Top 30 Best Nature reserves for family days in London

“Stunningly beautiful! My daughter went with the school and liked it so much that we went again at the weekend. It's really well taken care of and incredibly rewarding as a family. We will definitely look at membership.”

“Great park. Probably the best in the area to be honest. Long walks, great views and a real sense of being away from it all... even though it’s only 5 minutes away from the outskirts of Romford. Oh, plus the deer compound and the secret walled garden. Just to add to the allure!!! Update... they now have some new play equipment near the main car park. Fantastic!”

“Great and a huge friendly ostrich came to Join us, definitely worth the drive”

“Penguins of London zoo Very beautiful - chilled Unable to view feeding time Only one breed of penguin seen. Worth it if you adore penguins”

“Got there quite late close to closing time and they still accommodated us. None of the food was rushed and it all had FLAVOUR, something that Pelican State did not have! The sauces was on point. Only gripes was that the mixed starters could've had bigger and a tad more scallops and a metal crab cracker. Other than that, I was fully satisfied and I will definitely be going back. Very good for local seafood lovers.”

“Oh my gosh, I have never thought of a cafe in the park being a contender for "nicest cafe in the area" vibe, but this is exactly what Mountsfield Park Cafe is! My favourite cafe in all of Hither Green and Catford. The fact it's in Mountsfield Park is an asset too, I love nature, and the whole vibe is very non-pretentious. Every single staff member is consistantly lovely, so even when I turn up looking a bit rough for wear, I don't feel like i'm not welcome :) Before this cafe, I really wasn't fussed or could taste the difference in coffee, but now i've gone back so many times (because their coffee is delicious) that I can now taste the difference in other cafes ha!! I'm going to move out of Hither Green soon but i've already thought about how I can still regularly come back to this lovely place and park. It's been a really consistant highlight and peaceful thing to do”

“Lovely open space with the woods, play area large duck pond and the Deer Enclosure. The Deer are close enough to see and feed at feeding chutes.”

“Delivery was quick prices are reasonable and food was nice.”

“Friendly staff, amazing coffee and very good portuguese products”

“Great place full of regulars ! Good vibe overall, definitely recommended”

“Lovely place amazing pool... better than many hotel pools, easy going host who was happy to carry a heavy breakfast tray to the orchard so I could have breakfast in the early morning sun. Very fresh croissants and pastries warmed straight from the oven for breakfast. Amazing quality bedroom and bathroom..”

“You can walk and walk and...... as long or short as you like. Around every corner there's something new. The walk along the canal is a total change to the paths around the lakes. Watch out for loose dogs, a big issue. Excellent free parking. Approach road to the car park is tricky. Turn left at the pub as the sign is virtually hidden. It's in the same road as Tesco. Cafe in the Park has yummy cakes but the wait is ........ too long at peak times so chill'ish. Enjoy”

“Beautifully maintained field and paths running around the park. A gorgeous view of the stars from the city at night as well.”

“Nice little place for a walking and also a free parking!”

“Beautiful green space with a deer enclosure. You can feed the deer but bring your own apples and carrots. Lovely for long walks and picnics.”

“I'm going for a 5 stars as it's just getting it's footing but is an attractive alternative for locals and others. Destined for great things and has a great manager at the helm whose personal imprint will soon show how good it is going forward. Will update the review again in a month or two”

“We had a lovely late afternoon walk in the Ruislip woods with our dog. It was so tranquil and peaceful as we walked the many "public paths." it is difficult to belive that such a natural place exists in the middle of suburbia. Highly recommended if you want to get back to nature.”

“Large park with wildlife, playgrounds, playing fields. Great view from the top. It's well maintained by volunteers. Unfortunately best car park at the hill remains closed.”

“Went here yesterday for the first time and has been my first climb in a few years,I must say I am incredibly impressed by this place, the boulders are a fair recreation of actual boulders. Each boulder seems to simulate a different type of rock face as well as different difficulty levels. So it's good for both adults and children. Areas are very clean and there's low danger risk because surrounding the boulders are small pebbles which are also deep. I feel a solid 10 feet and wasn't injured so in my opinion it's good. AWESOME AREA EOULD GO AGAIN!”

“We had a lovely, long walk. Everyone using the woods was friendly. Maps were easy to use and we even saw a deer.”

“I love joining up areas where I walk regularly. We are big fans of Toys Hill and Emmett's Garden, so it was great to find a new park that joins up with Chartwell and then over to French Street and Octavia Hill area. Walked a bit of the Greensand Way, got a bit lost on my second visit; signage could be better. Parking in Westerham is a bit limited so used the big Hosey Common one and just crossed the road and looked for a footpath going the right direction. Saw 6 other humans in 2 hours. Perfect.”

“Best cafe I’ve been in outside of centre London. Stayed relatively close to this place while attending a festival. The milkshakes are amazing, the strawberry one in particular is probably the best milkshake I’ve ever had. The food was absolutely delicious and fresh topped with brilliant staff who are always happy to help and engage.”

“Great and safe place to do open water swimming in North East London. Free if you’ve got a UK wide Better membership. Remember to book your slot early as these are going fast!”

“Absolutely in love with this place! Surprisingly, was passing by on the way to work every single day and didn't know about this awesome place until yesterday. Good size pay & display parking with reasonable prices: up to 4 hours £1.40, which gives plenty of time to explore different trails and enjoy the surrounding beautiful lakes with swans and ducks and wildlife. If you would like to stay longer there, over 4 hours is £4. If you didn't come back before gates are shut, you have to wait until next morning when park will be open again (7:30 am) to retrieve your car. So, make sure, you are not late! At the moment it is open until 9:00 pm, but soon will change to 8:30 pm. Season parking ticket £40 a year. Not bad I would say if you are local or living near by. The area quite big, so your kids and dogs will love it! Lots of benches everywhere and playground for kids, children's play area includes an adventure trail, cargo net, monkey bars and a smaller play unit for the younger ones. There is also seating and picnic benches in and near the play area too! The play area is located near the Ocean Lake. There is also the cafe, also near Ocean Lake . Refreshments are available every weekend, bank holiday and school holiday's (weather permitting). Serving freshly cooked hot or cold food, drinks and variety of snacks, ice creams, bird seed for the ducks andeven treats for the dogs! But that is not all! We have found out that Leybourne Lakes offers a wide range of water sports too via Watersport Centre. Activities include: stand up paddle boarding, kayaking, scuba diving, small paddle boats, open water swimming and wind surfing. They also host Aquathons and Sprint Series triathlon events via Ocean Lake Tri Club. If you like walking, there are every Tuesday and Thursday one hour healthy walks through variety different routes around the country park organised too! Lots too consider I would say! :) Pleased we have found this place, apparently , 230 acres still to discover(!) and definitely recommend it!”

“Nice cozy cafe with friendly staff and great breakfasts. Tried Big English and macchiato. Enjoyed thoroughly.”

“I enjoy the kind of complaints that I read, because it means that if I have lower expectations I might be able to get a table easier… Does that make sense? I loved the food, the ambiance, and the service. I went with my daughter after doing half of our hike. A couple of pints and I lovely pastry filled with meat vegetables gravy classic British fare. A spectacular view, and all in all it was a lovely day.”

“Nice cosy room with lots of stuff provided, location is close to a station and has a alright price.”

“Lovely water park and play area for kids. Nice space for adults to relax as well”

“JW steakhouse in Cairo was the best steak i had ever in Egypt. I wanted to take the chance and try JW Steakhouse in London. And it was even better. Ribeye was very render and Italian win is the best pair with it.”