herne hill's big green skyline view
A rolling south London park with a hilltop skyline view, a walled flower garden, ponds and a beloved old lido nearby.
Free to visit · Herne Hill · Herne Hill · SE24 0PA
Opening: Daily, dawn to dusk
Brockwell Park rolls over a hill between Herne Hill and Brixton, and from its summit near the old house you get one of the best free skyline views in south London, the whole City and West End spread out across the horizon. It is a proper local park, big, green and well loved, with grand old trees and wide lawns made for lazing.
Hidden within it is the Walled Garden, a peaceful enclosure of clipped hedges and flowerbeds that feels miles from the city, plus a chain of ponds, a community greenhouse and a miniature railway on summer weekends. The famous Brockwell Lido, an Art Deco open-air pool, sits at one corner.
It is free to wander, busy and joyful in summer and quietly beautiful in winter. Between the view, the gardens and the laid-back Brixton crowd, it is one of the friendliest free green spaces in the south.
Getting there: Between Herne Hill and Brixton, a short walk from Herne Hill railway station.
Best time to go: A clear day for the hilltop view, or summer for the gardens and lido buzz.
Insider tip: Climb to the top by Brockwell Hall for the free panoramic city view, best on a clear evening. Seek out the tucked-away Walled Garden, the prettiest and most peaceful corner of the park.
Free things to do in London · London Free Guide