Best Outdoor Activities in Tooting

"Occupying disused bare-brick railway arches in Waterloo underground station, The Vaults is a striking space for alternative arts and immersive theatre. As well as jazz sets, indie plays, and alien-themed musicals, you can discover a continual rotation of art in its tunnels. This unique contemporary art gallery is said to feature artists who ‘have a natural affinity for the unusual, the daring, and the unknown’, and that is easy to see."

"Tucked behind Lambeth Palace, the playground here won’t thrill anyone over the age of about four – though there are things to climb on, a sandbox, and swings. But the location, in central London, make this a good pit-stop between cultural visits – particularly if the Jubilee Gardens playground by the London Eye, with its climbing web and little else, is too crowded. Archbishop’s park is completely cut off from the street, so children can roam freely across the large grassy field."

"On the cusp of Westminster and Lambeth you’ll find the excellently located Archbishop’s Park, which is great for little ones aged four and under. It makes an excellent place to have a rest in between sightseeing and it isn’t known for being too crowded."

"Between Waterloo and Hungerford bridges you can retreat to the landscaped Victoria Embankment Gardens, where you will find an unmatched tranquillity in this tourist area. In the summer recline on deckchairs and take in a bandstand performance."

"It lifts the soul to see what a passionate community can achieve when it works (damn hard) as one. The jam-packed ‘Pleasure Garden’, created from an old bombsite, is a masterclass in use of space. But the true pleasure here is how the horticultural enthusiasm erupts from its tiny confines to virtually every free surface of the square."

"East Finchley’s finest sourdough bread, sourdough pastries and babka can all be purchased, as warm and fresh as a YMC shirt, from Margot Bakery. The crack team of egg-cracking experts bake with organic, free-range eggs from Rookery farm which are delivered fresh every week and even the brioche and croissants are leavened with sourdough. It’s that attention to detail and borderline-obsessive focus on the provenance of the ingredients that gives every bake they make an extra layer of depth and richness."

"This East Finchley bakery is the creation of two locals who steadily built up the business to grow a reputation that now brings people across town to them. Sourdough makes an appearance across the board, including in the pastries. Top non-bread draws include their babkas, sourdough brioche cinnamon buns and Danishes, and lots more limited editions."

"Michelle Eshkeri’s neighbourhood bakery in East Finchley specialises in sourdough, as is so current, but her interweaving of the fermented dough into challah, babka, and cinnamon buns makes this sunlit spot an outstanding bakery. Currently operating Wednesday — Saturday, with pre-ordering wise."