Best Nature and Wildlife Areas in Decker House

"Escape to the country without leaving the city with a trip to Hampstead Heath, just a few kilometres from Central London. This wild and undulating expanse of green space spans nearly 800 acres, with woodland, playing fields, swimming ponds and meadows. Hike up Parliament Hill for unbeatable views or take a dip in the Hampstead ponds on a hot summer’s day."

"Get back to nature in Hampstead Heath: an ancient woodland and wild green space in the north of London. Climb Parliament Hill, which offers a breathtaking view of the London cityscape, and explore the heath’s various nature trails and playgrounds."

"Hampstead Heath is technically in London, but because of its size, you will feel like you have left the busy capital behind you. It is beautiful in every season. There is a lot to explore."

"While Richmond Park is by far the most famous park in the area, Old Deer Park is an open space dedicated to sports facilities and community events. It has play areas, tennis courts, an outdoor gym and sports pitches. You can also access Pools on the Park, a sports, fitness and pool complex."

"The Old Deer Park today is an important site for sport and events. The Pools on the Park Complex offers indoor and outdoor pools plus a gym. There are facilities for football, cricket, rugby, an outdoor gym and both hard and grass tennis courts."

"One of Europe’s largest inland wetland projects, this 42-hectare centre run by the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust was transformed from four Victorian reservoirs in 2000 and attracts some 140 species of bird, as well as frogs, butterflies, dragonflies and lizards, plus a thriving colony of watervoles. The glass-fronted observatory affords panoramic views over the lakes, while meandering paths and boardwalks lead visitors through the watery habitats of black swans, Bewick's swans, geese, red-crested pochards, sand martins, coots, bitterns, herons and kingfishers."

"Voted in 2012 as Britain’s Favourite Natural Reserve, WWT London Wetland Centre is an oasis of natural wildlife placed right in the heart of London. Managed by Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, this idyllic wetland reserve is located in a loop of the Thames and occupies more than 100 acres of land. Home for a significant number of unique species of birds, insects, amphibians and other wildlife representatives, the Wetland Centre represents a real natural wonder."

"Just ten minutes from Hammersmith, you'll get lost in the London Wetland Centre and its lakes, ponds and gardens. Aside from the daily guided tours, you can meet the otters, feed the birds, or take part in a host of family activities such as pond dipping and nature walks."

"This farm is little further out of London, but a whole day of adventure and fun can be enjoyed here, thanks to a huge array of facilities, besides the friendly animals. There’s indoor soft play at the Bundle Barn, an alpine toboggan run, Dino Dig and Splash play area and an adventure playground. Unlike most of the other city farms in London listed, there is a small entry price for this one (£10) but this includes entry to all indoor and outdoor play areas, activities, animals, bird shows and a tractor ride to the dairy farm."

"A post shared by Georgiebd (@georgie.bd) on May 26, 2018 at 10:23am PDT. Cycle along the paths or take a stroll at Lee Valley Regional Park. Stretching 42km (26 miles) along the river Lee, past Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and up to Ware in Hertfordshire, there is plenty of opportunity to spot wildlife, relax or play."

"Situated in North London, Highgate Wood is one of the four ancient woods of the London Borough of Haringey (together with Queen’s Wood, Coldfall Wood and Bluebell Wood). Containing an impressive variety of trees and shrub species, the Highgate Wood is the home for many foxes, grey squirrels, as well as multiple species of birds, bats, butterflies and spiders. Besides the fact that it was included among the eight Green Heritage Sites in London, Highgate Wood also attracts visitors with its recreational facilities like children playgrounds, cafés, walking trails and sporting fields."

"Chu Chin Chow has been quietly delivering one of London’s finest fried chicken dishes to those in the area since 2005. Every last piece of the Malaysian Fried Chicken (MFC) is a flavour bundle of succulent meat embedded in shattering layers of chicken skin interwoven with caramelised aromats. Chicken take away for very lucky locals."

"Overshadowed by a reputation for rudeness which it shed decades ago, Wong Kei is maybe the closest central London has to a communal canteen. In usual times, people, usually tourists, come here in groups but the real spirit of Wong Kei is on the ground floor, reserved for solo diners only, four to a table, sometimes filled with a kind of silent desperation, or the chatter of those comparing their orders. But for now, luckily, there’s takeaway from the counter: the standouts are the huge pork chops, deep fried and either dry with salt and chilli, or wet with gravy and aubergine, the assorted meat ho fun, prawns entombed within tofu, aubergines and green peppers, any of the scrambled egg dishes, and the wonton or beef brisket noodle soups, pungent with ginger and MSG, that will stave away colds for a rapidly oncoming winter."

