East London

East London is where this site has the most guides, and it is also the most varied part of the city for green space. In one region you can find an Olympic park, a Victorian “people’s park”, huge reservoirs full of birds, ancient forest and several free farms where children can see animals up close. Many of these places are less famous than the Central London parks, which often means more space and fewer crowds.

Big parks with a story. Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park was built for the London 2012 Games and now mixes waterways, sports venues and the ArcelorMittal Orbit. Victoria Park in Hackney and Tower Hamlets is one of London’s oldest public parks, with lakes and a Chinese pagoda. Mile End Park runs alongside the Regent’s Canal, so it works well as part of a longer canal walk.

Water, wildlife and wild spaces. Walthamstow Wetlands is a working reservoir site that is free to visit and excellent for birdwatching. Lee Valley Regional Park follows the River Lea for miles and suits long walks and bike rides. For proper woodland, Epping Forest and Hainault Forest Country Park feel far from the city, although both are reachable on the Central line.

Farms and animals. East London is the best part of the city for a day out with animals. Mudchute Park and Farm sits on the Isle of Dogs with Canary Wharf behind the sheep. Hainault Forest has Foxburrows Farm, Bedfords Park has deer, and Clissold Park in Stoke Newington has a small herd of fallow deer beside the playground.

Local parks in outer East London. Further out, Valentines Park in Ilford has a mansion and boating lake, Barking Park has a splash park and miniature railway, and Raphael Park and Lodge Farm Park sit side by side in Gidea Park, Romford. Lloyd Park is another good everyday family park with play areas and tennis.

Which park should you choose? For children and animals, Mudchute or Hainault Forest. For birdwatching, Walthamstow Wetlands. For a long walk in the trees, Epping Forest. For a classic city park with a lake, Victoria Park. For something big and modern, the Olympic Park.

Practical tips. The Elizabeth line, Central line, DLR and Overground make most of these parks easy to reach without a car. Outer East London parks, such as Valentines, Raphael and Hainault, are more likely to have car parks than the inner ones. Forest and wetland paths can get muddy after rain, so sensible shoes help. Every guide below is based on my own visit, with my own photos and practical details checked against official sources.