Alexandra Park

Alexandra Park sits on high ground in North London and gives you proper views across the city if you time it right - clear days only, mind. The 196 acres are mostly open grassland with some woodland, the sort of place where locals walk dogs and families sprawl out on the grass rather than tourists queuing for photos.

It's a nature reserve in the looser sense - grassland and scrub that attracts birds and insects, nothing that'll blow your mind if you've been to proper reserves elsewhere. The real appeal is the views and the walking. On a decent afternoon you can do a circuit in ninety minutes without pushing it, and the slopes mean you'll notice your legs worked.

Families do well here. Kids can run about without hitting traffic, there's enough space that it doesn't feel rammed even on weekends, and the sight lines mean you can keep an eye on them. Older walkers might find the terrain gentler than you'd expect for the acreage. The downside - and it's worth knowing - is that there's not much shelter, so wind can be bracing and rain makes it bleak fast.

You're five miles or so from Lee Valley Camping and Caravan Park if you're basing yourself in Edmonton, though honestly the park itself is unremarkable enough that you wouldn't plan a holiday around it. Think of it as a solid half-day break from central London, not a destination. Free to wander, no fees, no gates. Just turn up.