At more than 300ft long and 100ft wide, the centrepiece of the Royal Botanic Gardens is no ordinary greenhouse. You can imagine a T Rex stalking its prey among the prehistoric cycads, or close your eyes and let the warmth and perfumes transport you to a tropical isle. Underneath is the equally primordial Marine Display.

Kew Gardens, tube Kew Gardens, Richmond

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The Temperate House is the largest of the glasshouses at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; in fact it's the largest, extant Victorian glasshouse in the world. Despite this fact, many visitors never reach it because it's a fair way from the main gate and it's hidden from view until you're almost upon it.

This is a shame because the Temperate House contains some fabulous specimens, including the world's rarest plant - a cycad called Encephalartos woodii - and the world's largest indoor plant, the 52-foot high Chilean Wine Palm.

www.rbgkew.org.uk/index.html

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A remnant of the Great North Wood that used to extend from Deptford to Selhurst, this is a great place for a sunday afternoon stroll. There were once large Victorian villas in the area, so along with oak, beech and cedar trees, you'll find bamboo and rhododendrons. Cox's Walk is an avenue of oaks that is fabulous in autumn. London Wildlife Trust manages the wood and runs various guided walks such as bat watches and dawn chorus patrols.

South-east London between Dulwich Village and East Dulwich
London Wildlife Trust - Email enquiries@wildlondon.org.uk

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Take your bike or go by foot. Start at Sprinfield Park (N15) and have a slap up breakfast at the cafe by the Rowing club. Afterwards walk down the River Lea. There are many things that will satisfy those yearning for a slice of country.

Anyone fit enough can walk all the way down to the River Thames or chip off into town along Grand Union Canal.

Look out for the rare breed cows.

The Lea Vally

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A genuinely unique experiment, this Site of Special Scientific Interest features 40 hectares of created wetland in the midst of the city, and should not be missed for its beauty and for the diversity of the plants and animals that thrive there.

From Hammersmith tube a 'Duck Bus' (number 283) will take you to the Centre in ten minutes; www.wwt.org.uk

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Where to begin? One of the most beautiful buildings in London is also home to one of the richest natural history collections in the world. This is also one of the few museums that pulls off the trick of being immediate and exciting enough for children while providing the kind of depth that keeps adults coming back time and again. Unbelievably, it's also free.

Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD; Nearest tube: South Kensington; www.nhm.ac.uk/

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Londoners are spoilt for choice when it comes to open spaces, but for many Regents Park is the jewel in the crown. Where better to pass a romantic summer day than in the finest garden in London dedicated to the symbol of romance?

Tube: Regents Park, Baker Street

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