The past couple of months have all been difficult for the world. I have been luckily one of those people that have remained safe and healthy so far, but had to adapt to the new ways of working from home, while at the same time dreaming of places to go and amazing art to see when we are all able to do that.
One of the things which really helps me not to go all crazy during these challenging times is the chance to enjoy a nice picnic outside in the sun. This is why I decided to share a list of places where you could have a nice day out with a picnic blanket with your significant other or with a friend. I live and work in London so most of the ideas below would be London-based, but I have also included a couple of spots outside the busy city.
Dover – White cliffs walk
This could easily be the most beautiful hike you could enjoy along the famous white cliff coast of England. You could follow the hiking trail which starts from the beach of Dover all the way to the lighthouse. We took our time to get there and had a nice glass of white wine mid-way overlooking the English Channel. If the sky is clear you might even see the coast of France!
Surrey Hills – Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
This is quite a large area to explore with different paths and trails where you could easily spend a whole day. The hike up Surrey Hills is not too challenging and the views from the hills are definitely worth the sweat. To make your picnic there even more amazing make sure you pack a few scones with strawberry jam in your picnic basket too – a tasty treat to keep you motivated to hike up those hills! 😀
Greenwich Park
This is probably my favourite park to have a picnic – you have the amazing views towards Thames and Queen Anne’s House and if you go high up the hill you would also see City of London skyline with St. Paul Cathedral in between. There are lots of walks and gardens in the park itself as well as a chance for you to spot wild roaming deer (alongside other classic London wildlife beasties like squirrels and foxes). It’s the perfect sport for an all-day picnic. Make sure you bring a couple of board games with you, my favourite one is Quixx!
Crystal Palace ‘Dino’ Park
Probably lesser known of the London parks as it is in Zone 4 and out of the busy city, but the area of Crystal Park is quite large and it also has the added bonus of dinosaur statues from the Victorian times. Plenty of nice spots to have a picnic on the side with cool and cheeky gin and tonic from your thermos! Why not! 😉
Mitcham Common
This has made my list as one of the less known London parks, but in itself does stand up to the likes of Hampstead Heath or the other South London parks. The park itself is quite lovely and if you are lucky you would even spot a family of bunnies hopping around, ducklings in the pond or even a baby fox, strolling casually. The area around the park is also quite nice to explore or have a picnic.
Lake District
So this is not technically a park as the Lake District covers quite a large area of the UK. If you get the chance to travel out of town for the weekend this is one of the nicest and probably the least crowded places to have a picnic or possibly even camp for the night if you can. Who wouldn’t want to sleep outside if the weather outside is as hot as 30 degrees!
What are your favourite spots for a wee little picnic in the UK?
Travelpie and jam 