Outdoor London

Mention London and people’s thoughts turn immediately to Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the Shard or the Eye. Few people know, or suspect that London has plenty of green spaces, if you know where to find them. Ross explores parks, wild areas, wild waterways, out-of-the-way bike paths, forests, even cemeteries. I enjoyed this book because of my own connection to London, my dad grew up in Walthamstow and used to tell me stories of Epping Forest. How delightful to read about it here and imagine my dad playing there when he was a boy.

Outdoor London by Eleanor Ross is a gorgeous book of full color photos and descriptions of outdoor recreational areas in and around London. There are parks, gardens, hiking and biking trails, and water areas that I never knew existed. If you imagine only city life when you think of London, this is a book that you'll want to see. Absolutely gorgeous!

I really like London. I also love how green it is, even in the very busy parts of it. This was a nice collection of everything London has to offer on this part, some of my favorite places were included. Everything was accompanied by nice photographs that made me want to visit London again.

The only thing I thought could have been better was the guide part of the book. There was just a little bit of information and I would have liked to see a bit more, or learn a bit more about the special things one can do in each garden/green/park.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Sometimes a book is desperate to be written. Outdoor London, Green spaces and escapes in and around the capital, captures the moment of the time in a wonderfully rounded guide book.
Eleanor Ross relates in a short and interesting outline of various locations of tranquil solitude to de stress, relax and happy places to play and share with family and friends.
This is not just a book for the elderly walker but a vibrant stimulus to get active and try new outdoor pursuits. The commentary is informative, witty and full of tips and places to find pubs, cafes and ice cream stands. These places are teeming with wildlife and Eleanor highlights what may be seen and when best to visit.
The number of photographs by Camille Mack also stir up the emotions to want to explore and head out to places of beauty and delight.
A must for all Londoners and visitors to the capital to make the most of their time here and find less well known and out of normal sight places.
Divided into short chapters on Parks, Gardens, Secluded Places, Wild London, Walks, Cycle trails and Water based activities.
A map ties the whole thing together and a brief index will soon have you understanding finding your way across the city and surrounding countryside.
A great gift idea and something worth owning to promote a more active lifestyle.

I enjoyed learning about so many “green spaces” to visit in and around London. I’ll be sure to check some of these out on our next trip to London. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader’s of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sie mögen London? Dann ist dieses Buch ein muss! Anhand von Fotos und Karten wird man durch ein etwas anderes London geführt, voller verzauberter Ecken, voller Romantik, Grün und alten Gemäuern.

I remember many years ago when I worked in the City of London spending summer lunch hours in the beautiful and tranquil garden setting of the bombed out ruins of the church of St Dunstan in the East. This is one of the many locations to be found in this sumptuous coffee table type book filled with wonderful photos, maps and informative narrative. Some of the locations were known to me but to be honest many were not and each page was a constant delight as new discoveries were made.

Covering parks, gardens, secluded places, wild London, walks, cycle trails and water based activities this book will enable the reader to go out and explore and appreciate the sheer variety of possibilities on offer. From the city centre to outlying estuary marshlands you will be taken on a journey through the breathing lungs of the capital city. A really enjoyable read and source of ideas for future days out.

An absolute gem, for seasoned Londoners or the new explorer.
I love to discover a city through its green spaces, and seek out parks and gardens whenever I'm lucky enough to go somewhere new. This book is an ultimate guide to the green spaces and hidden away places across London. They are a way to find somewhere new in an area you thought you were familiar with, or to escape from the bustle and grind of the polluted inner city. As a tourist, once you've hit the famous spots why not break off the beaten path & see what's growing behind the scenes?
I love the inclusion of walks and bike routes and a variety of gardens from big to small. Alexandra Palace or community garden - both beautiful, both a way for all people to unwind and reconnect.
One for the London lover and the green-fingered day-tripper.

Technically speaking, I could only review a PDF copy, not a physical one, so I can’t comment on the quality of the paper and of the printed colours; but the photos in the digital copy were, at any rate, vibrant and gorgeous.

This book presents quite a few parks, gardens, walks and cycling paths throughout Greater London, ranging from cozy gardens to cemeteries and preserved areas—we all have that idea of "the big city" as made of concrete only, but London is actually a pretty green city, or at least one with many more green places that one would suspect. Along short texts and beautiful pictures, the author also takes care of giving addresses, opening days/hours, and the closest Tube lines, to make it easier to find these locations and book entrance when this is necessary.

While visiting more than a couple will be difficult for someone who's in the capital for only a few days, if you're a local, or go to London more regularly than just every few years or so, "Outdoor London" will definitely give you plenty of ideas for both summer and out of season outings. (I was particularly happy to find about several smaller gardens in the City, since this is a very accessible area for me, and now I have no excuses whatsoever not to go visit these places more often.)

If anything, maybe I would've liked to see more details about each park or trail—a few more anecdotes, perhaps? But that doesn't detract from the book as a whole.

A great book to see the outdoor spots of London. Great for those who want a free or low cost spots to go to on vacation or spot if living there.