London is home to some fantastic parks and gardens which make for a great escape from the bustling capital. Anyone visiting the capital should pay a visit to some of these great parks so as to not miss out on their beauty and the relaxing atmosphere that they encompass. You are sure to spot plenty of Londoners getting a bit of respite and taking a break from the hectic city life beyond the park gates too!

Without further ado, here are ten of my favourite parks, eight of which are royal parks.

Hyde Park

Lets start with Hyde Park, this extremely popular 350 acre, royal park is visited by millions of people each year. You can enjoy numerous activities in this park such as horse-riding, boating in the Serpentine Lake, cycling, tennis, open water swimming as well as paying your respects to the Princess Diana Memorial and listening to what people have to say at Speakers Corner.

Regents Park

I would definitely recommend checking out Regents Park, which is a 395 acre royal park where you can visit the London Zoo, Queen Mary’s Rose Gardens, the Open Air Theatre, Primrose Hill and they also have an amazing waterfowl collection with one hundred types of wild birds.

Greenwich Park

Dating back to 1427, this is the oldest of London's enclosed royal parks and part of the Greenwich Maritime World Heritage Site where you can get a great view of St Paul’s Cathedral and the River Thames.

St James's Park

Established in 1603, this 57 acre royal park is well worth a visit as it is the venue of many pageants such as the annual Trooping the Colour and the Horse Guards Parade.

Richmond Park

At an astonishing 2500 acres, Richmond Park is the largest royal park, where many people flock to see the herds of 300 red and 350 fallow deer. It is also the largest enclosed space in London and home to the Isabella Plantation and Pembroke Lodge.

Kensington Gardens

In this 242 acre royal park, you can observe Kensington Palace in close proximity as well as the Peter Pan Statue, the Italian Gardens, the Albert Memorial and the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground.

Bushy Park

At 1100 acres, the second largest royal park, Bushy Park is home to stunning water features and with its roaming deer, makes a great place for a bit of wildlife spotting.

Hampstead Heath

One of London's best open spaces, Hampstead Heath is a great place with swimming pools and even a Zoo, there is plenty to do for the kids and all the family.

Green Park

At 40 acres, this is the smallest royal park where you can get a great view of Buckingham Palace and a lovely picnic spot.

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

Closer to where I live, the Olympic Park was designed for the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics. It is a superb park to explore and enjoy a day out with the family, where you can see the London Stadium and close enough to the WestField Stratford City mall for a spot of shopping.