London’s Top Six Hidden Gardens

Combat the gloomy skies and grey streets of London by relaxing in the city’s most revitalized leafy hideouts.

Living in London offers so many opportunities for fun nights out, cosy nights in, and every adventure in between. But where do you go when you want a change of scenery?

If you’re a plant parent like me, there are numerous options when we want to venture outside and relax in the comfort of a green oasis. So the next time you feel the need to be at one with nature, try out one of these six gardens that are guaranteed to impress. 

1. Charles Dicken’s Museum Garden Cafe

This garden cafe is located just behind the Charles Dicken’s Museum, so although it’s hidden, it’s well worth the (free!) visit. Serving you light pastries, coffees, and teas, The Museum Cafe can make anyone feel relaxed in the heart of busy central London. There is nothing more satisfying than looking out into the garden, enjoying a cold beverage on a summer day, and listening to the hustle and bustle of Bloomsbury from the comfort of your safe, green haven.

2. Walpole Park

Walpole Park has always been a much loved park to the residents of Ealing Borough, but the best part about this sprawling green space is how many little nooks there are. Scattered around the park are lovely spots to sit and enjoy some privacy by yourself or with friends.

There’s a winding path lining the park’s edge with many benches that make for a beautiful location to enjoy a new book or do some people watching. My personal favorite spot is just behind the Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery, the house museum within the parks’ borders that was lived in by Sir John Soane himself. The garden is a lovely secluded area, surrounded by flowers, plants, and a pond with the odd duck or two. A lovely summer breeze has never felt so good when enjoying some solace on one of those park benches.

3. Kyoto Garden

Nestled within Holland Park, Kyoto Garden is perhaps the finest place in London to listen to the calming flow of water and reflect about life. The garden was a gift from the city of Kyoto to commemorate Japan and Great Britain’s long standing friendship, and the design and landscape certainly shows this.

The space features soothing waterfalls, stone lanterns, and Japanese maple trees. It’s a serene place to be able to sit and truly reach the most comforting level of solitude, while enjoying some of nature’s most graceful animals, like peacocks and koi. Letting your thoughts go and flow through the energy of this park allows them to return to you refreshed and in a new light, so that when you leave, you won’t be the same person when you entered.

4. Herb Garden in Battersea Park

Of London’s parks, Battersea’s has to be on the list of one of the most popular. But, I’d like to direct you to one of it’s secret wonders, not often visited, even when every Londoner is longing for a place to enjoy a bit of sun. Situated within the Staff Yard of Battersea Park is their Herb Garden, a quiet place to unwind and enjoy watching their vegetables and herbs grow.

The garden has a beautiful free standing greenhouse which you can sit next to while basking in the warm sunlight of spring and summer, or chatting with an old friend. It’s a gorgeous little retreat away from the often buzzing park and offers a reserved sanctuary to anyone craving a bit of peace.

5. Barbican Conservatory

If you’re looking for something educational, warm, and intriguing to walk through, the Barbican Conservatory is the place to go. Strolling through the many levels of this green palace is so invigorating you almost don’t ever want to leave.

While there aren’t many places to sit, walking through a canopy of vines or stepping over a large tree root connects you to nature in an extremely personal way. It’s exciting to see so much life inside a building, and makes you feel pure joy to know that it has been growing since 1981, and will continue growing for evermore.

6. The Garden Gate

Located a stone’s throw away from the legendary Hampstead Heath, The Garden Gate certainly lives up to the hype. The pub has a cosy interior serving traditional British grub of burgers, pies, and a delicious Sunday roast. However, the most impressive feature of this bar is their beer garden, featuring walls lined with vines and gorgeous leafy hanging baskets at each long table.

These green surroundings will satisfy anyones need for nature in their lives, while also quenching them with lovely local beers. So if you want to enjoy a day of park strolling at Hampstead Heath and cool down with some friends and a pint of lager, this is definitely the place to go.

After so much talk about some of my favourite hidden gardens in London, I want to get off my couch and go visit one! But in all seriousness, with spring fast approaching, change is in the air and this is best moment to spend some time alone and think without the distractions of London’s energetic and crowded streets.

Humans intrinsically feel the need to be with nature, so I want and urge you to give in and sit in a garden to reflect on yourself, your relationships, and your life. Even if you don’t reach any revelations, you’ll have at least enjoyed a moment of peace and a pretty view.