"Wong Kei was once described as “the rudest restaurant in London” but the service here has improved somewhat. All of the shouting and noise is kind of forgiven as the food here is super yummy and well-priced too. The menu can be rather daunting but skip to the back of it for some seriously hearty dishes that’ll leave you rolling out of the restaurant."

"Make the most of Chinatown’s new outdoor dining permissions with a bowl of wonton noodle soup, some classic Cantonese roast meats, or beef brisket and rice vermicelli in soup. Be sure to add a generous amount of its status-iconic chilli oil to whatever it is you order."

"Andrew Wong’s eponymous restaurant sees traditional Chinese dishes honoured in the most creative and delicious way possible. Despite its Michelin accreditation, this upscale restaurant offers flavourful, excellent quality food at reasonable prices. Much more than just a modern dim sum joint, to get the full experience we thoroughly advise trying Wong’s curated 10-course ‘Taste of China’ menu which showcases the best of regional cuisine, including mouth-watering Shanghai dumplings and succulent Yunnan seared beef."

"This Pimlico Chinese, inspired by Andrew Wong’s travels around China, offers the the best of the country’s varied regional cuisines. For those intimidated by a multi-choice menu, A Wong will create a bespoke selection of dishes for sharing at your table, such as Chengdu tofu with soy chilli and preserved vegetables or baskets of steamed dim sum. Seats at the bar offer diners the theatre of the kitchen and the chance to try the chef’s newest dishes."

"Wong by Andrew Wong is a restaurant that features Chinese cuisine at its best. Tasting his food takes you on his personal journey through China, and with much sophistication and finesse. In order to fully experience A."

"One church which comes up in very few London guide books is St Brides church on Fleet Street. The current St Bride’s is at least the seventh to have stood on the site, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, the 1672 incarnation was damaged heavily during a fire in the WWII blitz in the 1940’s but thankfully able to be restored. The second tallest church in London, after St Paul’s, St Brides is an imposing figure on the London skyline, especially against the modern highrise buildings of today."

"Another of Sir Christopher Wren’s designs from the ashes of the 1666 Great Fire, St Bride’s is the tallest of Wren’s churches after St Paul’s, standing at 69m tall. Located in Fleet Street, it has a long association with newspapers and journalists. It was largely gutted by fire during the Blitz in 1940."

"He is thought to have been inspired by illustrations of the Tower of the Winds in Vitruvius. However, it is best known for its lasting influence on weddings. This originated when a Mr Rich, an 18th-century pastrycook of Fleet Street, modelled his famous wedding cakes on the spire."

"Lambeth Palace is the London home of the Archbishop of Canterbury in England on the banks of the River Thames. The palace has served as the archbishop's home for more than 800 years. While the palace opens to the public via guided tours, it is not open to the public only a daily basis."

"The White Cross is a historic pub in Richmond, dating way back to 1780. Aside from the beautiful and calming view of the water, there's home-cooked food and live sports on the big screen, and you can even bring your four-legged friends along too as dogs are more than welcome."

"Victorian riverside landmark pub with plenty of nooks and crannies, beer garden on the waterfront and all the usual pub fare."

"At the top of chic restaurant and retail spot Pantechnicon is a leafy oasis, decked out just like the lifestyle store downstairs. The food is just as refined as the interiors and leans towards Nordic. Expect dishes like fire-grilled aubergines with morels and garlic sauce, and beef tartare with cream and roe — and for ‘sauces’ to veer into foam territory."

"Restaurants Food court West Brompton. The Prince is a big ol’ comfy corner boozer in West Brompton. Well, maybe that’s understating things: it’s actually the old Prince of Wales pub, plus four interconnected townhouses and a massive ‘woodland’ garden with a retractable roof."

"The Prince is a lively pub garden with an extractable roof so come rain or shine, you can sit outdoors. As well as beer and winter cocktails, The Prince’s resident food traders serve tasty street food, including burgers and sides from Filth&Co, sweet and savoury waffles from Utter Waffle, and fish and seafood specialties from Jack’s Sprat."

"Eating al fresco is resplendent in meteorological risk, so nothing makes us feel safer than the retractable roof at The Prince in West Brompton. If you enjoy watching sports fixtures, it's also a splendid place for that."