One of the best things about London are the green spaces. LSE’s campus is conveniently located in Holborn, which is on both the Piccadilly and Central tube lines. This also means that you’re connected to parks and gardens where you can stretch your legs after a long study session, drink coffee and chat with your classmates, sit in the wintery sunshine, or even go for a run. From east to west, and not far from Holborn, here are some of my favourite green spaces to get to from campus:

Holborn to Notting Hill Gate (7 stops west): Holland Park

A quick walk from Notting Hill Gate will take you to the cosy Holland Park, home to 2 peacocks, an Italian garden, and a Kyoto Garden with koi fish. Holland Park is beautiful and picturesque, and sits in between High Street Kensington and Notting Hill Gate for close access to takeaway coffee shops and restaurants.

Holborn to Queensway (6 stops west): Kensington Gardens

Close to both Notting Hill Gate and Queensway is Kensington Gardens, a large and beautiful park with lots of features including the Albert Memorial, Kensington Palace, and the Italian Gardens. A perfect place to stretch your legs and refresh your brain after a zoom seminar!

Holborn to Marble Arch/Lancaster Gate (4/5 stops west): Hyde Park

Hyde Park is one of the most famous parks in London. It’s an immense green space with lots of exciting features, including Speakers’ Corner (where every Sunday morning you’ll hear people from all walks of life give their thoughts on the state of the world), boating on the Serpentine, and the stunning rose garden. You could take a long walk from Kensington Gardens straight into Hyde Park, or travel directly to Lancaster Gate or Marble Arch tube stations. And, if you fancy a visit to Buckingham Palace, Green Park is not far from Hyde Park!

Holborn to Bethnal Green (5 stops east): Victoria Park

Going east, you can visit Victoria Park which is about 7 minutes from Bethnal Green station. There are two cafes to pick up a coffee or hot chocolate, a bathing pond (not bathed in since the 1930s!), a Chinese pagoda, an Old English garden park, and several alcoves for sitting, chatting, reading, and relaxing.