46. Brockwell Park

Brockwell Park is one of the biggest parks in South London. It's conveniently located between Brixton and Herne Hill. The park is in active use throughout the year. When Adele was asked in 2011 why she wouldn't perform at huge arena concerts that summer, she just said "That’s all I’ll be doing — sitting in Brockwell Park with my friends, drinking cider". This quote really says something about the park. It's a great hangout and when it's sunny out, it's filled with happy people from Brixton and around hanging out drinking beer and eating picnic food. It's not just a cool place to hang out in though. There are some sports grounds, such as tennis courts and bowling green. Also, it's not uncommon to see people play football even though there are no real goals or pitches. There are people jogging throughout the year.  There's also a huge children's playground and a paddling area with water fountains for the kids. Some of the most beautiful photos can be taken in a really nice garden in the middle of the park that has changes quite drastically with seasons. From the highest point of the park there's a view over London where you can see tall buildings from the skyscrapers of the Isle of Dogs to the City skyscrapers and to the Battersea Power Station in the west. 

The park is also a great place to try and catch a sunset from the hill. My favourite spot in the park is probably next to the two small ponds. There are some beautiful looking trees and flowers around those ponds and ducks and swans swimming around. Brockwell Park also hosts many different events. They have had fun fairs, Lambeth Country fair where you can enjoy music, pet farm animals, see some award winning vegetables and flowers and watch some jousting on horses. There is also a very popular sheep show. More recently, it was announced that Brockwell Park will host the Field Day festival this year. It's one of the biggest music festivals in London with some big names and many emerging talents. Brockwell Park is also regularly the venue for Lambeth's Guy Fawkes fireworks. In the middle of the park, there is an old Stately home, Brockwell Hall. Back in the day there were plans to build houses over this park when London took the park over from the previous owners. Politician Thomas Lynn Bristowe fought a great fight to turn the surrounding area to a public park. He succeeded in this goal but unfortunately he got a heart attack at the opening ceremony and lost his life. Today, Brockwell Hall has a nice cafe with an outside area where it's nice to drink coffee or eat ice cream in the summer. This is not the only great cafe in the park though. On the eastern side of the park there's a lido where you can swim throughout the year and the Lido cafe is a fantastic place to have a great coffee. The only downside is that the cafe gets really busy, especially when the sun is out. The same obviously goes for the lido itself. There's a massive queue outside when it's warm. For those busy summer weekends, it is good to know that right next to the park there is the Herne Hill Market where you can get delicious street food, produce straight from the farmers, such as bread, vegetables and cheeses. There's also great coffee and desserts if you've already eaten. When it gets dark in the park, or you're just tired of sitting around in the park, there are some excellent pubs right next to the park.

By Dulwich Park Road, there are two pubs, The Prince Regent and The Florence. Close to Herne Hill Station there is The Commercial and Half Moon Tavern. Half Moon Tavern especially looks great with its Victorian interior. There are also a couple of small breweries right next to the park. There's Canopy Brewery and Bullfinch Brewery. Both places have nice taprooms with inside and outside areas. From the park's south side, you can find lots of small restaurants, including a Guyanese roti take-away that has been called one of the best roti places in the whole of London.