Area: London (South)

 'The 2.3 mile Trail, and the 3 mile Extension, have been designed to show Barnes at its best. The route is circular, so it doesn't matter where you start – just follow the silver "Barnes Trail" discs set in the ground.'

Barnes Community Association

'Battersea Park is a large (83 hectares/200 acres) Victorian park, built between 1854 and 1870. It was formally opened in 1858. A major programme of work has recently been completed to restore and refurbish many of the Victorian and Festival of Britain elements of the park. There is much to enjoy in this Green Flag Award winning park including ... a grand one-kilometre riverside promenade.'

Friends of Battersea Park

Member of the U3A - London (South) Grouping

'Closely following the Beverley Brook through Wimbledon Common, Richmond Park and Barnes Common to the River Thames upstream of Putney. The walk goes through some of South London's most varied and beautiful countryside.'

Merton Council

Access to PDFs of about a dozen circular walks in and around Bromley.

London Borough of Bromley 

Member of the Ramblers - Kent Area Grouping

Member of the U3A - London (South) Grouping

'At over 1000 acres, Bushy Park is the second-largest of London’s eight Royal Parks. Lying just north of Hampton Court Palace in Richmond upon Thames, Bushy is famed for its mix of waterways, gardens, and roaming herds of red and fallow deer.'

The Royal Parks

'Circular route through the countryside south of Chessington. The route passes through Horton Country Park, Epsom Common and over the top of Winey Hill. The leaflet includes a map of the route and information about features encountered along the way. The route is waymarked with a distinctive logo.'

AllTrails

'One of London's largest open spaces, measuring 87 hectares, situated between Clapham, Battersea and Balham.'

Friends of Clapham Common

'If the Corporation of the City of London hadn’t bought the "Coulsdon Commons’"– Riddlesdown and its neighbouring "wastes" of Kenley Common, Coulsdon Common and Farthing Downs – for £7,000 in 1883 (nearly £1 million today), there’s little doubt what would have happened. All four high green open spaces would have been gobbled up in London’s inexorable southward expansion. As it was, the City of London dedicated the 350 acres of Coulsdon Commons, "fine, open, breezy downs, already largely used for purposes of recreation by the public, and now for all time secured for those purposes".'

Christopher Somerville Walks

'Walking and cycling form the core of the outdoor programme, although Club Members often organise other exciting one day, weekend or full week holidays, involving activities like caving, canoeing, climbing, skiing and windsurfing. We attempt to put something back into the community by arranging conservation projects, a "wheelchair ramble" and support for the charity "Shelterbox".'

Member of the Ramblers - Surrey Area Grouping

Member of the U3A - London (South) Grouping

''A parkland and riverside walk through history, easily accessed by Underground, bus or car, this circular walk is a huge adventure.'

Fancy Free Walks

'The Public over the age of 18 years are invited to join the EnBro volunteer lead walks ... There is no charge - simply turn up at the designated starting point and enjoy the walk ... The Walks Programme contains a wide variety of walks from gentle strolls to the more strenuous walks whereby leaders aim to complete a 5 mile walk within approximately 2 hours.'

EnBro Environment Bromley

'Darwin's Landscape Laboratory is the house, gardens and countryside near London where Darwin lived and worked for the forty years of his scientific maturity including his work on The Origin of Species ... The South Downs which inspired Charles Darwin continue to excite community groups to explore nature today. More than 250 volunteers, including young people, were trained to observe and record the natural habitat of the area. Walks, talks and leaflets enabled the general public to find out about the biodiversity of the area ...'

London Borough of Bromley

Charles Darwin Audio Trails [Bromley Council | Audio Trails]

'Leave your car at home and discover this tranquil walk, linking Ham House and Garden with Kingston Station. The circular route, which is on London's doorstep, begins at the station. It leads you along the rural Thames Path and through the verdant Richmond Park.'

National Trust

Ham House Richmond [GPS Cycle & Walking Routes]

'Hampton Court Palace’s world-famous gardens include 60 acres of spectacular formal gardens and 750 acres (304 hectares) of parkland, all set within a loop of the River Thames.'

'Guided walks of historic Kingston by The Kingston Tour Guides.'

'The Tour Guides are part funded by The Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames.'

'While many would not immediately associate Richmond and its surrounds with a significant or even rich Jewish history it is replete with Jewish associations going back to the late 17th century ...'

National Anglo-Jewish Heritage Trail

'Kenley Common is a 56 hectare (139 acre) public open space located in the London Borough of Croydon. It forms part of a larger area of open countryside, within the London Green belt, that links London with the wider countryside of Surrey.'

City of London Corporation

Kenley Heritage Trail

Parks, Sports & Leisure.

Walking Routes [the community brain]  |  Kingston Trails [Kingston University London]

Member of the Ramblers - Surrey Area Grouping

'Kingston is a beautiful place to live, work and visit, but often its natural and historical wealth is overshadowed by its reputation as the shopping hub of South West London. We wanted to encourage residents and visitors to look at Kingston afresh and tap into the fascinating history, flora and fauna the Royal Borough has to offer, and so Kingston Trails was born.'

History @ Kingston

'Explore Bromley's countryside and the network of walking routes, with over 120 miles of public rights of way. You can enjoy over 30 square miles of Green Belt countryside and over 2,900 acres of council-owned parks and open space.'

Walk This Way  'There are some great parks and open spaces in the borough. We have put together some fun and educational activities, to help you and your family enjoy them.'

'The path has been developed over the last 16 years and in conjunction with a long distance charity run called the Green Belt Relay organised by Stragglers Running Club from Kingston-upon-Thames.' Relay usually held Mid May.

