London's Parks
There are numerous parks dotted around London, which are delightful for a visit as part of a sightseeing day. All also provide a lovely walk, or the chance to relax for a few hours, possibly with a nice picnic basket (although perhaps best limited to the summer months!). You will find that some are very close to other top attractions (for example, the proximity of St. James's Park to Buckingham Palace) whilst others have quite a number of attractions within them (Kensington Palace is in Kensington Gardens, and there are also several other sights within this and the adjoining Hyde Park). Here are some of the best parks to visit:

Holland Park Underground: High St. Kensington, Holland Park
The most western of the parks mentioned here, attractions include the Japanese Gardens, and the Holland Park Opera which has performances in June and July. There's also an adventure playground for the kiddies!

Kensington Gardens Underground: High St. Kensington, Gloucester Road, Queensway, Bayswater
Website: www.royalparks.gov.uk/parks/kensington_gardens/
Home to Kensington Palace (you can tour the state apartments, and view the Royal Dress Collection, although there is an admission charge) and the Orangery, which is a perfect place for a tranquil afternoon tea. The park also presents a pleasant walk between Kensington High Street and Bayswater, and there's a route suitable for cycling and rollerblading. The Round Pond towards the centre of park provides a nice location for a summer picnic. Other attractions include the Albert Memorial.

Hyde Park Underground: Knightsbridge, Hyde Park Corner Website: www.royalparks.gov.uk/parks/hyde_park/
Kensington Gardens in fact merges directly into this park. There's the Serpentine lake in the centre, in which you can swim during the summer months or hire a row boat for, and there's also the Serpentine Gallery which usually houses modern art exhibitions.

St James's Park Underground: St. James's Park Website: www.royalparks.gov.uk/parks/st_james_park/
London's smallest and oldest Royal park, its central location and proximity to a number of other attractions mean that you'll probably walk though this park anyway! Duck Island, in the park, is home to various breeds of bird life including ducks (of course!), geese, pelicans and slightly more exotic types. There are also bandstand concerts during lunchtime and in early evening May - August.

Green Park Underground: Green Park, Hyde Park Corner Website: www.royalparks.gov.uk/parks/green_park/
Very close to St. James's Park, this park is quieter with less to see and do. Nevertheless, it provides for a pleasant walk and is a nice contrast to the bustling Piccadilly (the road leading down to Piccadilly Circus), which runs alongside part of the park.

Regent's Park Underground: Regent's Park Website: www.royalparks.gov.uk/parks/regents_park/
Towards the northwest of Central London, one of the main sights within it is Queen Mary's Gardens. There are also free lunchtime and evening concerts performed at the bandstands, and the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre (highly recommended) which is home of the New Shakespeare Company. Also a great park for a bit of exercise: the vast open space centred around The Hub lends itself to various sports games (even I've been know to participate in touch rugby games in the summer), or you could simply join the countless joggers!

Victoria Park Underground: Bethnal Green Website: www.victoriaparkvillage.com/victoria-park.html
A great park out in East London with a real local community feel. Perfect for summer picnics and a spot of frisbeeing or light excercise. The park also hosts concerts - Radiohead played a couple of one-off concerts here in 2008, and the Lovebox Weekender is a mini-festival that takes place over a weekend every July.