Fairlop Waters Country Park

If you haven’t been out to Fairlop Waters yet, you’re genuinely missing one of east London’s better-kept secrets. The lake dominates the whole place — watersports, birdwatching, or just sitting on a bench watching people attempt to sail — it’s all going on out there. Kids have a decent climbing structure and a water feature to mess around with, and there’s enough open grass that you’re not fighting other families for space. The walking paths loop through some proper woodland too, so you can actually stretch your legs rather than just doing laps of a car park. Pack a picnic, because the tables are there and the setting earns it.