Greenspaces: Hilly Fields

One of the area's biggest parks, Hilly Fields hovers over the neighbourhood, ringed by trees and topped with  Prendergast School. It has shaped the character of the area since it was saved from developers in the late 19th century by Octavia Hill and is now the focal point for community life in a way that no other nearby park is, hosting a full calendar of events all year round.

Hilly Fields has achieved the perfect balance for an urban park: Always busy, but never crowded, it's home to bubble makers, tightrope walkers, footballers, army fitness trainers, picnickers and open gym-bunnies. The tennis courts, basketball court and ping pong table are always in use, but there are rarely queues. It's big enough to swallow events like pop-up cinema screenings and follies like the stone circle or to let you lose yourself in the long grasses and wildflower meadow on its quieter eastern and southern sides.

Sunbathers can follow the sun from one slope to another, while the addition in recent months of a cafe and cricket square, together with a new playground, ensure it's a place to linger, as well as run through.

Click here for the Friends of Hilly Fields.