2019-02-01_Lonely_Planet_Traveller

PHOTOGRAPHS: ISSY CROKER/LONELY PLANET, DAVID WILLIAMS/HYBRIDDAVE.COM/GETTY IMAGES

LOCALS’ LONDON

Richmond Park

By Matt Phillips

At weekends, I like to take my bike

to Richmond Park (pictured above).

Ialwaysgetabuzzoutofcyclingin

London, but passing herds of deer,

skittish rabbits and flocks of birds on

early summer mornings before the

park is open to cars, I feel like I’m on

safari in East Africa – the undulating

plains covered in long, bleached

grass and dotted with wildlife.

No ride is complete without a stop

for a great coffee in the park near

Roehampton Gate at Colicci. I then

finishwithabigbrunchinBarnes,

at Alma Café (when I’m craving

avocado) or Olympic Studios

(if a Full English is calling).

almacafe.co.uk

olympiccinema.co.uk

Thameside

By Ali Teeman

Ilovetotakeabriskwalkalongthe

River Thames in Richmond. Once

I’ve worked up a bit of an appetite

and a thirst, I call into Stein’s, which

is a fantastic little outdoor restaurant

on the river with the most amazing

views, great German food and beer

from Munich. It’s a lovely way to

spend a sunny weekend afternoon.

stein-s.com/richmond

Bermondsey Beers

By Megan Eaves

Upwardsof15breweries,cideries

and taprooms have sprung up

along a roughly one-mile-long strip

of railway arches in Bermondsey –

the birthplace of London’s craft beer

scene. At weekends, kegs, hoses

andbagsofmaltareputasideand

tables set up for punters. Most open

on Saturday afternoons, but a few

have started Friday evening or

Sunday hours, when I find it much

quieter and more pleasant. There

are usually food trucks, too, or you

canlineyourstomachatoneofthe

stalls in Maltby Street Market

(pictured below). Most people opt

to start from Ropewalk and crawl

south, ending at Fourpure Brewing

Co – but doing it in the opposite

direction is a good way of dodging

the crowds at either end.

maltby.st

fourpure.com

Southeast Adventures

By Joe Davis

First thing in the morning, I enjoy

taking a walk around Nunhead

Cemetery. It’s so quiet, it doesn’t feel

like you’re a few miles from central

London. After that, I like to visit the

fat walrus and other questionable

taxidermy at the Horniman Museum

and grab some lunch at the farmers

market there. You could spend an

entire weekend discovering all the

tap houses, breweries and rooftop

bars Peckham has to offer. I’d start

at Brick Brewery, under the railway

arches, and end at Gosnells

meadery, on an industrial estate.

A weekend visit to Peckham isn’t

complete without popping into an

artexhibition,asalvagemarketor

–ifyou’relucky–acraftbeer

festival at the Bussey Building.

horniman.ac.uk

brickbrewery.co.uk

gosnells.co.uk

Far Out

By Claire Naylor

Beckenham Place Park is the

biggestopenparklandinthe

borough of Lewisham, and is

currently going through a

regeneration (thank you, Lottery

Fund!). There’s a Georgian

mansion at the centre, which is

a community hub for events

(farmers markets, stalls, themed

events, live music, yoga school,

record shop, a café, and so on),

along with landscaped gardens,

open fields and ancient woodland.

Our favourite weekend thing to do

is go there with no plan, walk,

climb trees, have a snoop at

whatever’s going on in the

mansion,andenjoytheopen

space where the kids can run wild.

Another bonus is that a new lake

with a swimming section is due to

open next spring.

beckenhamplace.org

SOUTH

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