREEN SPACES...

Escape the gloom of grey streets and sweeping skyscrapers by delving into the city’s greener depths!

t’s half five on a tuesday evening and you’re crammed tightly against a sweaty mass of bodies on your daily commute home. You endure forty minutes of breathing in other people’s air, with the prospect of crawling into and ordering a takeaway the only thing keeping you sane. The following morning you wake up at the crack of dawn to squeeze yourself into the same overcrowded underground stations. Your movements are monotonous; you travel from your flat, to the tube, to the office, back to the tube, before finally returning home. Sound familiar? London makes it hard to remember to breathe, to take an evening off, to do something for yourself. With everyone moving so quickly, avoiding eye contact as they hasten down pavements, silently panicking about targets, and schedules, and ever mounting housing rates, its easy to forget why you moved to the city in the first place. Amidst the steel and shimmer

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you’ll start fantasising about fields of barley and willows swaying in the wind. But no need to give up your big city dreams just yet; you might be feeling down but London has a surprising amount to offer in response to yearnings for greener pastures. While the likes of Hyde Park will do to satiate a thirst for the natural world, the following choices will hopefully reveal some of the more unique spaces in and around London. From secret hideaways tucked away in the middle of the city’s madness to gems that take a little more effort to uncover, this comprehensive list is sure to fill you with enthusiasm for the great outdoors. And don’t worry if you prefer your wilderness with a touch of refinement, there’s something here for everyone. So what are you waiting for? Get out their and make the most of your London!

1. Kyoto G ardens

nearest tube: holland park hours: 7:30AM til dusk

estled in the northern part of Holland Park, located in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, the Kyoto Garden offers an unbeatable slice of tranquility just a few minutes walk from a bustling high street. Donated by the Chambers of Commerce in 1991 the Kyoto Garden gives bogged down Londoners, sick of dreary English sights, a glimpse into another land – and the experience really is quite magical. The garden is small, but cleverly proportioned, with Japanese maple trees and attractive stone features elegantly spaced around a waterfall flowing into a koi filled pond. Standing on the sleek bridge gazing down at these jewel coloured fish swimming below, the sound of rushing water in your ears, its not difficult to feel transported far far away from the streets of London. The most exciting element of Kyoto Garden comes from another array of brightly coloured animals: four majestic peacocks. With their brilliant plumage

and nonchalant air – entirely unfazed by the gawking visitors – these birds truly turn the space from a pleasant sight to an absolute must see! If the exotic allure of Kyoto Garden isn’t enough to tempt you to make a trip, the combination of this space with Holland Park’s other options makes it a go to area for any in need of a green fix. What the park might lack in enormity it makes up for in cultivated charm. After your peaceful visit of the Kyoto Garden take a turn in the stunningly crafted Dutch Garden nestled next to Holland House, dog watch for a while at the Holland Park Cafe, or combine your visit with a cheeky indulgence at Primrose Bakery on Kensington High Street.

2. The Roof G ardens

nearest tube: high st KENSINGTOn

f an overgrown forest is the green escape you’re looking for the Roof Gardens in Kensington is very much not that. But if it is a touch of glamour and easily accessible escapism you’re after then look no further. Around the corner from High Street Kensington station, taking a right down Derry St, you’ll come across the unassuming entrance to the Roof Gardens – one of London’s most exclusive member clubs

hours: 9AM til 5pm

and an extremely popular party destination for the wealthy and famous. But don’t worry, during the day they let us normal folk have a look around too... After signing in at the desk you are directed to a lift that carries you up to the 6th floor, which opens up to a truly stunning visual experience. The Roof Gardens are divided into two distinct styles: the ‘English’ and the ‘Spanish’ gardens. The latter is based on the Alhambra in Granada, which makes effective use of Moorish architecture and bright coral colours, with a large spanish veranda overlooking the area. To the right of the Spanish Garden is the English Woodland and Tudor Garden (which is sadly closed

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off to the public from December to March). Featuring a large pond, a floating tree that lights up with fairy lights and a stone bridge, the Woodland is a bit like something out of a fairytale. An effect which is very much completed by the presence of some very lovely, if not slightly incongrous, flamingoes. Much like Kyoto Garden’s Peacocks these blush coloured birds are extremely comfortable around their guests and will let you shriek and snap selfies to your hearts content.

3. Isabella

While the garden is free open daily to the public is it often booked for private events – it is a truly spectacular wedding destination – you can check the regularly updated website to ensure availability. Alternatively the Babylon restaurant located the floor above has beautiful birds eye views of the space, open for lunch and dinner, if wining and dining is more your thing.

