Don't…
Seek tranquility in Hyde Park

True, Hyde Park is large, central, and offers boats for hire, summer swimming, horseback riding, tennis, bowling, the Serpentine Gallery, and two restaurant-cafés. But the thing about Hyde Park is, you're unlikely to meet many Londoners there. And while Speakers' Corner was once a place for serious public debate in the 19th century, these days it attracts the kind of folk you'd usually cross the street to avoid.

Instead…
Watch deer in Richmond Park

At 2,500 acres, Richmond Park, in South West London, is the city's largest. Its diverse landscape—rolling hills, woodland, grassland, ponds, gardens, and ancient trees—is a haven for wildlife, including around 650 deer. You can rent bikes at the Roehampton Gate entrance year-round or have fortifying tea and scones in the elegant Georgian Pembroke Lodge, while looking out over the Thames Valley.

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