Sean Davis

'Walking route through London beginning at Kingston station and finishing at the Cutty Sark at Greenwich. This London Parks Way passes through the Royal Parks of Bushy Park, Richmond Park, Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, Regents Park, St James Park, and Greenwich Park as well as Hampton Court Park, Holland Park, Victoria Park and Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The approximate distance is 65 miles It is split into 6 sections each of which is a self-contained walk that can be reached by train.' 

Rob Myers

'London Wetland Centre is an idyllic spot to escape the hustle and bustle of the City for a walk or to indulge in an afternoon of bird watching from one of our six hides. The reserve is easily accessible with pathways and bridges among the pools, meadows and gardens ...'

'Discover the former Lubbock Estate and understand how they shaped it over time.'

London Borough of Bromley

'We have declared a number of sites in Merton as local nature reserves (LNRs). We work with English Nature to select sites, and tend to focus on land recognised as being of importance for nature conservation interest, with open access for the public and either existing or potential value for environmental education.'

Merton Council

Member of the U3A - London (South) Grouping

Four 'Suggested Walks' around the Common. Within the Map 'click on the place names to find out more about each area'.

Mitcham Common Conservators

'Download the trail and use it as you take a guided walk to learn more about the history and heritage of Cricket Green. The audio trail includes recordings of local people who help bring the area to life.'

Mitcham Cricket Green Community & Heritage

'Rain or shine the Park always looks inviting and magical especially if you can get here early in the morning before everyone else does. Explore the park to discover the many views of the old buildings that were part of the Hatfeild family's country estate. Many of the buildings are not open to the public as they are tenanted to raise valuable income for the park.'

National Trust

'Our aim is to provide members the opportunity to experience the joys of hill walking in the beautiful British Countryside over a weekend at least once a month. In addition, we also try to do at least one nearby day walk once a month on either Saturday or Sunday.'

'Oaks Park is a mixture of landscapes, including formal horticulture, natural chalk meadows, woodlands and informal parkland. It is much loved by both dog and recreational walkers ... Sutton Countryside Walk and Oaks Park Nature Trail are based in the park.  Section 6 of the London Loop passes through the park.'

London Borough of Sutton and Friends of Oaks Park

Member of the U3A - London (South) Grouping

'Walker Dunelm is Inside Croydon‘s non-resident rambler who has devised, and walked, a series of countryside ambles in and around the local area. To help you plan your local rambles, we have collated ... links to each of the walk articles.'

'Features a total of nine near life-sized figurative sculptures and is believed to be unique to London. It was installed in the summer of 2008, but began life much earlier. Some 20 years before nationally recognised sculptor Alan Thornhill donated the sculpture "Load" to the people of Putney which was installed close to Putney Bridge ...'

Wandsworth Council

'Stands on a beautiful site, surrounded by Wimbledon Common, covering 47 acres. Established in 1891 and as a crematorium in 1938 it has two service chapels and an extensive Garden of Remembrance.'

Parks&Gardens

Putney Vale Cemetery [The Victorian Web] | Putney Vale Cemetery [Wikipedia]

'Every year millions of Londoners and tourists visit Richmond Park, the largest of the capital's eight Royal Parks and the biggest enclosed space in London ...'

The Royal Parks

Member of the Ramblers - Surrey Area Grouping

Member of the U3A - London (South) Grouping

'Come to Kew and explore the world's most famous botanic garden. Just 30 minutes from central London, Kew Gardens boasts breathtaking landscapes, iconic glasshouses, historic buildings and a vast range of rare and beautiful plants.'

'Large man-made lake with adjacent fields, meadows and trees.'

Friends of South Norwood Country Park

Member of the Ramblers - Surrey Area Grouping

'Follow all, or part, of this fifteen mile walking route linking the Thames Path National Trail in Kingston to the North Downs Way National Trail near Westhumble; hence the name, Thames Down Link.'

Surrey County Council

Thames Down Link [Rambling Man]

'While most visitors to London see Nelson atop his column, a small journey outside central London to the Borough of Merton can provide a more meaningful glimpse into Nelson's life. Here there are a number of locations associated with Admiral Horatio Nelson – including churches, parks and other buildings – including the site of Merton Place – the only home he ever owned – though sadly it is now gone ...'

Merton Council

'With 92 hectares (221 acres), Tooting Common is the largest of our open spaces. The common is managed with the aim of keeping much of its natural character ... Tooting Bec Common and Tooting Graveney Common, together with Streatham Green are the remains of common land that once stretched as far as Mitcham. An avenue of trees marks the former boundary line between the two commons, now to all intents and purposes one.'

Wandsworth Council

'The Vanguard Way ... starts on the southern outskirts of Greater London and passes through the counties of Surrey, Kent and East Sussex.'

Vanguards Rambling Club

'The route description guides walkers from south (East Croydon) to north (the River Thames), but is easy to follow in either direction. We have included estimated walking times for each section.'

Wandle Trail Partnership

Wandle Trail [Rambling Man]

'Wandsworth Common has many features similar to Tooting Common, including strong involvement from local users. Its 73 hectares (175 acres) contain ecological and ornamental areas, sports pitches, tennis and bowling, a lake (fishing in season, membership required), trim trail and children's playground.'

Wandsworth Council

Member of the U3A - London (South) Grouping

'A walk of 4½ - 6½ miles from Clapham Junction Station including some of the Wandle Trail.'

Janet Digby London Footprints

'Wimbledon Common is a large open space in Wimbledon, south-west London, totalling 460 hectares (1,140 acres). There are three named areas: Wimbledon Common, Putney Heath, and Putney Lower Common, which together are managed under the name Wimbledon and Putney Commons. Putney Lower Common is separated from the rest of the Common by about 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometres) of built-up area of southwest Putney.'

Wimbledon & Putney Commons Conservators

'Wimbledon Common, Richmond Park, and the Thames Path.'

Saturday Walkers Club