Plantation

nearest tube: richmond

hours: 7AM til dusk

etting to Richmond Park takes commitment it must be said... After the tube journey your best bet is to take a bus from the station and even then the formidable expanse of the park may put you off from venturing too far into its depth to seek out the Isabella Plantation. But if you do you won’t be disappointed (though making a friend with a car and a labrador might be your best bet here). If arriving by car the Isabella Plantation is easily accessible by road – although if you make the effort to get all the way out to Richmond its

(vehicles)

worth while to park further afield and stroll through its vast wilderness. You will also see deer, like an “oh my god are those antlers? Wait is that another pair of antlers? Sweet heavens I am now standing meters away from approximately 20 deer” amount of deer. The plantation itself, which was first opened to the public in 1953 is a gated 40 acre woodland garden full of winding streams, easily accessible pathways and even a bathroom! In recent years the Isabella Plantation received a £1.5 million investment from the Heritage Lottery and the Big Lottery funds in order to improve biodiversity and increase access. The park now boasts an impressive 125 varieties of hardy hybrid rhododendrons and over 100 varieties of azaleas. These azaleas are at their peak of flower in April and early May painting the plantation mesmerising shades of pink and purple. While the summer and spring months would be the obvious choice for a visit, there is an unexpected charm in exploring the space during a brisk winter’s day, as the surrounding heather stirs in the wind. At any time of year the Isabella Plantation is a perfect example of nature and man working in exquisite harmony, creating a truly memorable destination.

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4. St Dunstan

in the East

nearest tube: MONUMENT

t Dunstan-in-the-East was a Church of London Parish Church originally built in 1100 and is a grade 1 listed building. The church has a long history of break down and restoration, including severe damages caused by the Great Fire of London in 1666, which led to Christopher Wren (who famously redesigned St. Paul’s cathedral after the fire) adding a steeple and a tower to the space. It was almost entirely destroyed during the Blitz in 1941, with only the Wren’s tower and steeple, and the north and south facing walls, surviving the bombs’ impact. Following the war it was decided that St Dunstan would not be rebuilt, but in 1967 the City of London Corporation decided to transform the ruins of the church into a garden, which opened to the public in 1971.

hours: 8AM til 7pm

The beloved space is right at the heart of the city, with office buildings and skyscrapers a mere stones throw away, and offers city workers the perfect quiet spot to take a breather or eat their lunches. The centre of the church, where the nave used to be, features a small circle of benches surrounding a pretty little fountain, and although you’re only minutes away from the general hustle and bustle of the city its hard not to lose yourself in your thoughts while hidden away in this peaceful green oasis. In the years since the space opened the trees, bushes, flowers and plants have taken root, with creepers taking over the walls, giving the ruins of the church a slightly apocalyptic feeling, a look into a lost world where man’s influence has fallen away.

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5. Barbican Conservatory

nearest tube: BARBICAN

hours: 12pm til 5pm

t seems almost impossible to describe what the experience of visiting the Barbican Conservatory is like, as everything about it seems incongruous to the London we’re used to encountering. Imagine an abandoned city overrun by plants, grey structures with vines and leaves spilling over, each way you turn glimpsing floral in equal measure to glass and concrete – sounds crazy right? It is. The Barbican conservatory is home to 2,000 species of tropical plants and trees, and is the second largest heated conservatory in the

(sundays only)

country. It also has three water features within the space, which add drama and aural interest to the conservatory (as well as housing some beautiful exotic fish). A raised walkway unfortunately leads to a barricaded area, but gives visitors incredible views of the jungle below and access to a dry room, which contains a number of cacti and other hot-weather plants. The whole of the Barbican Centre is worth visiting – and taking the time to attend one of its many exhibitions, screenings or theatre productions (the space is host 2 cinema screens, three theatre spaces, 2 galleries, a library, multiple conference halls and a number of cafes and restaurants). The Centre was officially opened on March 3rd 1982 and became a Grade II listed building in 2001. In 2003, however, it was voted “London’s ugliest building” and opinion remains divided over the centre’s architecture. The whole experience is surreal, like something out of a dystopian film. To stumble upon (or actively seek out) this bucolic paradise hidden away within the brutalist Barbican Centre is truly something you’ll never forget.

