Join Hunter Davies on a celebratory stroll around London's greatest glories - its parks. We need our parks more than ever before, for our health and spirits, our bodies and souls, to keep us fit, to save us from pollution, to protect nature and wildlife; and Londoners are lucky enough to enjoy more green spaces than any other major city in the world. In London Parks, Hunter Davies illustrates their wonders by spending a year walking round his favourite parks. From his local haunt on Hampstead Heath to the capital's latest wonder, the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, each one is chosen for its unique appeal. Informative and entertaining, he details their history, describes their layout and reveals hidden delights and new attractions that might otherwise be missed, such as the statue of a small brown dog in Battersea Park, a garden full of exotic plants and palm trees in south London's Burgess Park or, for something completely unique, Ian Dury's musical memorial bench in Richmond Park. Fun, thought-provoking and uplifting, London Parks is an essential companion for anyone wishing to explore the ever-green beauty of Britain's capital city, whether it's spotting pelicans and politicians in St James's Park, the birds in the London Wetland Centre or the views from Greenwich Park.

An illustrated 1907 historical and horticultural survey of green spaces in England's capital by a distinguished garden historian.

This guidebook presents 25 varied walks exploring London's green and open spaces. Covering both the city centre and the Greater London area, it takes in royal parks, heaths, forests, canals and rivers, including Epping Forest, Hampstead Heath, the World Heritage site of Kew Gardens and Wimbledon Common. Walks range from 4 to 14 miles and most can be accessed by public transport. Alongside detailed route descriptions and OS mapping, the book features practical information on parking, public transport and refreshments. Each walk showcases a particular species of wildlife that you might encounter, and there is fascinating background information the history and conservation of the capital's wild spaces. London is a city of 8 million people and 8 million trees, and its vast open spaces are home to 13,000 species of wildlife. This book is an ideal companion to exploring a greener, more gentle side to the city.

London's gardeners are twice blessed: not only do they live in one of the world's most vibrant capitals, it is also one of the most verdant. Gardens of every imaginable style, shape and size abound on rooftops, within palaces, surrounding churches, behind walls - on every piece of dry land - even if it is floating on or lapped by the river Thames. In Great Gardens of London, Victoria Summerley and Hugo Rittson Thomas collaborate to unearth the most fascinating stories of plants and people inside London's most exciting gardens. Some of the gardens are strictly private, while others are regularly open to visitors, but all can now be savoured and enjoyed along with those who know them best. Great Gardens of London is a captivating photographic portrait of the greatest gardens of the capital which are primarily closed to the public or rarely open their gates. It will feature gardens designed by some of the leading contemporary garden designers from across the world. Accompanying the photographs will be essays on the design and planting that explain the designers' inspiration and passion.

A refreshing guide to discovering the hidden details of London with 10 fully guided walking routes from London's leading tour guide Look Up London. Have you ever noticed London's tiniest public sculpture? Or wondered why there are strange cone-shaped structures on the fanciest historic homes? Did you know that the Tower of London used to be a zoo, or about the now defunct London railway that transported over 200,000 people to their final resting place? These are just some of the fascinating details that Blue Badge Tourist guide Katie Wignall reveals in this absorbing guide to the secrets of London hidden in plain sight. Take a journey through London's rich past with these 10 fully guided walking routes and discover a whole world of incredible history hiding above your eye-line, just waiting to be spotted. From the saucy scandals of Covent Garden to stories of power and intrigue from the City, atmospheric pubs to hidden Roman remains, London is a city bursting with captivating stories which are etched into its very architecture. So, Look Up and discover a London you have never seen before.

"We have chosen the top-7 runs (plus a bonus run) based on where Londoners run, where tourists really must visit and on what is the most accessible for the visiting runner. ... Most of the runs in this book are in central London and are close to Tube stations"--Page i.