Best Nature and Parks (RV, National, Dog, etc) in London Borough of Lambeth

"Want to feel like you're in the countryside without leaving London?. Head to Richmond Park, a 2500 acre national nature reserve that's teeming with rare species of fungi, birds, beetles, bats, grasses, wildflowers and more. Just remember to watch out for the deer — especially if it's rutting season."

"If you’re looking to escape the hustle and bustle of city life and have some downtime, head to Richmond Park with your picnic blanket and make yourselves at home for the day. Walking through this park, you’ll feel as though you’ve escaped to the country."

"Sprawling Hampstead Heath, with its rolling woodlands and meadows, feels a million miles away – despite being approximately four – from the City of London. Covering 320 hectares, most of it woods, hills and meadows, it's home to about 180 bird species, 23 species of butterflies, grass snakes, bats and a rich array of flora. It's a wonderful place for a ramble, especially to the top of Parliament Hill, which offers expansive views across the city."

"This enormous, ancient parkland is one of the best places to escape the city while at the same time catching an amazing view of it: the vista from Parliament Hill, which forms the southeast part of Hampstead Heath, is so impressive it’s actually protected by law. Elsewhere in the park you’ll find a zoo, three swimming ponds (nominal charge, which is often ignored) and plenty of quiet spots for a back-to-nature-in-the-heart-of-London picnic."

"There’s a reason why you’ll often hear Londoners waxing lyrical about Hampstead Heath. Besides the great views from Parliament Hill and the famous swimming ponds, the wild park is home to a variety of woodland and meadows, so there’s plenty to explore."

"In 1759 botanists began rummaging around the world for specimens to plant in the 3-hectare Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. They never stopped collecting, and the gardens, which have bloomed to 121 hectares, provide the most comprehensive botanical collection on earth (including the world's largest collection of orchids). A Unesco World Heritage Site, the gardens can easily devour a day's exploration; for those pressed for time, the Kew Explorer hop-on/hop-off road train takes in the main sights."

"Ok, it’s not technically a park, but it most definitely is one of London’s foremost green spaces. Speaking of technicalities, its proper title is actually Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, but when did anyone last call it that?. However you refer to it, Kew is a glorious day out, and with 300 acres and 50,000 plants, you could go every week of the year and discover something new every time."

"Alternatively, if you are not interested in visiting Camden, you could try visiting two of the recommended morning attractions (e.g., Windsor Castle and Kew Gardens). You’ll need to use public transit to reach the morning attractions and to get to Camden but the attractions in Camden are all within walking distance."

"Aside from viewing the gorgeous estate located on the east end of St. James’s Park, visitors to Buckingham Palace can view the Changing of the Guard, one of the most quintessentially British traditions."

"One of the Royal London Parks, St James’s Park is one of the most visited each year mostly because of the many royal events that take place, like the annual Trooping of the Colour."

"There is a story that, many years ago, a royal once enquired of a courtier how much it would cost to close St. James's Park to the public."

"Between Waterloo and Hungerford bridges you can retreat to the landscaped Victoria Embankment Gardens, where you will find an unmatched tranquillity in this tourist area. In the summer recline on deckchairs and take in a bandstand performance."

"This Stoke Newington spot has held a Green Flag award since 2006, and is deservedly popular. It's very child friendly, with a decent play area and even a small zoo (and, like Richmond park, boasts deer also). In a pre-lockdown world, the park often hosted events, from twilight walks in search of bats to football festivals to sessions discovering the edible fruit and flowers which grow in the grounds."

"It’s got tennis courts and bowling green for when you’re feeling particularly energetic, but the park itself is big enough to get a good stroll in. You can see the whole thing by walking the perimeter, looping in the Grade-II listed Clissold House and the lakes on the way. If that doesn’t earn you a picnic after, nothing does."

"Clissold Park is a great park to come and enjoy some nature in London. Easy to get to from Stoke Newington you can enjoy peaceful waters and cute, inquisitive deer within minutes of leaving central London."

"Valentines Mansion & Gardens is a Grade II on the National Heritage List for both building and garden. Built in 1696, the mansion was for the widow of Archbishop of Canterbury John Tillotson's widow, Lady Tillotson. It later was the home of Sir Charles Raymond."

"Take a day trip to Winchester, where you can visit Winchester Cathedral (the site of Jane Austen’s grave) and Winchester Castle. You can also tour the City Mill or one of the numerous museums and science centres. Return to London for the night."

"The gable and rose window is all that’s left of the medieval palace of the powerful Bishop of Winchester who once ruled south of the river 1"

"Ben Franklin’s House Ben Franklin, in London?. For sixteen years, from 1757 and 1775, Ben Franklin lived in London. This house is the only surviving house that he called home."

"If you fancy rehydrating with a refreshing juice then head to the aptly-named Joe & The Juice in Richmond – concoctions such as The Iron Man (made with strawberry, kiwi and apple) and the Energy Shake (made with raspberry, bananas and vanilla milk) are great refuelers."

"There is a saying in Japanese “Issho ni ichido” which broadly translates to ‘once-in-a-lifetime experience.’ It applies to eating at The Araki, a 10-seat Mayfair restaurant by one of Tokyo’s most venerable sushi masters Araki Mitsuhiro. Mitsuhiro has now returned to Japan, but The Araki still serves a “no-choice” £300 pp menu spotlighting rare and luxurious ingredients: Sea bream sashimi topped with caviar from albino sturgeons or marinated tuna tartare under Alba white truffles. The tuna-focused nigiri here are meticulous."

"Good sushi is a marriage of produce and skill – two things which The Araki prides itself on enough to warrant a £310 price tag for its one and only menu option. The three Michelin-starred restaurant was opened by Tokyo-based sushi master Mitsuhiro Araki, who specialises in the 200-year-old practices of edomae sushi making. For four years, Araki was the only chef to serve at the London restaurant, creating and personally serving a omakase menu for just nine people per service."