6. The Sky G arden

nearest tube: MONUMENT

hours: 11AM til 9pm (sat/sun)

ocated less than a five minute walk from St Dunstan in the East church mentioned above, the Sky Garden offers Londoners an almost perfectly opposite experience. Where the ruins of St Dunstan offers idyllic and lost world charm the Sky Garden is the City’s attempt to capture the great outdoors inside a skyscraper... with varying success. Located inside the glass dome of the infamous Walkie Talkie building – known for its car melting capacity and eye soar potential – the Sky Garden describes itself as “three storeys of exquisitely landscaped public gardens and London’s most

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exclusive social spaces, including observation deck and an open air terrace”. In reality the space is less garden greenland and more tiled flooring with decorative plots alongside them... not that the effect isn’t pleasant or worth seeing, just be sure you know what you’re visiting. Although free to the public the Sky Garden does require advance booking, but after choosing a date, travelling to the Walkie Talkie, and enduring the intensive airport-esque security (no liquids over 100ml or food allowed!), you will be greeted by one of the most incredible views in London. While the view alone is worth a visit,

and completely transforms at night, where there is occasionally live music, if you’re willing to splash out a bit the experience is greatly enhanced by grabbing a drink at the Sky Pod located in the main observation area. Alternatively, climb to even greater heights and have a meal in the Darwin Brasserie. Located on level 36 the Darwin Brasserie is a curious structure floating in the centre of the enormous sky garden, but boasts what is likely the most sensational view available in London while tucking into a steak – though prepare yourself for an equally sky high bill at the end of the night!

7. Parkland Walk

nearest tube: highgate/finsbury park

arkland Walk offers North Londoners a four and a half mile linear walkway that follows the course of an old railway line that previously ran between Finsbury Park and Alexandra Palace. Crossing through Stroud Green, Crouch End, Highgate and Muswell Hill the path is much loved by cyclists and dog-walkers (and slightly less savoury characters in the less populated hours, so going alone late in the evenings isn’t advised). Parkland Walk evokes an urban jungle in its most literal sense, with its graffiti covered archways, tunnels and brick walls half covered in dense greenery. A particularly curious feature of the walk comes in the form of a man-sized green ‘spriggan’ sculpture by Marilyn Collins, found in one of the alcoves of the wall at the footbridge before the disused Crouch End station. According to

hours: 24/7

urban legend this ‘goat-man’ haunted the walk in the 1970s and 80s, and local children used to dare one another to walk the Parkland Walk in the darkness to see if he would come and get them! The sculpture, as well as the walk more generally, inspired Stephen King’s short horror story Crouch End. Although you can enter the park a variety of ways, taking the southern route, starting near Highgate and ending near Finsbury Park, gives walkers the option of a well earned pint in the nearby Faltering Fullback pub (located on Perth Road). Loved by locals this charmingly eclectic pub is home to one of the most beautiful beer gardens in London – built up on many levels with foliage covering the walls the garden feels more like a child’s dream treehouse than the back of a pub!

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8. Hampstead Hill

Garden + Pergola

nearest tube: HAMPSTEAD hours: 8:30AM WITH CLOSING TIMES CHANGING SEASONALLY

idden in the depths of Hampstead Heath are the breathtaking Inverforth House’s Garden and Pergola... the space has a secretive, stuck-in-the-past feel to it, tucked away from the usual busyness of Hampstead Heath and Golders Hill park. While the house, and its immediately adjoining garden are privately owned, the Hill Garden and the Pergola are open to the public, and are oozing with charm.... and romance, the faded grandeur and slightly stuck-in-the-past feel make this a perfect spot for a date. The small park contains a small rectangular pond, gently sloping lawns and many benches to perch upon, and while lovely it is undeniable that it’s the pergola that makes this space truly magical. The Pergola is a large Edwardian structure which was built in the early 20th century by a Lord Leverhulme, a wealthy philanthropist who purchased Inverforth house (then known simply as ‘The Hill’) in the hopes of transforming its

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surrounding landscape. The Pergola is a raised terraced and colonnaded walkway, initially constructed to connect that two gardens on either end of the house. Interestingly, the majority of the materials used to create the raised gardens were provided by an extension of the northern line happening nearby – saving Leverhulme and his architect Thomas Mawson the cost (and difficulty) of sourcing materials from a great distance! Leverhulme dreamed of an extravagant setting to host lavish garden parties, and although since his death the Pergola has gone into decline and could be seen as merely a shell of its formally opulent state, it retains a remarkably grandiose atmosphere. While the structure might lack a little shine and sparkle, its current state is wonderfully eerie and exceptionally beautiful... and without a doubt worth a visit!

The following works are all licensed under creative commons for non commerical use. Photographer credits:

Page 7: Sky Garden © Fran Pickering via sequinsandcherryblossom.com Parkland Graffiti © David Jones via Flickr Parkland Path © Tom Ducat-White via Flickr Page 8: Pagoda © Laura Nolte via Flickr Licensed font credits: Numbering: Dry Brush © Levi Szekeres via dafont.com Titles: Colours of Autumn © Jonathan S. Harris via dafont.com Captions: Impact Label © Tension Type via dafont.com

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